Interest is running high for this year's Louisiana Legends Night, scheduled for Saturday, June 30. A total of 173 of the state's best have been pre-entered for the 12-race program devoted exclusively to Louisiana-breds. Some $935,000 in purse money will be offered.

The evening's races honor individuals and their families who have had a positive impact on Louisiana racing. In only its third year of existence, the Louisiana Legends Night has quickly established an identity as a showcase evening, not just for Evangeline Downs but for all of the state's racing.

The $100,000 El Joven and $100,000 La Senorita, both for 2-year-olds at a mile on turf, once again highlight the Retama Park stakes schedule. In all, there are 13 stakes worth a cumulative $910,000 scheduled for the upcoming fall meet. The 32-night season at the San Antonio-area track will run from Sept. 7 through Nov.o17.

EDMONTON, Alberta - Northlands Park opens Friday for a 61-day summer meeting that offers a lucrative schedule of 34 stakes races, highlighted by the 78th running of the $300,000 Canadian Derby Aug. 25.

The Grade 3 Canadian Derby is the richest prize in Western Canada and is sure to attract top-quality 3-year-olds. Last year's Canadian Derby winner, Shillelagh Slew, returned to his Woodbine base to win the Ontario Derby on his way to capturing a Sovereign Award as Canada's champion 3-year-old colt.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - In keeping with this week's main theme, a couple of participants on Friday's card here at Woodbine bring Queen's Plate experience into their respective events.

Hot Deputy, a distant ninth in last year's Queen's Plate, will be one of the choices when he makes his second start of the season in the $44,900 opening race, a 1 1/16-mile $40,000 claimer for nonwinners of three.

Good things come to those who wait, so with this year's revamped stakes calendar offering very little in the way of black-type opportunities since mid-May, Saturday's four stakes races at Louisiana Downs come highly anticipated.

Three of the races - the River Cities for fillies and mares, the Barksdale for older males, and the Seeking the Gold for 3-year-olds - will be run on the grass, while the Temperence Hill will feature sprinters on the main track. Each race carries a $50,000 purse.

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - As a stakes winner on dirt and turf, Going Ballistic had a wide range of options for his next start. But his connections have narrowed the focus to just one race. Going Ballistic is being pointed for the $250,000 Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows on June 29, his trainer, Donnie Von Hemel, said Wednesday.

Going Ballistic will be moving back to dirt for the 1 1/16-mile race. In his most recent start, he won the $100,000 USA Stakes at that distance on turf. That race came at his Lone Star Park base on May 28.

MIAMI - Nominations for the eight stakes on the $2 million Summit of Speed program do not close until Saturday, but Calder racing secretary Mike Anifantis has already received confirmations from some big names for all four graded stakes on the July 7 card, including the $500,000 Smile Sprint and $500,000 Princess Rooney handicaps.

The biggest names on Anifantis's list of shippers for the Summit of Speed card are Smokey Stover and Fabulous Strike, who are expected to meet in the Smile.

The Grade 1, $147,200 Vessels Maturity, with half of the 10-horse field from the Paul Jones barn, starts an important weekend of racing Friday at Los Alamitos. The $1,130,000 Ed Burke Million will be run on Saturday night.

The Vessels Maturity winner receives a berth in the Grade 1, $1 million Champion of Champions on Dec. 8.

One horse in the 400-yard Maturity field, Volcom, has already earned a spot in the Champion of Champions by virtue of his victory in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Championship.

Golden Gate Fields took a step forward on Tuesday in its plan to install a synthetic surface this summer. The city of Albany advised the track that the project was exempt from having to meet the environmental requirements contained in the California Environmental Quality Act, and the track's request for a grading permit was approved by the city.

The decision leaves Golden Gate awaiting a permit from the Albany planning department before it can begin construction on the synthetic Tapeta surface.

Manduro held off Dylan Thomas to score a thoroughly professional victory in the $696,000 Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot on Wednesday, leaving a trail of Group 1 winners in his wake.