The two most festive weeks of the northern California fair circuit get under way Wednesday when the Sonoma County Fair begins its 12-day meeting in Santa Rosa.

Located close enough to Golden Gate Fields, Pleasanton, and Bay Meadows to attract horses stabled at those tracks, the Sonoma County Fair is also located just far enough from the mainstream racing action to make it an event and a destination stop in northern California racing.

"Santa Rosa's got enthusiastic crowds," racing secretary Greg Brent said. "You get the true feeling of racing there."

The queen is coming to Santa Rosa.

Fourteen-year-old Black Ruby, the legendary mule whose series of races with Taz once earned them the TVG Viewer's Choice Award for rivalry of the year, will at least work at Santa Rosa.

If everything goes perfectly, she might be ready to race there on closing weekend, although owners Sonny and Mary McPherson believe it more likely that she would make her first start of the year at Ferndale or Fresno.

"It's a remote possibility," Sonny McPherson said. "Unless everything fits, we're not going to run her at Santa Rosa."

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Lone Star Park experienced a decline in average daily handle on its races while attendance held constant during the 66-date meet that ended Sunday. Wagering on incoming simulcasts remained unchanged.

Lone Star handled an average $1.9 million a day on its races this meet, down 9.9 percent from the corresponding 67-day meet a year ago. Of that amount, an average of $443,000 a day was bet onsite on live races, a dip of 4.8 percent. From offtrack sources, Lone Star handled $1.5 million a day on its races, a decline of 11.4 percent.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Kick'em Jenny will try to keep her unbeaten record intact Wednesday night at Woodbine in the $125,000 Passing Mood Stakes, a seven-furlong turf sprint for Ontario-sired 3-year-old fillies.

Kick'em Jenny, a $25,000 yearling purchase by owner Ralph Johnson, is a half-sister to last year's Queen's Plate winner, Wild Desert. According to trainer Greg de Gannes, she is named after an undersea volcano north of the island of Grenada in the West Indies.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - It tried to rain on Woodbine's parade here Sunday, as an early afternoon deluge led to the cancellation of the last seven dirt races on the day set aside for this racetrack's 50th anniversary celebration.

But the afternoon was far from a washout thanks to the E.P. Taylor turf course, which honored its commitment to host the two later grass stakes on the program.

The highlight, as intended, was the inaugural running of the Grade 2, $697,800 Northern Dancer Breeders' Cup Turf, a 1 1/2-mile race that was the centerpiece of the day's festivities.

For those who breed and buy young horses, there is no place like Saratoga to showcase a talented runner.

"That's the place you want to be, that's the place you want to showcase one," said Buzz Chace, a bloodstock agent who buys horses for approximately 15 clients, many of whom will be participating at Saratoga.

Chace's clients have horses with trainers such as Todd Pletcher and Scott Blasi - who has taken over for the suspended Steve Asmussen - whose barns are among the best at producing good 2-year-olds.

The Ohio State Racing Commission ruled Monday that the purse for the $100,000 Queen City Oaks, which was declared a "no contest" by River Downs stewards on Saturday because of a starting gate malfunction, will not be distributed and that the race will be redrawn and rerun on Sunday, Aug. 13, at River Downs.

Heavily favored A.V. Flynn ($2.60), who set a track record in her debut at Pleasanton, improved her career record to 2-for-2 with an easy victory in the $53,150 Mick Freese Solano County Juvenile Filly Stakes on Sunday at the Solano County Fair in Vallejo.

AUBURN, Wash. - Chestnut Lady took command on the final turn and swept to a 7-length victory in Sunday's $65,000 Kent Handicap at Emerald Downs.

Chestnut Lady, a 3-year-old daughter of Horse Chestnut, got the 1 1-16 miles in 1:43 under rider Keven Radke and paid $3.60 to win as the strong choice over five rivals. She's All Silk finished well for second, three lengths to the good of Musical Wine in third.

It was the third win in seven starts for Chestnut Lady, who has now earned $107,859 for owners Mike and Amy Feuerborn. She is trained by Jim Penney.

Aragorn, in an electrifying performance, turned on the afterburners in the stretch run en route to a course record in the Grade 1, $400,000 on Sunday at Del Mar.

Aragorn ($5) was sent off the favorite based on his victory last out in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile at Hollywood Park, but few could have anticipated just how dominant he would be in the Eddie Read. Aragorn bounded clear to win by four lengths in 1:44.79 for 1 1/8 miles on the firm turf, besting the previous course mark - Willow O Wisp's 1:45.85 in last year's Del Mar Derby - by more than one second.