OZONE PARK, N.Y. - The bad news for five horses in Thursday's eighth race is that the Gary Contessa-trained horses Lost Going Home and Star of Trieste own the best last-out Beyer Speed Figures in the field. The good news is that only one of the two will start. The race, a $46,000 first-level allowance at 1 1/8 miles, also includes Rhythmn Master, Sweetiewheatie, Tall Story, R J's Brigade, and Wing Man.

"I'm leaning toward Lost Going Home," said Contessa. "I'm only going to run one, because the exact same race comes up two or three days later."

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Pleasant Laughter ran the best race of her career last winter at Gulfstream Park, rallying to a 3 3/4-length victory over second-level allowance competition. Unfortunately, Pleasant Laughter chipped her ankle in the race and has not been able to reproduce the effort in four starts since returning from that injury in August.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Jockey Martin Garcia, a finalist for the Eclipse Award as the nation's outstanding apprentice of 2006 and one of the leading riders at the Santa Anita winter meeting, may not ride this week after being hospitalized following a spill Sunday.

Garcia remained hospitalized late Monday, complaining of back soreness. His agent, Roger Olguin, said doctors have informed him that Garcia did not suffer any major injuries in the spill.

Jump On In showed flashes of brilliance as a 2-year-old in 2006 but ended the year without a stakes win. She reached that level of accomplishment in her first start of the new year in Monday's $150,000 Santa Ynez Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Santa Anita.

Ridden by Corey Nakatani, Jump On In ($3.80) pulled away in the final furlong to win the Grade 2 race over seven furlongs by 3 3/4 lengths. She was timed in 1:23.45, easily beating Quick Little Miss.

The 10 riders recently banned at tracks in Florida and Pennsylvania will not be allowed to ride at Turfway Park, according to Bob Elliston, president of Turfway.

Elliston said Tuesday that in separate discussions with Heriberto Rivera, a Jockeys' Guild representative, and Terry Houghton, a rider who was barred from Tampa Bay Downs in December, he advised the banned riders not to seek mounts at the track. None of the riders has attempted to ride at Turfway.

The countdown to Dubai World Cup Night begins at Nad Al Sheba on Thursday when the Dubai International Racing Carnival kicks off with Round 1 of the $200,000 Maktoum Challenge.

The Group 3 mile is the highlight of an eight-race card worth $900,000, but it is unlikely to produce a serious candidate for the $6 million Dubai World Cup on March 31.

NEW ORLEANS - Good horses force trainers and owners to make tough decisions, and undefeated Hard Spun is posing a quandary to trainer Larry Jones and Fox Hill Farms after his impressive victory last Saturday in the Grade 3, $100,000 Lecomte Stakes for 3-year-olds at Fair Grounds.

Hard Spun's strong showing Saturday in his fourth victory and first start around two turns stamps the Pennsylvania-bred Danzig colt as a potential Triple Crown candidate. But which road should Hard Spun take?

ARCADIA, Calif. - As recently as August, Miss Silver Image's career appeared to be a bust. She made her debut last July, well into her 4-year-old season, and finished fourth in two maiden claimers at Del Mar.

But time has worked in favor of Miss Silver Image. Since winning a maiden claimer over about four furlongs at Fairplex Park on Sept. 20, Miss Silver Image has won 2 of 3 starts. She will try for her fourth career win in an optional claimer over about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita on Thursday.

The winter storm that has gripped the nation led to some freezing temperatures overnight at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., on Monday, but forecasters are calling for warmer weather for the track's opening weekend, which starts with a nine-race card on Friday.

"We should be able to get open okay," said Terry Wallace, spokesperson for Oaklawn.

NEW ORLEANS - After finishing second in his first two starts of the meet, Regwell is the logical favorite in Thursday's feature race at Fair Grounds, a first-level allowance sprint. A 4-year-old son of Silver Charm, he is trained by Tom Amoss and owned by Maggi Moss, a combination that knows its way to the winner's circle. Moss was the leading owner in North America by wins last year and Amoss won with 27 percent of his 2006 starters and holds a two-win lead in the trainer standings here as this racing week begins.