Level Playingfield doesn't bring the top speed figures into Saturday's Grade 3, $250,000 Phoenix Breeders' Cup at Keeneland, nor does he have even a fraction of the early speed of some of his 10 opponents. What he does have is an affinity for Polytrack, having won back-to-back runnings of the Marfa Stakes over the Polytrack strip at Turfway Park.

Matched against the likes of Silver Wagon, Coach Jimi Lee, Areyoutalkintome, and Spanish Chestnut in the Phoenix, a six-furlong race, Level Playingfield will need every break he can get.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Bernardini drew the rail and was installed as the 1-2 morning-line favorite for Saturday's Grade 1, $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park.

Bernardini, who brings a five-race winning streak into the Gold Cup that includes authoritative victories in the Preakness, Jim Dandy and Travers, will meet only three rivals in the Gold Cup, run at 1 1/4 miles over Belmont's main track. It is the smallest Gold Cup field since Waquoit beat three horses in 1988.

ELMONT, N.Y. - The pick six at Belmont Park went unhit for a second straight card on Wednesday, creating a carryover of $167,014 heading into Thursday.

The carryover was sealed when 37-1 shot Salt and Pepper ($77) won the last race for trainer Jimmy Ferraro. None of the previous winners returned more than $13.

Five of the six races in Thursday's pick-six sequence are scheduled for the turf, including four maiden events. On Wednesday, the portable rail was moved out 24 feet on both courses.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Like a Gem finished third last time out in the Ontario Colleen, a one-mile turf race for 3-year-old fillies here at Woodbine.

On Saturday, Like a Gem will be back in with Essential Edge and Strike Softly, the one-two finishers from the Ontario Colleen, for a rematch in the $125,000 Carotene at 1 1/8 miles on the turf course.

Danny Vella, who trains Like a Gem for her owner and breeder, Garland Williamson, believes his filly can turn the tables on her Ontario Colleen conquerors in the Carotene.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Pure as Gold, who has emerged as a leading sprinter in California, is unlikely to start in the Breeders' Cup Sprint at Churchill Downs on Nov. 4, even if he wins Saturday's $250,000 Ancient Title Breeders' Cup Stakes at the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting, trainer Jack Carava said.

While allowing that he could change his mind should Pure as Gold win the six-furlong Ancient Title convincingly, Carava said he is concerned about the toll that a start in the Breeders' Cup Sprint could have on the 4-year-old gelding, who was claimed for $100,000 in June.

ELMONT, N.Y. - After productive summer campaigns at Monmouth Park, Indy and Kansas City Boy try their luck in New York in Friday's third-level allowance feature at

1 1/16 miles over Belmont Park's inner turf.

Richard Dutrow took over the training of Indy earlier this year and the 5-year-old son of A.P. Indy won 3 of 4 starts at Monmouth, losing the other start by a neck. Three of those four starts came on dirt. In his most recent race, Indy rallied from 13 lengths off the pace to win a second-level allowance on turf by a head.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Since he returned from a 15-month layoff earlier this year, Backus has been a different horse for trainer Bob Baffert.

Two starts have resulted in two wins - a maiden claimer for sprinters at Hollywood Park in June and an optional claimer over a mile at Del Mar on Sept. 3. Before his return, Backus lost his first seven starts.

Since trainer Aidan O'Brien already knows what Dylan Thomas can do on the turf, it made no sense to him to ship Dylan Thomas halfway around the world to run in another grass race.

By sending Dylan Thomas to Belmont Park for Saturday's $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup, O'Brien will find out not only if Dylan Thomas can handle the dirt, but if he can handle it against Bernardini, North America's premier dirt runner. If Dylan Thomas can handle this assignment, O'Brien may have a candidate for the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic next month at Churchill Downs.

For more than a year now, it has been rather easy for a racing fan who didn't feel like betting on Polytrack races to turn his back on them. While the simulcast signals from Turfway Park and Woodbine - the first two tracks to conduct racing over Polytrack - are sufficiently popular, they hardly compare with the widespread appeal of Keeneland.

Shaun Bridgmohan began his riding career at Calder following his graduation from high school during the summer of 1997, won an Eclipse Award as the top apprentice in the country the following season, and has since gone on to have a successful career as a journeyman that has included riding titles at Aqueduct in 2002 and Arlington Park in 2005. He also rode Private Vow for trainer Steve Asmussen in this year's Kentucky Derby.