LOUISVILLE, Ky. - This has been quite a year at Churchill Downs.

PORTLAND, Ore. - Ex Mountain Cop is in line to collect a $30,000 bonus if he can win the one-mile $40,000 Os West Oregon Futurity at Portland Meadows on Oregon-bred Day, Dec. 10, but it won't be easy and his connections will have to pay dearly for the opportunity.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Osidy had more disappointments than success in his U.S. career before he was given a vacation earlier this year.

Since returning from a five-month break, Osidy has run two of his best races, finishing second in the Green Flash Handicap at Del Mar and winning the restricted Blue Jay Way Stakes here on Oct. 1.

Sunday at the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting, Osidy will try to win his first graded stakes in 17 months in the $100,000 Morvich Handicap on the hillside turf course.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Sunday's $100,000 Labeeb is the last scheduled overnight turf stakes of the Ontario season.

But with rain and snow in the forecast, the likelihood of the Labeeb staying on turf is far from secure.

The leading candidates for the Labeeb are Seaside Retreat, French Beret, and Just Rushing.

Seaside Retreat also was entered in Saturday's $100,000 Chief Bearhart, a 1 1/4-mile overnight turf stakes. His trainer, Mark Casse, has said he does not want to run Seaside Retreat on soft turf.

PORTLAND, Ore. - Former Portland Meadows horse of the meeting My Friend Dave will make his first start at the current stand in Sunday's allowance feature, which has drawn a field of seven to compete at six furlongs.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - It's been a tale of two seasons for trainer Craig MacPherson at Hastings this year. The first part of the season was a horror for MacPherson. He was blanked with his first 34 starters, and he didn't win his first race here until Grammasaidicould won her debut in a bottom-level maiden race on June 24. Since then it's been a whole different story. Heading into this weekend, MacPherson has won 19 races from 114 starts, and considering how cold he was at the start of the year, his numbers for the latter part of the meet are strong.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Trainer Toni Cloutier was considering asking jockey Pedro Alvarado to ease Ookashada back off of the pace when he stretches out for the first time in the $100,000-added Ascot Graduation at Hastings Sunday. But everything changed when post positions were drawn and Ookashada drew the outside post in the 1 1/16-mile feature. All 10 of the 2-year-old colts and geldings entered will carry 122 pounds.

"Our hands were kind of tied when he drew the 10 hole," she said. "I imagine Pedro will be sending him from out there."

Instead of lopsided standouts, Cal Cup 2006 features several vulnerable favorites, including morning-line choice Top This and That in the richest race on the card - the $250,000 Cal Cup Classic. His challenge is to overcome a speed-friendly track profile.

"The track has not been playing to his style at all," trainer Dan Hendricks said. "I'm a little surprised they made me the favorite."

Top This and That has zero speed, which does not mean he has zero chance. But at Santa Anita, front-runners almost always hold the edge going two turns on dirt.

Now batting, McDynamo.

The steeplechase slugger goes for a grand slam in Saturday's $250,000 Breeders' Cup Grand National, the richest steeplechase in North America, at the Far Hills Races in Far Hills, N.J.

ARCADIA, Calif. - The way Lava Man has clobbered his competition this year there is little suspense as to which horse will be anointed the 2006 California-bred horse of the year.

Lava Man's unbeaten record in seven stakes, including five Grade 1 races, makes him the undisputed leader among statebreds this year. By far the leading older male, Lava Man has been so versatile that he will receive support for outstanding turf horse on the basis of his wins in the Khaled Stakes and Grade 1 Charles Whittingham Handicap at the Hollywood Park spring-summer meeting.