LEXINGTON, Ky. - Wes Hawley will have one of the longest shots in the field when the 133rd Kentucky Oaks is run May 4 at Churchill Downs. Hawley, 44, is not drawing inspiration from the fact that the Oaks was captured last year by the longest-priced winner in race history - Lemons Forever, a 47-1 shot - but from a source far more personal.

AUBURN, Wash. - Several new outfits will be racing at Emerald Downs this season, but most are not strangers to local fans.

Trainer Janet Armstrong, for example, introduced herself to Washington racing last season when she brought Sophie's Trophy down from Hastings to win the Irish Day Handicap for 3-year-old fillies. She returned with Outrageous Limit, who ran seventh in the Tacoma Handicap, and again with Sophie's Trophy, who finished third in the Washington Oaks.

Armstrong is back in force this year, as she brought her entire stable to Washington.

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Bob and John, the winner of last year's Grade 1 Wood Memorial, is expected to make his first start as a 4-year-old Saturday in the Grade 3, $300,000 Texas Mile at Lone Star Park.

"Right now, if all's well he's definitely coming," said Bob Baffert, who trains Bob and John for Stonerside Stable. "That's what we've been pointing for."

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - An appeal by Stronach Stable and trainer Brian Lynch, whose Malakoff was disqualified and placed fifth after finishing first in the Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie last July 16, has been denied by the Ontario Racing Commission.

The ORC ruling, released Friday following a hearing which took place March 28-30, finally confirms Shillelagh Slew, who had been moved up to first upon Malakoff's disqualification by the stewards, as the official winner of the $500,000 Prince of Wales.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott completed a sweep of the two turf stakes for 3-year-olds at the Keeneland spring meet when Moudez gamely fought off Bullara to win the 22nd running of the $112,100 Forerunner Stakes on a chilly Thursday afternoon.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - It's hard to be better than perfect, but trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. thinks Diamond Stripes can be much better than he showed winning a third-level allowance race Thursday at Aqueduct. The win kept Diamond Stripes undefeated in four career starts.

"He still doesn't have his mind totally on things, but he's going to get there," Dutrow said after Diamond Stripes ran a mile in 1:36.03, beating Tasteyville by two lengths. "I'm looking for a big race next time."

ARCADIA, Calif. - Really, On the Acorn should not be in the Grade 2 San Juan Capistrano Handicap at Santa Anita on Sunday.

Claimed for $40,000 last November, his presence in a graded stakes such as the $200,000 San Juan seems improbable, especially after he returned to finish ninth against $50,000 claimers last December.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Trainer Dave Cotey has been active as usual this spring, with three winners from 17 starters in the first eight days of the Woodbine meeting.

On Saturday, Cotey will be looking to play the role of giant-killer when he sends out Angel of the House against the undefeated Like Mom Like Sons and four other 3-year-olds in the $125,000 Woodstock at six furlongs.

Like Mom Like Sons, an impressive winner against older rivals in a 6 1/2-furlong race in his first start of the season for trainer Sid Attard, appears to tower over his opponents in the Woodstock.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Arlington Park, just around the corner from the May 4 opening of its 2007 race meet, plans to complete the installation of its new synthetic racing surface Friday, and the new Polytrack oval is expected to open for training on Wednesday.

No jockey was more eager for the return of racing to Thistledown than Weldon Cloninger Jr. Cloninger's 2006 season ended abruptly when one of his mounts, Jaded Heat, broke down on the June 18 Father's Day card at Thistledown.

"Usually you can hear or feel something when a horse is about to go down and you can try to pull 'em up " said Cloninger. "But in my incident, all I saw was the ground. That's all I remember. I don't remember the horse running me through a meat-grinder."