Fastest qualifier Heza Fast Classic will try for his third straight win and first stakes win in the $517,964 Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders Futurity for statebreds on Saturday night at Evangeline Downs.

Heza Fast Classic won a maiden race in his third start and then won his LQHBA Futurity trial by three lengths in 20.082 seconds for 400 yards, the fastest time from 16 trials.

Qualifiers First Down Toro and Dashin Classy Lady also won their maidens two starts ago and won their futurity trials.

Tricky Dust favored at Zia

No Secrets Here will make his first start since winning the Grade 1, $1.9 million All American Futurity on Labor Day when he heads the 400-yard trials to the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity on Friday night at Los Alamitos. The purse for the race is estimated at $2 million.

The 2-year-olds with the 10 fastest qualifying times from the 10 trials become eligible for the futurity on Dec. 8.

Over the objections of a state racing official, the Arizona Racing Commission last week voted 4-1 to grant Turf Paradise its permit to continue live racing and simulcasting through January 2009.

Jockey Justin Shepherd returned to Remington Park this meet for the first time since 2003, and he wasted little time making his presence felt. Shepherd won six consecutive races aboard Red Rock Creek, upset the $75,000 Sprint Championship with $69 winner Lineofbull, and heads into the final week of racing second in the standings behind Cliff Berry.

"It's just been an excellent meet," said Shepherd, 20.

SAN MATEO, Calif. - Trainer Steve Knapp is candid in explaining Wild Buddy's presence in Friday's $55,000-added John Henry Handicap at Bay Meadows.

"It's nice to get away from the monsters," he said.

Wild Buddy is the 5-2 morning-line favorite in the one-mile turf race, which drew 14 entrants.

Fabulous Strike ($2.80) outclassed the competition in Tuesday night's $75,000 Sophomore Sprint Championship at Mountaineer Race Track, leading wire to wire and coasting to an 8 3/4-length victory.

No other horse in the field of eight 3-year-olds had even competed in a stakes this season. In contrast, Fabulous Strike, based at Penn National with trainer Todd Beattie, came into the Sophomore Sprint with two minor stakes wins at Belmont Park, a second in the Gallant Bob Handicap at Philadelphia Park, and a fourth in the Grade 2 Woody Stephens, also at Belmont.

Appealing Zophie, winner of the Grade 1, $250,000 Spinaway in September, will make her next start in the $300,000 Delta Princess at Delta Downs on Dec. 1, said her trainer, Scott Blasi. In her most recent start, Appealing Zophie was fourth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Churchill Downs on Nov. 4.

Blasi said the timing of the Delta Princess, a one-mile race for 2-year-old fillies, works well for Appealing Zophie.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Stevie Wonderboy, last year's champion 2-year-old male, had his return postponed because of an ankle chip, which was discovered after his most recent workout at Hollywood Park, trainer Doug O'Neill said.

The injury is to his right front leg, which is the same leg Stevie Wonderboy injured earlier this year. O'Neill said the current injury is not related to the earlier one, which has kept Stevie Wonderboy on the shelf all year. The chip was removed via surgery.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - When Friday's Grade 3 Generous Stakes was split into two $75,000 divisions, trainer John Sadler breathed a sigh of relief that his Warning Zone was drawn in the race that does not include Whatsthescript.

Whatsthescript outran Warning Zone in the Pinjara Stakes at the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting last month, and Sadler wanted to avoid him.

Western Prize appears to be sitting on a stakes win, and he can secure the first of his career in the $75,000 Eddy County, a one-mile race for 2-year-olds to be run during a special Friday card at Zia Park.

Others in the seven-horse field include Topper Power, a stakes winner who is 3 for 4, and the stakes-placed Bold Vow.