CHICAGO - At the beginning of the Arlington Park meet, back in May, Best of Buddies tried - and failed - three times to win an entry-level Illinois-bred allowance race. His rapid progression from that point in time to Saturday, when he upset the Hawthorne Derby, can be traced chiefly to one factor - grass. Best of Buddies has decent form on dirt, but on turf he has yet to lose, his four-race winning skein capped off by a narrow victory in Saturday's Grade 3, $250,000 race.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Trainer Richard Schosberg believes the seven furlongs of Wednesday's second-level allowance race for New York-bred fillies is just right for his 3-year-old filly Towering Escape. Therefore, he is not concerned about what surface the race is run on.

Scheduled for Belmont Park's Widener Turf Course, Wednesday's nominal feature could be transferred to the main track should the weather forecast prove correct. Rain is predicted for Tuesday into Wednesday morning, putting all three of Wednesday's scheduled grass races in jeopardy of being switched to the main track.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Leonnatus Anteas was facing a dramatic change in circumstances in Sunday's Cup and Saucer here at Woodbine.

But Leonnatus Anteas, who is trained by Kevin Attard for Knob Hill Stable and the estate of Steve Stavro, was able to rise to the occasion with a 2 3/4-length victory under regular rider Jono Jones.

Winner of the five-furlong Vandal in his only previous start over the inner track here Aug. 13, Leonnatus Anteas was being asked to travel 1o1/16 miles on a yielding turf course in the Cup and Saucer.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - The lack of a stakes race Wednesday at Keeneland might lead a racing fan to infer that the nine-race program will be subpar, but to each his own. The nominal feature is a mere first-level allowance, but because it drew an overflow field and will be run at the thrice-around distance of 1 1/2 miles on the turf, some fans might say another fun afternoon is on tap.

EDMONTON, Alberta - Certainly Regal has spent the season in the shadow of her more illustrious stakes-winning stablemates Braetta and Banjo Babe, but gets a chance to shine in Wednesday's featured seventh race here at Northlands Park.

The $25,500 allowance at 1 1/16 miles is for fillies and mares who have not won a sweepstakes in 2006, and Certainly Regal is a big threat to go wire to wire in the field of six. Certainly Regal drew the rail with her regular rider Desmond Bryan up.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Under a confident ride by Quincy Welch, True Metropolitan cruised to a 3 3/4-length win over Spaghetti Mouse in the Grade 3, $150,913 B.C. Premiers at Hastings Sunday.

True Metropolitan paid $5 as the second choice behind Spaghetti Mouse. He posted a final time of 2:17.03 over a sloppy track.

Billed as a match race between True Metropolitan and Spaghetti Mouse, the 1 3/8-miles Premiers was exactly that until the top of the stretch, when True Metropolitan drew away from Spaghetti Mouse.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Bordonaro, the winner of the Grade 1 Ancient Title Breeders' Cup Stakes and two other stakes this year, is expected to be supplemented to the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint at Churchill Downs on Nov. 4, trainer Bill Spawr said over the weekend.

Spawr and owners Fred Carrillo and Daniel Cassella had hesitated to commit Bordonaro to the Sprint after the Ancient Title at the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting, citing concerns about the four-week gap between races. But Spawr said the 5-year-old Bordonaro has trained well in the week since his win.

Senor Amigo relished the sloppy going Saturday night at Retama Park, when the $100,000 Texas Hall of Fame Stakes was moved from the turf to the main track and he rolled to a six-length win over Goosey Moose.

The race was one of six restricted stakes worth a cumulative $470,000, with the races complementing inductions into the Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame. The program was the richest of the meet at Retama.

Mr. Trieste made a rare appearance around one turn a winning one on Saturday, when he rallied for a one-length victory over Orphan Brigade in the $68,800 Zia Express at Zia Park in Hobbs, N.M. It was another neck back in third to Go Kitty Go.

Mr. Trieste ($4) raced about five lengths behind the pace set by Dangerous Devon, who led the field through an opening quarter in 22.60 seconds and the half-mile in 45.20. Mr. Trieste rallied through the stretch, covering the six and a half furlongs over a track rated fast in 1:17.80.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Gins Majesty came from slightly off the pace to win the Grade 3 by 1 3/4 lengths over Slewpast at Hastings Saturday.

Breaking sharply under Kevin Krigger, Gins Majesty stalked a moderate pace set by Hurry an Notis who broke down after leading for about 3-furlongs. Slewpast went to the front after a half-mile and took a one-length lead into the stretch before giving way grudgingly to Gins Majesty.