DEL MAR, Calif. - The only time Declan's Moon lost a race, it was trainer Art Sherman who was standing in the winner's circle, with Desert Boom. Declan's Moon on Sunday at Del Mar promises to be better, stronger, and faster for the Grade 2, $300,000 Pat O'Brien Breeders' Cup Handicap than he was in his comeback race on July 16 at Hollywood Park, but Sherman will be out to knock him off again, this time with Siren Lure, who has won 5 of his last 6 starts, most recently the Grade 1 Triple Bend Handicap at Hollywood Park.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Since March 2005, when Declan's Moon went to the sidelines with an injury, owner Samantha Siegel has watched with envy as some of the horses that he beat went on to greater things.

Giacomo, second to Declan's Moon in the 2004 Hollywood Futurity, won the 2005 Kentucky Derby in an upset. Siegel could only wonder what Declan's Moon could have accomplished if he had stayed healthy.

"It's terrible to watch all the horses you beat win all these major races," Siegel recalled earlier this week. "It hurt."

DEL MAR, Calif. - Everything looks good for Maxxi Arte's stakes debut in Sunday's $85,000 Viejas Casino Handicap at Del Mar. Everything except the post position.

Maxxi Arte has drawn the outside in the one-mile turf race for 3-year-old fillies, which is one of trainer Jim Cassidy's few concerns about his filly's chances in the race.

"I don't like the post," he said. "I don't want to be carried five wide in the first turn."

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - The quest to make Badge of Silver a Grade 1 winner will continue.

Badge of Silver, a talented but fragile 6-year-old son of Silver Deputy, is a graded stakes winner on dirt and turf. The only thing missing from his resume is a Grade 1 victory, which would make him even more of an attractive stallion prospect for Ken and Sarah Ramsey, who own and bred Badge of Silver.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - As well as General Jumbo has performed at middle distances, trainer Graham Motion has been waiting for the opportune time to run him long. That time will come Sunday, when General Jumbo runs in the $70,000 John's Call Stakes at 1 5/8 miles on Saratoga's Mellon Turf Course.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - The match-up between Wait a While and Lady of Venice was a lot more interesting on paper than it turned out to be on the racetrack.

Wait a While, under Garrett Gomez, took over from pacesetting Art Show at the quarter pole, then powered home an emphatic 4 3/4-length winner over Lady of Venice in the Grade 2, $150,000 for 3-year-old turf fillies before 24,246 at Saratoga.

It was 1 1/2 lengths back to Dancing Band in third. Art Show and Diamond Spirit completed the order of finish.

A lawsuit filed to prevent the installation of slot machines at Hastings has been dismissed in the British Columbia Supreme Court.

The suit, filed by a group called the Hastings Conservancy, claimed that the city of Vancouver had not followed proper procedure when it gave Hastings the go-ahead to install slots, but a province Supreme Court judge has ruled that the city had followed proper guidelines and that no zoning bylaws had been breached.

The decision allows Hastings and the City to finalize all of the agreements necessary to install slots at Hastings.

Okey Dokey Fantasy, undefeated in eight starts, including three futurities, is expected to be favored in the $2,050,000 All American Futurity at Ruidoso Downs on Sept. 4 after setting the 10th-fastest qualifying time in Thursday's trials.

Ridden by Juan Vazquez for trainer John Boegner, Okey Dokey Fantasy won the ninth of 17 trials run on a sealed track. He ran 440 yards in 21.31 seconds, taking 10th and final qualifying spot.

MIAMI - It was a year ago this week that Blazing Rate first served notice he would be a force to be reckoned with in the local 2-year-old division after winning his career debut by nearly six lengths for trainer Richard Root and owner Ralph Sessa.

A son of Exchange Rate, Blazing Rate went on to win two of his next three starts, including the Foolish Pleasure Breeders' Cup and In Reality Stakes. His only setback at 2 came in the seven-furlong Affirmed Stakes, where he lost to the then-undefeated division leader, In Summation.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Financingavailable should be tough going from open to restricted company in Sunday's $125,000 Victoriana Stakes at Woodbine. The 1 1/16-mile grass race has lured seven other Ontario-sired fillies and mares, including Top Ten List.

Financingavailable has scored only once in nine grass starts, but some of her more memorable efforts came on the turf, most notably the 2004 La Prevoyante Stakes, which she narrowly lost after dueling with Blonde Executive from start to finish.