ARCADIA, Calif. - Runaway Cozzene had a promising start to her career last winter before being sidelined by injury. She won a $100,000 claiming race for maidens by a nose in January and finished a game second to eventual stakes winner Harriett Lane in early February.

Following the latter race, she was given the winter and spring off. Friday, she returns in an optional claimer over six furlongs for fillies and mares at the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting.

Judging from her workouts in the last 60 days, Runaway Cozzene appears ready for a start.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Runaway Cozzene had a promising start to her career last winter before being sidelined by injury. She won a $100,000 claiming race for maidens by a nose in January and finished a game second to eventual stakes winner Harriett Lane in early February.

Following the latter race, she was given the winter and spring off. Friday, she returns in an optional claimer over six furlongs for fillies and mares at the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting.

Judging from her workouts in the last 60 days, Runaway Cozzene appears ready for a start.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Trainer Wally Dollase admits the Grade 2, $250,000 Kelso Breeders' Cup Stakes at one mile on the turf is hardly ideal for Meteor Storm in his comeback Saturday at Belmont Park.

"It's not his best distance, but he has run some good races at one mile," Dollase said. "His best distance is probably a mile and three-eighths or a mile and a half. We're kind of giving him the race."

Total wagering was down but daily ontrack wagering on live racing at Assiniboia Downs was up slightly this year compared to the 2005 meeting.

The daily ontrack average for the 70-day meeting, which ended last Sunday, was $79,039, compared to $77,237 at the 75-day meeting last year. Total ontrack wagering was $5,473,085 this year, down from $5,792,775 for last year's longer meet. (Handle from the June 17 card, which was canceled after three races, was not counted by the track when figuring daily average handle.)

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - I'm Spectral is a clear choice for Friday's $73,500 allowance feature at Woodbine.

Trained by Tino Attard, I'm Spectral is coming off back-to-back third-place finishes in stakes races for Ontario-sired 3-year-olds.

Now, I'm Spectral is scheduled to travel one mile on the turf course in an Ontario-sired allowance for 3-year-olds and up who have not won three races.

"He worked good the other day, on grass," said Attard, who sent out I'm Spectral to breeze five furlongs in 1:02.60 on the turf training course last Friday. "I think he'll be tough."

Hampered by nasty weather, Kentucky Downs incurred notable decreases in business at the abbreviated meet that ended Tuesday in Franklin, Ky.

With its premier event, the Kentucky Cup turf series, having to be postponed twice because of heavy rain, and with the loss of one of its six scheduled programs, the all-sources handle at Kentucky Downs was down 7 percent from last year, when one more race was run. The 2006 meet handled $8,533,226 on 34 races.

ALBANY, Calif. - Although it is not a stakes race, Friday's Golden Gate Fields feature is the best 2-year-old race of the year in northern California.

Entered in the first-level allowance race are a pair of debut winners, Vicarino, who was very impressive at Santa Rosa, and Baltimore Drive, who graduated at Saratoga against New York-breds.

And the best part from both a fan's and handicapper's standpoint is maybe neither will win.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Thoroughbred racing returns to the Meadowlands Racetrack Friday night with a 11-race card headlined by two graded turf stakes: the Grade 3, $150,000 Cliff Hanger at 1 1/16 miles and the Grade 2, $75,000 Somerset Medical Center for steeplechasers.

First post will be 7:30 p.m. Eastern for the first of 33 cards through Nov. 11. The track will offer Tuesday matinees at 1:10 p.m. with night cards on Wednesday through Saturday.

AUBURN, Wash. - Canadian stakes winner Slewpast will ship from Hastings Park on Friday to take on five fillies and mares in Friday's Emerald Downs feature, a mile test to be run under $50,000 optional claiming conditions.

Slewpast, a 4-year-old daughter of Western Trick, was among the best in her division last season at Hastings, where she notched a stakes win at 6 1/2 furlongs and two more at 1 1/16 miles. Following her Hastings campaign, trainer Robbie Anderson took her to Northlands Park and she won a 6 1/2-furlong stakes.

BOSSIER CITY, La. - Cosporosity, whose exploits on the grass this summer included an appearance in the Grade 3 Dallas Turf Cup at Lone Star Park, should find the company in Friday's optional claiming feature considerably friendlier. The race, at about 1 1/16 miles on grass, carries an entry-level allowance condition for those not running for the $16,000 claiming price. It drew 13 entrants, including a main-track-only entrant, Giant Thief, and two also-eligibles, Must Be He and Dynaruler.