ALBANY, Calif. - Favored Mystic Soul relaxed nicely behind a tepid pace and made a strong move once she got clear in the lane to capture the $75,000 Golden Poppy at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday.

Mystic Soul, second in the Grade 3 Miesque on the turf as a 2-year-old last year, faded after setting the pace in the Grade 3 Providencia in her last start.

Winning jockey Kyle Kaenel said he had talked with Mystic Soul's trainer, Jeff Mullins, on Saturday morning, "and he said she's kinda temperamental, but she came right back to me after the start."

ELMONT, N.Y. - Songster made a dazzling return to the races, breaking like a rocket and rolling to a 2 1/2-length victory over Dashboard Drummer in Saturday's Grade 3, $105,400 Bold Ruler Handicap at Belmont Park.

Dark Cheetah, second in this race a year ago, finished third, 4 3/4 lengths ahead of Pavo. Anew, last year's True North Handicap winner, finished last of five.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The leading earner entering the $114,700 Open Mind Stakes at Churchill Downs on Saturday was Taletobetold, but apparently that mattered not to horseplayers. Dismissed at 27-1 in a field of 11 3-year-old fillies, Taletobetold proceeded to show that money talks when she led all the way in a one-length triumph.

"She looked like a very good filly for the spot," said Brian Hernandez Jr., who rode Taletobetold for owner-breeder Robert Dewitt and trainer Eddie Kenneally. "All I had to do was hang on and let her get me around there."

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Sailors Sunset has proven to be unbeatable on Hollywood Park's synthetic track, and he is winning the right kind of races.

Saturday, Sailors Sunset won his first stakes of 2007 in the $105,800 Los Angeles Handicap. Last December, Sailors Sunset pulled an upset in the Grade 3 Vernon Underwood Stakes on the synthetic track.

Both races unfolded in the same style. Sailors Sunset took an early lead and was not caught. But his win in the Grade 3 Los Angeles Handicap was not easy.

BOSSIER CITY, La. - Taking advantage of a heated duel between favored Ceasers March and second choice The Q Club, St. Zarb collared the tiring leaders at the head of the stretch and drew clear in Saturday's $50,000 Free Spirit's Joy Stakes at Louisiana Downs.

Ceasers March held second and longshot Zarb's Bully was along for third in the sprint for Louisiana-bred 3-year-olds. The Free Spirit's Joy was one of four stakes for Louisiana-breds on the card.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - The most fascinating season in the 62-year-old history of Monmouth Park began Saturday on a cool, overcast afternoon.

It will be a year unlike any other in the history of New Jersey racing as the Breeders' Cup comes to Monmouth for the first time on Oct. 26-27.

The 13,066 fans who turned out for the opener were treated to a cleaner, updated experience. By Breeders' Cup Day, Monmouth will have invested $30 million in plant renovations.

FORT ERIE, Ontario - Trainer Debbie Rombis and jockey Regina Sealock, who both had their 2006 seasons cut short because of injury, got off to promising starts here opening week.

Rombis saddled one horse, Souvenier Biz, on the May 5 opening-day card. Souvenier Biz, won in the time of 51.70 seconds, bettering the 4 1/2-furlong track record of 51.80.

Rombis fractured her tailbone and broke her pelvis in three places when a horse reared and toppled onto her as they were leaving the track's sand ring last June 3. She required surgery and was hospitalized for two months.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Until now, Chelsey's Image has been the leading 3-year-old filly in the Ned Sams's barn. Chelsey's Image won a couple of stakes as a 2-year-old and in her first start this year she finished third in the CTHS Sales Stakes. She's earned $141,794.

Happy Ticket, who was based last year at Louisiana Downs, and Our Love, who was voted the track's horse-of-the-meet, have both gone on to new careers as broodmares. Happy Ticket has been bred to Distorted Humor, and Our Love, to Fusaichi Pegasus.

Happy Ticket retired as the all-time richest Loui-siana-bred last Nov-ember, with earnings of $1.6 million. She spent much of her year at Louisiana Downs, shipping from the Bossier City, La., track to win the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis at Churchill Downs in June, and to Del Mar to finish second in the Grade 2 Clement Hirsch in August.

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Trainer C.R. Trout said his goal for the strong closer Starry Pie is the new $1omillion Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Monmouth Park on Oct. 26. The first step toward that race will be taken later this month at Lone Star Park.

Trout said Starry Pie is scheduled to make her first start of the year in the $100,000 Valid Expectations, a six-furlong race for fillies and mares to be run on the Lone Star Million Day program, May 28. She has been working here in preparation for her first start since last fall.