ARCADIA, Calif. - Jockey William Antongeorgi III lost his apprentice allowance on Sunday, but it does not seem to have hurt his business.

On Wednesday's eight-race program at Santa Anita, Antongeorgi has six mounts, including top contender Silk Kerchief in the featured $59,000 allowance race. Silk Kerchief and Antongeorgi are old friends. Antongeorgi guided Silk Kerchief to two victories in allowance races in late 2006.

"She is one of my favorite fillies to ride," Antongeorgi said on Sunday. "Hopefully, we can keep it going."

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Strong Contender, scratched Saturday morning from the Grade 1 Donn Handicap, has been retired, trainer John Ward confirmed on Monday.

Strong Contender, a 4-year-old son of Maria's Mon owned by John Oxley, suffered a tear in the top of his right front tendon just behind the knee. Ward believes Strong Contender incurred the injury shortly after the start of the Hal's Hope Handicap here Jan. 6 when he was knocked sideways by another horse moments after leaving the starting gate.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Jockey Patrick Valenzuela, who has not ridden since Nov. 26 because of rib injuries and subsequent knee surgery, said over the weekend that he is hoping to return to riding in early March after suffering complications from the knee operation he underwent in December.

Valenzuela said he is hoping to see a doctor later this week to discuss the condition of his right knee. He offered no precise timetable for a return.

NEW ORLEANS - Who knows if there are any future stars in this year's edition of the Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds, but it seems like half the 3-year-old crop has been entered in the race.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - The connections of Achilles of Troy believe the colt hardly scratched the surface of his talent last year when he reeled off three wins in 45 days to establish himself as an early contender on the Kentucky Derby trail.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Though there remains a conflict between the New York Racing Association and the jockeys over which hospital riders should be taken to following an ontrack spill, both sides agreed that racing would resume Wednesday at Aqueduct as scheduled. Four of Saturday's races and Sunday's entire nine-race card were canceled after jockeys refused to ride following a spill in Saturday's fifth race, the second accident in three days.

"We're going to race on Wednesday," Bill Nader, NYRA's senior vice president and chief operating officer, said Monday.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - After the second gruesome spill in three days at Aqueduct, the jockeys refused to ride the final four races of Saturday's card. Further, management decided to cancel Sunday's card. Neither decision, however, was based on the condition of the racetrack.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Jockey Garrett Gomez completed a sweep of Santa Anita’s three graded stakes over the weekend with a come-from-behind win on Molengao in Sunday’s $250,000 San Antonio Handicap.

Gomez was named to ride the 6-year-old horse an hour before post time after scheduled jockey Victor Espinoza took off his final three mounts after being involved in a spill earlier in the day.

Gomez, who won four races on Sunday, brought Molengao from sixth to win the San Antonio by a head over pacesetter Ball Four. El Roblar finished third in the field of seven.

GROVE CITY, Ohio - Due to extreme cold, Beulah Park has canceled its racing program on Monday. The cancellation is the first full card lost at Beulah in over 13 months.

Costa Rising, a horse about as wide as a piece of cardboard, made 13 starts during 2006, but that long, thin body keeps on churning out victories. In fact, his win Saturday in the Premier Night Championship on a $1 million night of Louisiana-bred racing at Delta Downs was one of the best races of Costa Rising's career.