LOUISVILLE, Ky. - First Samurai, among the leading members of his division at 2 and a top Kentucky Derby prospect until his fifth-place finish in the Blue Grass Stakes, will be sidelined indefinitely after two cracked ribs were diagnosed Friday.

Trainer Frank Brothers said First Samurai began showing signs of discomfort Thursday morning and was immediately sent to the Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington, Ky., where an ultrasound revealed the injury.

It took Princess Pelona until November of her 5-year-old campaign and 25 starts to win her first stakes. Now, at 6, an age when most mares have been retired to the breeding shed, Princess Pelona has earned her first shot at a graded stakes.

One shipper from New York and another from Florida will challenge the unbeaten Maryland-based filly Vontay in Sunday's $60,000 Xtra Heat Stakes at Pimlico.

The five-furlong race drew a field of seven 3-year-old fillies.

Although Vontay is officially 2 for 2 in her brief career, she needed the assistance of the stewards to score her second victory. She finished a half-length behind Hatties Gingersnap as the 8-5 favorite in a first-level allowance sprint two weeks ago at Laurel Park, but was elevated to first when Hatties Gingersnap was disqualified.

AUBURN, Wash. - Twelve of the faster sprinters on the West Coast will come together in Sunday's Seattle Handicap at Emerald Downs, a six-furlong stakes with a purse of $40,000.

Shippers in the field include California invader Court's in Session, who will carry high weight of 120 pounds, and British Columbia star Roscoe Pito, who leads the field with earnings of $549,471.

Also shipping in from California is American Fury, while Crimson Design, Flaming Bullet, and Forty Durango all raced last in Oregon. Spanish Highway last raced at Sunland Park in New Mexico.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - After last Sunday's Star Shoot Stakes was postponed due to unsafe track conditions caused by heavy rain here at Woodbine, trainer Josie Carroll had to reevaluate her position with Gumboots.

Winner of the five-furlong prep for the Star Shoot in her seasonal debut, Gumboots was the morning-line second choice for the Star Shoot, an open six-furlong stakes for 3-year-old fillies that was rescheduled for this Sunday's program.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - A more mature Knights Templar will take center stage Sunday at Woodbine in the $125,000 Star Shoot Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.

The six-furlong event was scheduled for last Sunday, but was on part of the card that was canceled because of poor track conditions caused by heavy rains.

Gumboots, victorious in the allowance prep for the Star Shoot, is also entered, but she will likely be scratched in favor of next Sunday's $150,000 Fury Stakes for Ontario-breds.

FORT ERIE, Ontario - After lengthy absences, two of the most successful Canadian female riders of all time are back in the saddle again.

Francine Villeneuve was injured last July 31 at Fort Erie, when her not so aptly named mount, Good Luck Strikes, broke down.

Second in the rider standings at the time, Villeneuve missed the remaining three months of the meet.

"I had a dislocated and fractured shoulder," she said. "It took quite a while healing. I don't have my complete range [of motion], but it's functional. That's the main thing."

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Arguably the best week of the racing calendar starts Saturday at Churchill Downs, where the Derby Trial and 13 other stakes will help build to a crescendo that culminates in the 132nd Kentucky Derby.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Several fringe contenders for the May 5 Kentucky Oaks were out for work Thursday, including a filly who will try to become the first northern California invader to win the Oaks since Pike Place Dancer did so 10 years ago.

Press Camp, trained by Billy Morey, went a mile in 1:44.60 over a fast Bay Meadows track. A speedy California-bred by Comic Strip, Press Camp has raced primarily in sprints on her home circuit.

"We tried to slow her down into the first turn," said Morey. "The idea is to get her used to getting geared down early."

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - The overabundance of races for 3-year-olds at this time of year combined with some untimely defections left just four horses entered to run in Saturday's Grade 3, $150,000 Withers Stakes at Aqueduct.

With Smokey Stover staying home in northern California, Diabolical opting to run in an allowance race on Tuesday at Delaware, and Chatain developing a 104-degree fever Thursday morning, the one-mile Withers looms a showdown between Luxembourg and Bernardini.

Doc Cheney and Rob'em Blind are the other two who passed the entry box.