Although racing is taken seriously at California's smallest racing venue, the Humboldt County Fair, general manager Stuart Titus says anyone coming to Ferndale should be prepared for fun when the fair's 10-day meeting begins Thursday.

Nine stakes races for all breeds are scheduled during the meet, and an extra $5,000 has been added to raise the purse for the closing-day C.J. Hindley Humboldt County Marathon to $15,000. The Marathon is unique in American racing because the horses pass the finish line four times while running 1 5/8 miles.

SAN MATEO, Calif. - With her speed, class, and rail draw, Cut the Mustard would appear to be home free in Thursday's Bay Meadows Fair feature, a $62,500 optional claimer at five furlongs.

But not so fast.

Despite her four career victories and $151,370 in earnings, Cut the Mustard may find her plans spoiled by a maiden making her 20th start, Purple Myst.

AUBURN, Wash. - Trainer Craig Roberts enjoyed a banner weekend, winning Saturday's allowance feature with sprint sensation Westsideclyde and then coming back on Sunday to win the $65,000 Seattle Slew Handicap for 3-year-olds with 25-1 shot Exclusive Eagle.

Westsideclyde, a 4-year-old son of Old Topper, was 7-10 to defeat three overmatched rivals in Saturday's six-furlong feature, yet he has been as much a surprise to Roberts as any horse he has trained through a distinguished career that has spanned nearly five decades.

AUBURN, Wash. - Captain Squire, a millionaire, heads the list of 30 handicap stars who have been nominated for the 71st running of the Grade 3, $250,000 Longacres Mile on Aug. 20 at Emerald Downs.

Spaghetti Mouse scored a convincing 4 1/4-length win over True Metropolitan in the $108,408 B.C. Cup Classic at Hastings on Monday.

With Dave Wilson aboard, Spaghetti Mouse broke sharply and he looked very comfortable sitting just off of a moderate pace set by Roscoe Pito. He took control of the race at the quarter pole and then opened up a 2 1/2-length lead at the top of the stretch. He was never threatened as he widened his margin in the stretch over the second-place finisher, True Metropolitan.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - More than 40 years ago, trainer Carl Hanford and jockey Bill Boland were always circling one another, through memorable battles with Kelso and Beau Purple. On Monday morning here, they made it into one of racing's most-prized winner's circles, joining one another on the podium for induction into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - An inside post, her versatile running style, and a turn back to one mile may combine to give Bright Abundance a slight edge in a highly competitive $70,000 De La Rose Stakes, the featured event on a 10-race Wednesday card at Saratoga.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - While both Haskell winner Bluegrass Cat and West Virginia Derby winner Bright One will most likely end up running in the $1 million Travers on Aug. 26, the connections of both horses on Monday wanted a little more time before declaring their horses definite.

Todd Pletcher, trainer of Bluegrass Cat, and Dale Romans, trainer of Bright One, both said they are concerned about having to face Preakness and Jim Dandy winner Bernardini on just 20 days' rest. Bernardini will have four weeks between races.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - The patient approach trainer Bill Mott has taken with After Market continues to pay dividends. On Monday at Saratoga, After Market ran his unbeaten streak to four, and showed a new dimension by scoring a front-running victory in the Grade 2, $150,000 for 3-year-old turf horses.

After Market raced just once at 2, then returned from a seven-month layoff in June to win twice more. In those three victories, After Market rated and then finished, but with little speed in the Hall of Fame, Mott and jockey Cornelio Velasquez decided to go to the lead.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Campaigning Thoroughbred horses requires patience, and to win races on a regular basis requires either great luck or a vast arsenal of starters. But the gap between Mystery Giver's last two victories was extreme, even by this sport's standards. Some 27 months after he set a Fair Grounds turf course record when he won the Mervin Muniz Handicap in March 2004, Mystery Giver had his picture taken again after winning the seventh race here June 30 by a nose.