The Meadowlands Racetrack will offer $2.7 million in stakes money during the 33-day meet that gets under way Sept. 29. Four stakes are graded, with the Grade 2, $500,000 Meadowlands Breeders' Cup Stakes on Oct. 13 the biggest event of the meet.

The opening night feature is the Grade 3, $150,000 Cliff Hanger Stakes on the turf. The Grade 3, $250,000 Pegasus Stakes for 3-year-olds takes place on Oct. 6. The Grade 3, $150,000 Violet Stakes for fillies and mare on the turf closes out the graded lineup on Oct. 20.

SASKATOON, Saskatchewan - Five fillies and mares will contest the one-mile Graceful Klinchit Handicap here at Marquis Downs on Friday evening. The $6,000 handicap is named in honor of the early 1990's runner who became the winningest mare in Saskatchewan history.

There are two daughters of "Gracie" - Picture the Answer and Danz Gracefully - competing in this event, and both of them could make their presence felt.

Golden Gate Fields steps into the future Friday when it begins its 36-day fall meeting.

The 2006 allocation of racing dates gave the track late summer and early-fall dates for the first time in its history, and the track's general manager, Robert Hartman, is unveiling new wagering and promotional opportunities in hopes of attracting fans not used to live racing here in August and September.

Historically, the early-fall dates have always been run at Bay Meadows.

Reapingtherewards appears to have a slight advantage over nine other Ohio-bred 2-year-old fillies in Friday's $40,000 Miss Ohio Stakes at Thistledown.

A daughter of Parents' Reward, Reapingtherewards has made five career starts at four different racetracks and won a maiden race here on Aug. 11 by 6 1/2 lengths going the same six-furlong distance as the Miss Ohio. On July 30, she finished third, beaten four lengths, in the 5 1/2-furlong Tah Dah Stakes at River Downs.

Super Call's nose victory in last Saturday's $15,575 Van Berg Derby at the Columbus Races provided one of the meet's most rousing finishes as three horses hit the wire nearly together in the mile and 70-yard race.

With Dennis Collins aboard, Super Call rallied from off the pace to reach the dueling pair of Thoughtuwasatoad and Indigo in deep stretch. With the trio separated by mere noses in the field of five, Super Call just got up for his third consecutive win.

Few in Louisiana need to be reminded that it was a year ago this week that Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. Rita followed a month later, and all of a sudden the state saw its functioning racetracks reduced from four to two with the damage suffered by Fair Grounds in New Orleans and Delta Downs in the southwestern part of the state.

The pitter-patter of little hooves is filling up the backstretch at Lone Star Park. The track is the site of the Fasig-Tipton Texas summer yearling sale, which will be held on Monday and Tuesday.

Fasig-Tipton has cataloged 439 yearlings to the sale, which will be conducted in a pavilion in the stable area. The first 218 hip numbers will be sold Monday, and the remaining lots on Tuesday. Each session starts at 10 a.m. Central.

The River Downs meet is traditionally divided into two sessions every year, with separate jockey and trainer titles awarded at the end of each. And while there may be a different leading rider for each session, there is no dispute this year as to which rider has been the most dominant overall.

PHOENIX - Turf Paradise increased purses for six of the 46 stakes for its 2006-2007 season, bringing total stakes purses to more than $2.1 million. The 156-day meet begins Oct. 6 and runs through May 6, 2007. Live racing will be conducted five days a week, generally Friday through Tuesday, with the track open seven days a week for simulcast wagering.

It's a Challenge doubleheader weekend at Los Alamitos, with trainer Paul Jones sending out three of the five entrants in the Grade 3, $23,040 John Deere Distaff Challenge on Friday night and trainer Bret Vickery saddling two Grade 1 winners in the Grade 2, $72,000 MBNA America California Challenge on Saturday night.

These stakes were scheduled to have trials, but trials weren't needed when 10 horses entered the California Challenge trials and seven fillies and mares entered the Distaff Challenge trials. Those horses became eligible to enter back for the finals to each stakes.