OCEANPORT, N.J. - The $1 million Haskell Invitational field could increase to eight with the addition of Little Cliff.

Monmouth race secretary Mike Dempsey said Little Cliff was "a good possibility" for the 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds on Sunday.

Little Cliff entered the Haskell picture Wednesday, a day before entries were to be drawn.

Trained by Nick Zito, Little Cliff made his last two starts at Delaware Park, winning a second-level allowance race and running third behind Awfully Smart, a Haskell runner, in the Grade 3 Leonard Richards Stakes on July 16.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - At half the purse and somewhat less prestige, the Sword Dancer Invitational often takes a backseat to the Arlington Million. This year, however, that will not be the case.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Brother Derek breezed five furlongs Wednesday at Del Mar and is on schedule for a return to racing within a month, trainer Dan Hendricks said.

Brother Derek was timed in 59.80 seconds, his second official work since returning to training following a brief illness in late June.

Hendricks said Brother Derek will run in the final days of the Del Mar meeting and is scheduled to have two starts before the Breeders' Cup Classic at Churchill Downs on Nov. 4.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Trainer Dave Kassen and one of his bigger clients, the Butterfly Stable, just had Scooter Roach claimed from them for $50,000. Scooter Roach had made several hundred thousand dollars after Kassen and Butterfly acquired him through a claim. But rarely does the racing landscape look the same for too long, and no sooner had Scooter Roach departed the stable than Josefina's Pride, claimed for $50,000 on July 2, joined it.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Trainer Bob Tiller will be holding a strong hand at Woodbine on Friday, when he saddles Neil the Knife and Handsome King in the featured second race, a second-level Ontario-sired allowance.

AUBURN, Wash. - Itstufftobegood returns to Emerald Downs on Friday to head a field of five in the second leg of the Seattles Best Joe Marathon Series. A 1 1/4-mile race, the second leg will be contested under $10,000 starter handicap conditions.

EDMONTON, Alberta - Freud's Cure will seek to remain unbeaten when he makes his second start Friday in the Edmonton Juvenile here at Northlands Park. There will be stakes races here for four straight days, with the juvenile fillies going in the Princess Margaret on Saturday.

Freud's Cure, a New York-bred gelding owned by Waymor Holdings and trained by Rob Chabot, will leave from the outside post, No. 10, with Ron Blinston aboard, and may have trouble finding a favorable position.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Seven horses, including defending champion Fort Prado, were entered Wednesday in the $150,000 Sea O'Erin Breeders' Cup Mile. The field also includes Woodbine-based Le Cinquieme Essai, third last year in the Woodbine Mile; Therecomes-atiger, third last out in the Firecracker Breeders' Cup at Churchill; and Kid Grindstone, winner of consecutive stakes races. Rapid Proof won for a $62,500 claiming tag last time out, while Cougar Cat has not won a turf race since his 2-year-old season in France.

The record purses that Remington Park in Oklahoma City will offer during its Thoroughbred meet, which opens Friday night, have attracted a strong assortment of horses, trainers, and jockeys.

"I would say this is probably the most anticipated meet here maybe since the first meet, but certainly the most anticipated in the last 10 years," said Donnie Von Hemel, the all-time winningest trainer at Remington.

BOSSIER CITY, La. - With Louisiana Downs Champions Day on Aug. 19 rapidly approaching, the last week or so has been the time to think about final preparations for the 12-race megacard - or not.

Our Love, the defending champion in the Matchmaker, looked dominant when he defeated five rivals in an allowance last Sunday, picking up her second win of the meeting. She appears ready to defend her crown for trainer Jeff Trosclair.