HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Next weekend's Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Sprint stole some of the thunder from Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 First Lady Handicap. But it couldn't take away Grade 1 winner Malibu Mint, a Kentucky-bred who figures to be the solid choice over seven rivals.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Mayan King and Liquor Cabinet are two horses who have run well enough to win a stakes but have yet to do so. The best chance for either colt to do just that comes in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Aqueduct Handicap over the inner track.

The Aqueduct, the lone graded stakes on this circuit during the first 10 weeks of the year, drew a field of eight, including the seven-time stakes winner Naughty New Yorker. However, with the exception of the off-the-turf Red Smith, all of Naughty New Yorker's stakes wins have come in New York-bred company.

It's almost as if Over the Edge is a triple-A ballplayer, waiting to reach a pre-determined milestone before being called up to the big leagues.

"We're just trying to make her a stakes winner," said assistant trainer Jack Bohannan, "and then we'll take it from there."

NEW ORLEANS - Dash of Humor didn't reach her potential until last year at age 6, and trainer Hal Wiggins and owner James Conway hope there are more good things to come, beginning with Saturday's $75,000 Truly Bound Handicap at Fair Grounds.

The card also includes the $75,000 Gentilly Handicap for 3-year-old Louisiana-breds.

Dash of Humor didn't make it to the races until she was a 4-year-old, but she showed ability right away, winning her maiden at first asking. She ran only twice as a 5-year-old, and needed a long rest after fracturing a bone in her ankle.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Miss Elsie loved Oaklawn Park from the moment she set foot on the track, or so it would seem. She won her career debut here in February 2004, and on Saturday she can pick up her sixth victory from nine starts at Oaklawn when she runs in the $50,000 American Beauty Stakes.

A six-furlong race for fillies and mares, the American Beauty is the second stakes of the meet. Among the stakes winners in the 10-horse field are All for Fashion, Tempting Date, True Tails, and Tax Refund.

PHOENIX - Against the Law had been all the rage since moving to Turf Paradise in November, rattling off three huge stakes wins. Much of the luster came off, however, in the Dec. 30 Arizona Juvenile Filly, when she was beaten as the 1-9 favorite. She looks to remedy that situation Saturday when she takes on nine rivals, including the two who beat her in the Arizona Juvenile Filly, in the $40,000 Sun Devil. The race, for 3-year-old fillies, is at a mile.

Abbondanza beat Crafty Schemer fair and square in last year's Fire Plug Stakes at Laurel Park, and has the advantage of a recent race and relative youth over his now 8-year-old rival, who hasn't raced in nearly two months.

Crafty Schemer, however, will be a far shorter price than defending champion Abbondanza when the two older sprinters clash again Saturday in the $100,000 Fire Plug.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Oaklawn Park officials have been aggressive the past several years, increasing the purse of the Arkansas Derby to $1 million, and introducing the electronic parimutuel game Instant Racing. They have continued to take that approach for the track's 56-date meet that opens on Friday.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Few claiming trainers in Southern California are as hot as Frank Monteleone. He won with 4 of his first 8 starters at Santa Anita, he is 11 for 27 the past five months in California, and has won at more than a 26 percent clip since the start of 2006. What has changed?

"Nothing's changed," Monteleone said. "I have owners that let me run them where I want to run them. I have horses that are fitting right now, and we've made some claims that we've been able to move up."

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Steppenwolfer, one of the top 3-year-olds at Oaklawn Park a year ago, is back in Hot Springs with his main objective the Grade 2, $500,000 Oaklawn Handicap on Aprilo7, said his trainer, Dan Peitz.

Steppenwolfer was the runner-up in the Grade 2, $1 million Arkansas Derby and ran third in the Kentucky Derby. He last raced on June 10, finishing fourth in the Belmont Stakes. Peitz said the colt could make his first start of the year in the Grade 3, $100,000 Essex Handicap on Feb. 10.