INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Lava Man, who successfully defended his title in Saturday's $750,000 , will always be known as the ex-claimer who became a multiple Grade 1 stakes winner.

The novelty of that accomplishment will be replaced by a full-fledged attempt at the Horse of the Year title, beginning with a run at the $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Aug. 20.

Unbeaten in five starts this year, all stakes, Lava Man's success has raised expectations for his owners, STD Racing Stable and Jason Wood, and trainer, Doug O'Neill.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Chi Hori is an improving filly. Chablis gets an easier assignment. Combined, they give trainer J. Willard Thompson two contenders for Wednesday's feature at Monmouth Park, a $47,500 first-level allowance for New Jersey-bred fillies and mares.

shows steadily improving Beyer Speed Figures in her three starts this season, starting at 33 and rising to 62 last time out in her maiden victory. It is the best last-race Beyer of any horse in Wednesday's mile and 70-yard race.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Ten years ago this week, Ralph Nicks was working at what then was known as Arlington International Racecourse in Chicago, helping to prepare Cigar for a shot at immortality. Cigar, trained by eventual Hall of Famer Bill Mott, would win the Citation Challenge on July 13, 1996, equaling the modern record for consecutive wins with 16.

North Broad ($10.40), returning to the dirt after a subpar tune-up on turf, closed strongly in the stretch to overtake Woodbridge by three-quarters of a length in the $60,000 W. Meredith Bailes Memorial Stakes at Colonial Downs.

It was only the second win in eight starts over the past two seasons for North Broad. A 6-year-old, he was ridden by Lenworth Kirlew for trainer Terry Socks.

Emerald Earrings ($4.20) took command turning for home and held off the late charge of Silmaril to score a three-quarter-length win in the $65,000 Monmouth Beach Stakes for fillies and mares. Eddie Castro rode Emerald Earrings for trainer Bruce Alexander. The winning time was 1:43.18 for a mile and 70 yards on the fast track.

The favorite also took the $60,000 Lamplighter for 3-year-olds on the turf, in which Smart Enough ($4.20) beat Extra Bend by a neck.

The inherent talent of After Market continues to shine through.

Making his stakes debut after winning his first two starts, After Market lugged in in upper stretch but drew clear to a 1 1/2-length victory Sunday in the Grade 3, $107,400 Lexington Stakes for 3-year-olds on the turf at Belmont Park. Carnera finished second, a head in front of Crossword in third.

Ridden by Cornelio Velasquez, After Market ($3.70) ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.80 on the firm course.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Foamy Water looks to have her Ontario-sired opponents over a barrel in Wednesday's Woodbine feature, a nine-furlong grass allowance for fillies and mares.

The eight-race program will be the third card run over Woodbine's inner dirt track, which is normally used for harness racing. The synthetic surface Polytrack is being installed over Woodbine's main track, a project that is expected to be completed later this summer.

EDMONTON, Alberta - If True Metropolitan is the second-stringer in trainer Terry Jordan's Vancouver-based stable, then Northlands Park's older horses have no desire to tangle with No. 1, Quiet Cash.

For the second straight stakes race in Alberta, True Metropolitan destroyed his opposition in last Saturday's one-mile Spangled Jimmy, winning by six lengths in a laugher.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The final acts in what already has been a remarkable Churchill jockeys' race are to be played out this week between Julien Leparoux and Rafael Bejarano. Into the final five of 57 days, Leparoux held a tenuous 80-78 lead atop the standings.

Despite the hot and cold streaks that typically occur over the course of such a long meet, the young jockeys have never been separated by more than five wins at the end of any program.

"That tells you how close it's been," said Steve Bass, the former jockey who is Leparoux's agent.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Kid Grindstone ran well enough winning the Dr. Fager Stakes here Saturday to earn a starting spot in the $300,000 Washington Park Handicap on July 29, the biggest older-horse dirt handicap of the year in Chicago, but his connections are looking elsewhere. Trainer Mike Campbell said Sunday morning that Kid Grindstone was being pointed for the Aug. 5 Sea O'Erin, a one-mile turf race.