The Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton, Calif., is looking into installing a synthetic surface that would allow the track to pick up some of the dates that Bay Meadows will give up next year. The president of Bay Meadows, Jack Liebau said last Thursday that the track would not seek 2008 racing dates after the California Horse Racing Board refused to waive its order that tracks with four weeks or more of continuous racing must install a synthetic surface by the end of the year.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - A handful of candidates for the Grade 3, $150,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap at Oaklawn Park on April 13 emerged from several different races in the region last week.

Junior College and Semaphore Man, who finished one-two in the $50,000 Hot Springs here Saturday, are likely to meet again in the Count Fleet, while Off Duty, an impressive allowance winner here last Friday, and Cougar Cat, a quick winner of an optional claimer last week at Fair Grounds, could also turn up next in the premier sprint stakes at Oaklawn.

FLORENCE, Ky. - Larry Jones is a Kentucky boy, born and raised in Hopkinsville, but it took moving to Delaware for him to find his first serious prospect for the Kentucky Derby.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - You could call Doug Watson an American trainer based in Dubai, but that wouldn't be quite right. What Watson is - and there is really no one else like him - is a Dubai trainer who happens to be American.

Watson first came to Dubai some 14 years ago, catching on with Satish Seemar, who runs one of the major Dubai-based operations during winter racing here. A native Ohioan, with connections to Chicago, Watson had scant experience of any sort working with horses, but at the time a move to the Arabian Peninsula seemed better than the alternative.

Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans closed its 2006-2007 race meet on Sunday with record purse distribution and a 5.9 percent increase in all-sources wagering from its last meet, according to figures released by the track.

Annie Savoy ($8) drove to a one-length win over Olmosta in the $45,000 Mission Stakes at Sam Houston Race Park on Saturday night. It was another half-length back in third to Govenors Trixie.

Annie Savoy raced in fifth early in the seven-furlong race for Texas-bred fillies and mares, stalking favorite and eventual fourth-place finisher Sweet Idea through an opening quarter in 22.84 seconds. Annie Savoy continued to track the pace through a half-mile in 45.56 and closed well through stretch to cover the distance over a fast track in 1:24.52.

Nine up, nine down.

Peppers Pride kept her record unblemished, posting her ninth win in as many starts with a handy win in Saturday's $100,000 Sydney Valentini Handicap at Sunland Park. Owned by Joseph Allen and trained by Joel Marr, the 3-year-old Peppers Pride stalked the pace in third in the mile event for New Mexico-bred fillies and mares, came with a wide run into the lane to surget to the lead and edged away in the final furlong to win by 1 1/4 lengths over six rivals.

Part Timer ($7.60), invading from England by way of Southern California, captured Saturday's $45,000 Tempe Handicap for 3-year-olds at Turf Paradise.

Stormy Business came from just off the pace, took command into the lane, and drew off to a four-length win over 6-5 favorite Tonight Rainbow in the $25,000 Tondi Stakes at Fonner Park.

Making his first start of the year, the Larry Donlin-trained Stormy Business covered the six furlongs over a sealed muddy track in an eye-catching 1:12.80, more than two seconds faster than any other time recorded on the 10-race card.

SAN MATEO, Calif. – A morning phone call to old friend Alex Solis helped Frank Alvarado guide favored Charm the Giant ($4.60) to a dramatic victory in the $54,425 Hillsborough Handicap at Bay Meadows on Saturday.

Charm the Giant ran down Strong Faith and Somethinaboutlaura in the stretch to win the 1 1/16-mile turf stakes for fillies and mares by a head in 1:45.60.