ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – The result of the Hanshin Cup Handicap was unexpected – but hardly historically unprecedented. Sure, Spotsgone paid a meet-high $165 to win, the largest mutuel in the history of the Hanshin Cup, which used to be called the Equipoise Mile. But the 60-year-old Earlie Fires was aboard Spotsgone, and Mr. Fires has found the winner’s circle in stakes races, well, 103 times now, by far the most in Arlington Park history.

Katie's Love has far more seconds and thirds than victories on fast tracks, having won just 2 of 25 such starts before Saturday, while collecting 8 seconds and 6 thirds.

But when she could have settled for a small piece of the purse once again, trailing by 2 1/2 lengths with a furlong remaining, Katie's Love ($10) kept coming in deep stretch and won by three-quarters of a length over Hanalei Bay in the $50,000 Shine Again Stakes at Pimlico.

Wood Be Willing ($9.60) overcame a slow pace to run down Tune of the Spirit in deep stretch and earn his first stakes victory in the $61,050 Eight Thirty at Delaware Park.

A 5-year-old ridden by Jose Caraballo for trainer Michael Matz, Wood Be Willing rallied along the rail, took the lead with a furlong remaining, and defeated Tune of the Spirit by two lengths while covering 1 1/8 miles on firm turf in 1:48.40.

He came into the overnight stakes race off a win going nine furlongs on Keeneland's Polytrack against optional claimers.

Into Reality ($6.40) sat just off favored Dixie Crisp early and pulled away when straightened into the lane to win the $50,625 Dipsea Trail for 3-year-old fillies at Golden Gate Fields.

Into Reality, trained by Bob Baffert, was coming off an April 14 maiden victory at Santa Anita. She defeated Hot Spell by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:09.67 for the six-furlong race. Dixie Crisp, Hot Spell's stablemate, was third another length back.

You Will Love Me ($32.80) mowed down the leaders at the eighth pole and captured the $126,600 Lady Angela Stakes at Woodbine under Eurico Rosa da Silva.

It was the first stakes score for You Will Love Me and for her owner-breeder, Bill Jones. Trained by Earl Barnett, she earned $75,000 in the seven-furlong sprint for Ontario-sired 3-year-old fillies at Woodbine.

Previously a front-runner, You Will Love Me rated kindly in third on the backstretch and got home on top by 1 1/4 lengths in a time of 1:24.50.

"When I asked her, she was there for me," da Silva said.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Honey Ryder rebounded from her 11th-place finish in the Dubai Sheema Classic in March so quickly that she gave her trainer, Todd Pletcher, confidence she was "as good as ever" entering Saturday's $150,000 Sheepshead Bay Handicap.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Hey Chub upset Who's the Cowboy by a neck in the $60,000 John J. Reilly Handicap on Saturday to kick off the Memorial Day weekend at Monmouth Park.

The expected script took an interesting twist in the six-furlong race for New Jersey-breds. Everyone anticipated John's Pic gunning to the front and dictating the pace. He briefly vied for the lead but quickly backed off.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Milk It Mick, the winner of the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita in 2006, has been retired after suffering a recurrence of a cannon bone injury that kept him out of action for the second half of last year, trainer Jim Cassidy said.

Milk It Mick will begin stud duty later this year in the Southern Hemisphere or next year in the Northern Hemisphere, Cassidy said. He said that conversations are ongoing with stud farms but that no plans have been finalized.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - From the launch of his American stable in 2001, Paulo Lobo has not lacked a top horse.

The first was Farda Amiga, the surprise winner of the 2002 Kentucky Oaks and the champion 3-year-old filly that season. Lobo has annually trained a showcase horse, including the stakes winners Lovely Rafaela, Pico Central, and Quero Quero.

This year, there may be two showcase horses.

FORT ERIE, Ontario - Souvenier Biz, from the barn of Debbie Rombis, may be Fort Erie's new king of the quarter-milers.

Last Tuesday, Souvenier Biz overhauled speedball Bermuda Triangle to post a three-quarter-length victory in the first two-furlong race of the season. A full field of 12 competed.

The dashes are a popular item at the Fort. They are scheduled at three-week intervals, one for fillies and mares and one for the males.