Saint Shackleton is a leading contender in one of the four trials to the $235,000 Hobbs America Futurity at Zia Park on Saturday afternoon.

The finals of the Hobbs America Futurity will be contested Oct. 15.

Who knew that a rematch between the one-two finishers in the Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs in Auburn, Wash., would come - drum roll please - at Hawthorne Race Course in Stickney, Ill.?

For that matter, who knew that Saturday's Gold Cup, a Grade 2, $500,000 race that has produced horses as good as Breeders' Cup Classic winner Awesome Again, could come down to those one-two finishers, Flamethrowintexan and Papi Chullo?

And to be honest, how many Midwest racing fans even know who Papi Chullo and Flamethrowintexan are?

As the Kentucky Cup opener, the Grade 3, $175,000 Turfway Breeders' Cup Stakes has at least several elements to set an exciting tone for the five-race series Saturday. The 1 1/16-mile race drew a full field that includes a Grade 1 winner shipping in from New York (Splendid Blended) and arguably the top female runners from the Florida circuit (Prospective Saint) and Illinois circuit (Stop a Train).

Flirt for Fame's domination of the Massachusetts-bred stakes ranks figures to continue Saturday at Suffolk Downs when she lines up against males in the $40,000 John Kirby two weeks after easily topping the 3-year-old fillies in her division.

Flirt for Fame and the 5-year-old mare Ask Queenie have combined to win eight of the nine stakes held at Suffolk this year, and three male maidens are the only competitors in the Kirby who have yet to finish behind one or both of them.

FLORENCE, Ky. - Al Stall Jr. should sleep well Friday night. That will have little to do with the fact that Stall and his wife, Nicole, will be getting home late from the Rolling Stones concert at Churchill Downs, but more that Stall has done everything within his power to fully prepare Greeley's Galaxy for the Kentucky Cup Classic at Turfway Park.

AUBURN, Wash. - Wild Cycle is the probable favorite for Saturday's $100,000 Gottstein Futurity at Emerald Downs, and that is quite a change from the role he played in the Sept. 2 WTBA Lads Stakes.

Wild Cycle was dismissed at 47-1 in the one-mile Lads, but he forged to the front under Juan Gutierrez at the furlong marker and staved off the determined late bid of stablemate Pirates Deputy to prevail by a neck in 1:37.

ARCADIA, Calif. - It is not often a horse wins a race by 4 1/4 lengths, earns a career-best Beyer Speed Figure, and the trainer is not satisfied. But Bob Baffert tinkered with Point Ashley between her maiden win and the Del Mar Debutante. He decided to remove blinkers, and try and teach her to relax, believing she could attain an even higher level of performance.

He got what he wanted. Point Ashley sat back early, roared past her rivals on the turn, and drew away to a victory in Del Mar's championship race for 2-year-old fillies.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Heading into this week, Reade Baker led the Woodbine trainer standings with 52 wins, three more than runner-up Mark Casse. Both trainers will send out two 2-year-old fillies in Saturday's $250,000 Mazarine Breeders' Cup Stakes.

Casse will saddle Sprung and Silky Smooth in the 1 1/16-mile Mazarine.

Sprung recorded a 48-1 upset when she debuted over a mile on turf in the Grade 3 Natalma Stakes. After awaiting room at the top of the stretch, she closed along the rail to defeat her stablemate Quiet Action.

Saturday?s running of the Group 1 Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket looks like fascinating renewal. There are five Group 1 winners in this nine-runner mile event for fillies and mares, and the remaining quartet are all proven group-race performers.

Alexander Goldrun will turn back in distance from her usual 10 to 12 furlongs, but will be a dangerous opponent. Usual jockey Kevin Manning has the ride.

Jockey Mark Walker was taken off his mounts last weekend after being arrested and charged for allegedly sexually assaulting a groom at Hastings. He was also charged with performing an indecent act.

According to Walker?s lawyer, David Milburn, who is also a trainer at Hastings, Walker ?will definitely be pleading not guilty to the charges and maintains he has done nothing wrong.?