AURORA, Colo. - Ladysgotthelooks and Vannacide, each coming off a stakes victory, will knock heads at Arapahoe in Saturday's $25,000-added Spicy Handicap. Kenneth Gleason trains both horses, who will run uncoupled in the 1 1/16-mile test. The Spicy, for Colorado-bred fillies and mares, attrracted a field of five.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - If Hurry an Notis continues to develop, it's possible she'll be part of a formidable entry with Monashee in the Grade 3 Ballerina Breeders' Cup on Oct. 14.

Both horses are trained by Tracy McCarthy and owned by Ole Nielsen, who races under Canmor Farms. McCarthy's mother, Lola McCarthy, also owns a piece of Hurry an Notis.

Woodbine officially entered the Polytrack era just after 6:50 p.m. Wednesday evening, when Demi Song won the first race on the new surface for trainer George Newland and jockey Emile Ramsammy.

By the time the seven-race card finished at about 9:50 p.m., the reviews were unanimously positive.

"We asked for feedback, and it's all been positive," said Chris Evans, Woodbine's vice president of Thoroughbred racing. "There's some kickback, but it's less than some other Polytracks."

BOSSIER CITY, La. - Mr. Pursuit, fresh off a solid third-place performance against older rivals in the Ark-La-Tex Handicap at Louisiana Downs, returns to his own age group as he heads the cast for Friday's $100,000 Prelude Stakes. He will take on eight rivals in the 1 1/16-mile test, which offers an all-fees-paid berth in the Sept. 23 Super Derby to the winner.

EDMONTON, Alberta - At the conclusion of Monday's Labor Day holiday card, racing secretary Fred Hilts will have produced 10 programs in 13 calendar days, so the horse population here at Northlands Park is understandably stretched thin.

Hilts was searching for a feature for Friday when he hung up an extra, a $40,000 optional claimer going 6 1/2 furlongs, and got his wish when six older geldings were attracted by the $20,200 purse.

Ozzie's J J seeks his third win in his last four outings while moving up the claiming ladder once again for trainer Sid Gray.

AUBURN, Wash. - Gold Lad and Storm in Session, who were separated by only a neck when racing under identical conditions on Aug. 12, will be rematched in Friday's one-mile feature at Emerald Downs. The race has drawn a competitive field of six older horses, all eligible to be claimed for $18,000 to $20,000.

The signature races to be run this weekend at River Downs in Cincinnati will carry a familiar look, with ship-ins from Churchill Downs likely to occupy favorite's roles.

Churchill horses dominate the outlook for both the $100,000 Bassinet Stakes, to be run Saturday, and the $200,000 Cradle Stakes, set for Monday. The six-furlong Bassinet, which was drawn Tuesday, drew 11 2-year-old fillies, while the 1 1/16-mile Cradle, which was to be drawn Thursday, was expected to draw a similarly large field of 2-year-old colts and geldings.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Expectations have been tempered somewhat, but enthusiasm remains high among the connections of Funny Cide, who will showcase their champion 3-year-old of 2003 in Saturday's Grade 1, $500,000 Woodward at Saratoga.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Todd Pletcher has been a dominant force in stakes races at Monmouth Park this season.

The Eclipse Award-winning trainer has 10 stakes victories through Aug. 27, including both of the meet's Grade 1 races: the Haskell Invitational with Bluegrass Cat and the United Nations Stakes with English Channel.

This is Pletcher's finest stakes season at Monmouth. He won two stakes here in 2003 and captured seven both in 2004 and 2005.

CHICAGO - If Christine Janks does not win the Arlington Matron Handicap on Saturday at Arlington Park, it will not be for lack of trying. The names of six horses were drawn when entries for the Matron were taken on Wednesday, and Janks trains three of them.