HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - On a card that features two Breeders' Cup winners and one of the leading contenders for the Kentucky Derby, the Grade 2, $150,000 Swale Stakes on Saturday at Gulfstream Park might get overlooked. But that would be a mistake, because there are several late-developing 3-year-olds in the 6 1/2-furlong race, including a promising colt trained by a two-time Derby winner, and another colt who is starting to justify the $1.5 million paid for him a year ago.

NEW ORLEANS - Follow the Lite has been a terrific claim for trainer Patrick Mouton, and on Saturday she'll attempt to win her second stakes of the Fair Grounds meet for him in the $75,000 Pan Zareta Breeders' Cup, a sprint for older fillies and mares.

The well-matched field of nine includes several accomplished rivals, including graded-stakes-placed runners Annika Lass and Hatpin and multiple stakes winner Mykindasaint.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Newly crowned Horse of the Year Invasor will have little time to rest on his laurels as he begins the defense of his title Saturday at Gulfstream Park in the $500,000 Donn Handicap. The Grade 1 Donn will be the last of six stakes on an outstanding 11-race program that also features an appearance by turf Eclipse winner Miesque's Approval in the Grade 3, $100,000 Canadian Turf Handiap and the 3-year-old debuts of top Kentucky Derby hopefuls Nobiz Like Shobiz and Scat Daddy.

ARCADIA, Calif. - The retirement of top miler Aragorn last fall has left a vacancy in the California turf division. There are plenty of candidates hoping to take his place at the top of the rankings in that division.

Two races in coming weeks at Santa Anita will determine the horses to watch - Saturday's $75,000 Thunder Road Handicap and the $300,000 Frank Kilroe Mile, a Grade 1, on March 3.

For now, trainer Julio Canani appears to have an outstanding team for those races.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Bad posts and bad bobs have combined to beat Naissance Royale in her last two starts, but she has an excellent chance to get back to the winner's circle on Saturday at Gulfstream Park in the Grade 3, $100,000 Suwannee River Handicap, a 1 1/8-mile grass race for older fillies and mares.

Three weeks ago at Delta Downs, the 7-year-old warrior Cort's P.B. fended off a talented, lightly raced horse named Tensas Phone Call to win the $40,000 Cypress Stakes by a nose. But another youngster with an apparently bright future, Brother Bean, awaits Saturday night in the $100,000 Premier Night Sprint at Delta.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Trainer Tom Bush has decided against giving his stakes-winning mare Rahys' Appeal a vacation and instead will ship her back to Southern California to run in the Grade 1, $250,000 Santa Maria Handicap at Santa Anita on Feb. 10.

Rahys' Appeal last ran in the San Gorgonio at Santa Anita on Jan. 7, finishing second behind Citronnade in the Grade 2 turf stakes. When she returned home, Bush was considering giving her some time off on the farm before aiming at a spring campaign. The horse was doing so well, however, that Bush decided to keep her in training.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trainer Rick Violette said he thought his High Finance should have beaten Kelly's Landing four weeks ago in the Grade 3 Mr. Prospector Handicap. Violette will get to test that theory on Saturday when the pair hook up again in the $100,000 Deputy Minister Handicap at Gulfstream Park.

The 6 1/2-furlong Grade 3 Deputy Minister drew a highly competitive field of five, rounded out by the explosively fast Keyed Entry, graded stakes winner Sir Greeley, and recent allowance winner Nar.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Nobiz Like Shobiz is widely regarded as the best 2-year-old who didn't run in last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile. But that has done nothing to hinder his reputation. He is considered one of the leading contenders for the Kentucky Derby, and just might move to the top of the leader board on Saturday, when he makes his first start of the year in the Grade 3, $150,000 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Buffalo Man, who likely would have been the third choice in the Holy Bull Stakes to Nobiz Like Shobiz and Scat Daddy on Saturday at Gulfstream Park, was not entered in the race because he came down with a cough, trainer Cam Gambolati said Thursday morning.

Buffalo Man coughed once on Wednesday, then five more times on Thursday after a routine gallop, Gambolati said.

"We've got a small problem, but it could have been a big one if he had run," Gambolati said at his Gulfstream barn.