MIAMI - Trainer Tim Hills fully expected to face Grade 1 winners Splendid Blended and Malibu Mint when he sent out Toll Taker for Saturday's $100,000 Chaposa Springs Handicap at Calder. But when Hills picked up the overnight he discovered, much to his surprise and delight, that neither of those rivals had been entered and Toll Taker had suddenly become the one to beat in the Grade 3 sprint.

NEW ORLEANS - Arbuckle Bandit and Storm Treasure, who were separated by a head at the end of their last race, will go at it again Saturday in the $75,000 Woodchopper Handicap at about 1 1/16 miles over the Fair Grounds turf course.

Bragging rights as top 2-year-old female at Turf Paradise is up for grabs in the $40,000 Arizona Juvenile Fillies, and in all likelihood the path to the top of the heap goes through Against the Law. Six others will take on Against the Law, the likely favorite, going 6 1/2 furlongs.

A little less than two months ago, Ky's Quest went to Zia Park, and despite going off at a hefty 18-1, thoroughly dominated a group of statebred 2-year-olds in the New Mexico Cup Juvenile. Saturday, Ky's Quest looks to confirm that form in the $125,000 Red Hedeman Mile Handicap at Sunland Park.

A full field of 10, plus two also-eligibles, entered the mile race for New Mexico-bred 2-year-olds.

OLDSMAR, Fla. - Speed or a closer? Bettors will face that classic dilemma on Saturday when a full field of 14 2-year-old fillies goes to the post for the $60,000 Sandpiper Stakes at six furlongs.

As is usually the case in races involving young horses, the Sandpiper field includes runners in different stages of development, from some who only recently left the maiden ranks to others who have been competing in stakes races.

CHICAGO - Sure, there's a decent third-level sprint allowance for fillies and mares occupying the standard feature-race position on Hawthorne's Saturday card. But one of the best horses in the country runs in the opening race at Hawthorne.

MIAMI - Rick Violette strongly considered waiting for the Gulfstream Park meet for the next race for Outperformance, but the veteran trainer said he could not resist the allure of running the colt one final time against 3-year-olds.

As a result, Outperformance figures as a major contender in the $100,000 Pete Axthelm, a 7 1/2-furlong turf race that is one of four consecutive stakes on the Grand Slam III program Saturday at Calder.

MIAMI - Take D' Tour had won a Grade 1 race and held her own with the best of the filly and mare handicap division for much of the summer. But until she rallied to a 3 3/4-length victory in the restricted Elmer Heubeck Distaff Handicap on Nov. 11, she'd never won a race around two turns or from off the pace.

Arealstraitheart and Gotta Get can conclude an excellent year for New Mexico-breds competing against open horses when they start in the Grade 1, $400,000 The Championship over 400 yards at Sunland Park on Saturday afternoon.

Also on the card is $311,000 Shue Fly Stakes for New Mexico-bred juveniles.

A 3-year-old, Arealstraitheart has proven his mettle against Grade 1 open company the last two years, scoring a 1 3/4-length win in the Grade 1 All American Derby on Sept. 3 and finishing second by a neck in last year's Grade 1, $1.9 million All American Futurity.

The addition of the Grade 3, $200,000 Dallas Turf Cup to the Lone Star Million Day lineup and the creation of a prep day for that program were among the major changes to the track's 32-race, $3.4 million stakes schedule for 2007.

Lone Star has also renamed the Grade 3, $200,000 WinStar Distaff the Ouija Board Handicap in honor of the champion mare who won the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf this year at Churchill Downs and in 2004 at Lone Star.