LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Relative to the $100,000 Mamzelle Stakes at Churchill Downs on Thursday, Saturday's Kentucky Derby seems almost short of speed. At least six of the 11 entrants in the Mamzelle are established front-runners, including two of the favorites, Unbridled Sidney and Nicole's Dream.

The last time Not Phone set foot on the Belmont turf course, he earned a career-best 107 Beyer Speed Figure by finishing fourth in last October's Grade 2 Kelso Breeders' Cup Handicap. The runner-up in that race, Artie Schiller, came back less than a month later to win the BC Mile.

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Texcess, who after a troubled trip was beaten a half-length when third in the Grade 3, $300,000 Texas Mile here Saturday, could return here later this month for the Grade 3, $400,000 Lone Star Park Handicap, his trainer, Mike Mitchell, said Tuesday.

Texcess flew back to his Southern California base on Monday.

Mitchell said he is strongly considering the Lone Star, a 1 1/16-mile race May 29. He said another option for Texcess is the Grade 2, $250,000 Californian at 1 1/8 miles at Hollywood Park on June 17.

Procreate, who set a world record for five furlongs on turf last year, heads a field of 12 older horses going five furlongs on the grass in Thursday's $50,000 Tony Gatto Dream Big Stakes, the closing-day feature at Atlantic City Race Course.

Procreate ran five furlongs in 53.79 seconds in winning the Yankee Affair Stakes at Gulfstream Park in April 2005. He made his first start as an 8-year-old in the same stakes three weeks ago and finished a close third after setting the early pace.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Trainer Roger Attfield's stable was quiet at Gulfstream this year but it started making noise at Keeneland last week. Now the Attfield troops are marshaled here at Woodbine, where he has a full complement of 45 stalls.

Several familiar names will be missing from the Attfield roster this year, however, as Honolua Storm, Langburg, Mr. J.T.L., and Orsay all were sold privately.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Four of the six runners in Thursday's Woodbine feature are making their second start off a winter layoff, and they figure to dominate the race, a second-level allowance at 1 1/16 miles for fillies and mares. The race carries a purse of $73,500 and an optional claiming price of $62,000.

Tony Black became the 20th jockey in North America to reach 5,000 wins when he guided Actcentric to a 12-length victory in Monday's fifth race at Philadelphia Park.

Black, 54, ranks fifth among active riders, behind only Russell Baze, Earlie Fires, Mario Pino, and Edgar Prado.

Black said he was glad to be able to achieve the milestone victory at Philly Park, where he has won five riding titles.

According to Black, he began feeling pressure to reach 5,000 shortly after getting within three of the milestone on April 11.

With a new rewards program, a new wager, and some changes to the stakes schedule, 101-year-old Belmont Park begins its 59-day spring-summer meet on Wednesday. First post is 1 p.m., and general admission and parking will be free for opening day.

Beginning this meet, the New York Racing Association will institute a program that offers rebates to customers who wager anywhere from $2,000 a month to $500,000 or more per month. The rebates range from 1 to 7 percent.

CALGARY, Alberta - After an allowance race failed to fill, trainer Greg Tracy elected to run all three of his nominees here in last Saturday's $50,000 Stampede Park Sprint Championship. Then it was up to leading rider Quincy Welch and agent Bob Fowlis to make their choice, as Welch had at one time or another been aboard each of Tracy's runners.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Gygistar will go for a three-peat in the Westchester Handicap, the opening-day feature on Wednesday at Belmont Park.

The Grade 3, $100,000 stakes has been the perfect fit for the 7-year-old Gygistar over the past two years in terms of its timing and one-mile distance.

Following the pattern employed last year, trainer Mark Hennig rested Gygistar most of the winter at Payson Park in Florida, producing a fresh horse for the return to Belmont and the Westchester.