NEW ORLEANS - Fair Grounds Race Course, which was shredded two years ago by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, narrowly escaped another disaster early Tuesday morning when a tornado passed right over the barn area without causing significant damage. At 2:55 a.m., a tornado smashed into Westwego, across the Mississippi River from Fair Grounds, then bounced over the river and landed in the Carrollton section of the city just west of the track, where it caused widespread damage and injured 25 people.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Golden Dreamer isn't simply the most accomplished 3-year-old filly in Saturday's $65,000 Dearly Precious Stakes at Aqueduct, she is also the one with the most early speed.

Add in the fact that Golden Dreamer has run her two best races over the inner track and you've got a legitimate favorite that looks too short a price to bet on and too good to bet against in the six-furlong stakes.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trainer Todd Pletcher would rather have a little more distance and a better post for Oonagh Maccool in Saturday's Grade 3, $150,000 Sabin Handicap at Gulfstream Park. But such little inconveniences shouldn't deter Oonagh Maccool from making a successful return off a 6o1/2-month hiatus in the one-mile Sabin.

The Sabin shares top billing on the card with the Grade 3, $150,000 Hurricane Bertie Handicap.

LAUREL, Md. - Trainer Dale Capuano acknowledges that "being due" does not apply to horse racing. Still, that's not to say that one of his stable stars - a gray gelding named Due - isn't due for a big effort when the $115,000 John B. Campbell Breeders' Cup Handicap is run Saturday at Laurel Park.

"This is a pretty solid race, but there seems to be some pace in there, which is good news for us," said Capuano.

Trainer Chris Hartman is hoping Game of Skill's explosive victory at Sunland Park on Jan. 23 was no illusion. Hartman will likely get confirmation either way Saturday when he sends Game of Skill against eight other 3-year-olds in the $100,000 Borderland Derby.

The 1 1/16-mile stakes is the main local prep for the meet's marquee event, the $600,000 WinStar Derby on March 18.

Game of Skill bided his time early in that Jan. 23 race, a 6 1/2-furlong maiden race. He swooped to the lead and romped home by nine with seemingly plenty in reserve, earning a 79 Beyer Speed Figure.

Buddy Got Even seemingly has the least amount of speed of the 11 horses entered in Saturday's $50,000 Dust Commander Stakes at Turfway Park. He is also inexperienced running two turns, having made all six of his main-track starts in sprints.

None of that is likely to matter much to bettors. On the basis of his 4-for-5 record on Polytrack, Buddy Got Even looms the likely favorite in the one-mile Dust Commander.

It's difficult to comprehend a horse stretching out to race at 350 yards, but that's the situation the quick Dashing Pana faces when she starts in the $60,000 Party Girl Stakes for Louisiana-bred fillies and mares on Saturday at Louisiana Downs.

Dashing Pana comes off a win in the 330-yard Harrah's Distaff and was second by a nose in the 220-yard Evangeline Downs Dash three starts ago.

Trainer Danny Pish won the $125,000 Jim's Orbit division of the Texas Stallion Stakes last year at Sam Houston Race Park with Brick Fight, who paid $85.40. Pish's starter in the race this year, Daddy Warbucks, will be a much shorter price. He likely will go off as the second choice to Power Surge in the Jim's Orbit, a one-mile race for 3-year-old colts and geldings to be run Saturday night at Sam Houston.

Entries for the race were taken on Friday, and the Jim's Orbit drew 11.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - There are clear-cut leaders in Oaklawn's handicap and sprint divisions after Jonesboro and Semaphore Man turned in dominant performances in separate stakes last weekend. Each earned a triple-digit Beyer Speed Figure.

Jonesboro registered a career-best Beyer of 102 for his 5o3/4-length win in the Grade 3, $100,000 Essex Handicap last Saturday, while Semaphore Man earned his second-highest career Beyer, a 103, for his 3 1/2-length win in the six-furlong, $50,000 King Cotton last Friday.

As a high-volume trainer heavily immersed in the claiming game, Tom Amoss has plenty of tough decisions heaped on his plate. Deciding which one of two fillies he had nominated to Saturday's Chou Croute Breeders' Cup Handicap would run in the race, however, was not one of them.

"It was pretty simple," Amoss said Wednesday. "One was ready to run, and the other wasn't."