ELMONT, N.Y. - While the 2-year-old filly Magical Ride has flashed brilliant speed in both of her starts, trainer Rusty Arnold knows that in order for her to be successful stretching out she's going to have to learn to harness her speed.

POMONA, Calif. - Based on form established last year at Fairplex Park, the 5-year-old mare Allswellthatnswell would be easy to bet against in the $65,000 E.B. Johnston Stakes on Sunday at the Los Angeles County Fair.

Not so fast, warns owner-breeder Bud Johnston.

"She's a totally different mare than she was last year," Johnston said. "Running her long was a waste, because she would get rank and would run off. Now she's kinder, and she will rate."

CHICAGO - The Arlington-Washington Futurity and Arlington-Washington Lassie are among the oldest stakes at Arlington Park. Bill Thayer, the longtime Arlington executive, still keeps in his desk drawer an original program from 1965 Futurity Day: Buckpasser's name is circled.

Times change, though, and in recent years, the two best 2-year-old races of the Arlington season slid - the winners were decent, not memorable. But this year's models, especially the Lassie, seem like a blast from the past. Both races, one-turn miles, attracted large fields that seem loaded with runners.

POMONA, Calif. - The final Sunday of the Los Angeles County Fair will be special for trainer Ted West and his son Ted H. West. West Sr. is the 2006 inductee into the Fairplex Park Hall of Fame and will be honored in a ceremony Sept. 24, the same day the stable runs He's the Rage in the $125,000 Hinds Handicap.

"Cooperstown was my first choice," West joked, "but I gave up that idea when I was 18."

MIAMI - Stakes opportunities for filly and mare sprinters have been rare thus far at the Calder meet, which makes next Saturday's $100,000 U Can Do It Handicap a golden opportunity for the 11 horses nominated.

Aside from overnight stakes, the only added-money dirt sprints for females since the meet began in late April were the Grade 1 Princess Rooney Handicap and the Grade 3 Azalea Breeders' Cup for 3-year-old fillies. Prospective Saint finished second in the Princess Rooney, and Frolicing and A Sea Trippi finished third and fourth in the Azalea.

Julien Leparoux and Patrick Biancone keep breaking unwritten rules.

Leparoux, who loses his five-pound apprentice allowance on Sept. 25, has been performing at a level normally reserved for seasoned jockeys for months now. And Biancone, true to his French roots, is willing to occasionally buck American tradition, including running an unraced filly against males.

ALBANY, Calif. - Trainer Bill Morey Jr. has always liked Bold Chieftain.

The 3-year-old colt ran third in the Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby behind Cause to Believe in his fourth career start and ran third in his next start 6 1/2 months later, the $100,000 Real Good Deal at Del Mar.

While Bold Chieftain has enjoyed more success than his rivals, he faces a new challenge in Sunday's Golden Gate Fields feature, when he makes his turf debut in a one-mile allowance race.

BOSSIER CITY, La. - Following two failed attempts at middle distances, Desert Sea returns to seven furlongs and rates a strong favorite in Sunday's $35,000 optional claiming feature at Louisiana Downs. Desert Sea is 2 for 2 at seven furlongs.

"This is what we have been waiting for," said trainer Pat Mouton on Friday morning.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Witch Woman looks to win her third straight race in her stakes debut Sunday in the $65,000 Without Feathers for 3-year-old fillies going a mile and 70 yards at Monmouth Park.

She is part of the successful contingent from Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel that arrived late in the meet from Kentucky. The Frankel horses, handled by assistant Chad Brown, are 5-2-1 in 12 races.

AUBURN, Wash. - Thatsthewayluvgoes will shoot for her fifth win at the stand when she takes on six older rivals in Sunday's top offering at Emerald Downs, a 5 1/2-furlong race for fillies and mares under $25,000 optional claiming conditions.