AUBURN, Wash. - Beaulena looms as the one to deny in Saturday's Emerald Downs feature, a six-furlong race that has lured a field of seven fillies and mares to compete under $25,000 optional claiming conditions.

Beaulena, a 6-year-old daughter of Beau Genius from the barn of trainer Richard Wright, returned from an absence of more than 17 months to run a bang-up second under the same conditions on May 28. Beaulena closed from far back to be beaten 3 1/2 lengths by Dinner at Arlene's after 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15.40.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Annika Lass, by the $5,000 Florida-based stallion Mister Jolie, fetched a bid of $2,000 at a yearling sale of 2002, and was pin-hooked a year later at a 2-year-old auction for a whopping $12,000. But sometimes the good ones slip through the cracks.

When Ro Parra's Millennium Farms purchased Annika Lass privately last year, she was a multiple stakes winner of more than $200,000, and after three close losses in a solid 2006 campaign, she's in Chicago this weekend to add a graded stakes to her resume.

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Horses based in either California or Texas have captured 7 of the 9 runnings of the Dallas Turf Cup, and when the race is run again on Saturday the two states again will have the race's top players: Waupaca and New Export.

Waupaca is based at Lone Star Park, while New Export invades from Hollywood Park in Southern California. They are the 116-pound starting highweights in the 1 1/8-mile Dallas Turf Cup.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Flower Alley, the winner of last year's Jim Dandy and Travers, is expected to make his highly anticipated return to the races in the Grade 3, $150,000 Salvator Mile on June 24 at Monmouth Park, trainer Todd Pletcher said Thursday.

Flower Alley has not run since finishing second to Saint Liam in last October's Breeders' Cup Classic. Pletcher said he is hoping to use the Salvator Mile, a two-turn race, as a prep for the $750,000 Whitney Handicap at Saratoga on

Aug. 5. Pletcher is also planning to run Flower Alley in the Woodward on Sept. 2, also at Saratoga.

SAN MATEO, Calif. - Eleven runners meet in northern California's first 2-year-old stakes of the year, the five-furlong Malcolm Anderson on Saturday at Bay Meadows.

The field includes one stakes winner, Genuine Talent, who is 2 for 2 after scoring an upset in the Willard Proctor at Hollywood Park on May 27.

"This fits well for him," said trainer Danny Velasquez, who is looking forward to running Genuine Talent in next month's Hollywood Juvenile.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Love Locket returns in a challenging spot Saturday at Monmouth Park.

Making her first start since the Grade 2 Demoiselle Stakes at Aqueduct last November, Love Locket faces five rivals in the $60,000 Dearly Precious for 3-year-old fillies going six furlongs.

Turfway Park has named Steve Peterman as the official starter and summer stabling manager, the track announced Thursday. Peterman has been an assistant starter at Churchill Downs and Keeneland since 1987, and also worked on the gate crews at Ellis Park, Oaklawn Park, and Fairmount Park.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - While most of the field for Saturday's Affirmed Handicap at Hollywood Park was fighting through the Triple Crown preps earlier this year, Arson Squad remained in the less-glamourous 3-year-old sprint division.

Arson Squad is finally ready to join the big boys in the Grade 3 Affirmed and has convinced trainer Bruce Headley that he is capable of winning going longer.

"He's really trained well for this," Headley said. "He's never run a bad race."

MIAMI - There are two overnight stakes scheduled at Calder on Saturday, both of which will feature potential local candidates for the rich Summit of Speed program July 15.

The $45,000 Champali Stakes at six furlongs is a prep for the Grade 2, $500,000 Smile Sprint Handicap. The race drew a field of seven older sprinters, including Pomeroy, who is part of a David Hutson-owned, Marty Wolfson-trained entry along with Grade 3 winner Chandtrue. Wolfson has named jockey Carlos Olivero on both horses, an indication that only one of the pair is likely to start.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Monashee confirmed her spot as the top filly or mare in the province with a relatively easy win over the late-charging What a Blurr in the Strawberry Morn Stakes at Hastings last Saturday. The race was pretty much over when Monashee opened up a 3 1/2-length lead at the top of the stretch. David Wilson did get after her a bit down the lane, but Monashee appeared to have a lot left despite a diminishing final margin of 1 3/4 lengths.