LEXINGTON, Ky. - J'ray was supposed to put her perfect grass record on the line last month in the Herecomesthebride Stakes at Gulfstream Park. But a travel snafu caused her to be a minute or two late for her Lasix shot, and a whole bunch of careful preparation went down the tubes.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Friday's ninth running of the Royal Chase for the Sport of Kings Stakes at Keeneland was billed as a three-horse matchup among Sur La Tete, Erin Go Bragh, and two-time Eclipse Award winner McDynamo.

In the end, it essentially became a one-horse race. Sur La Tete dominated the Royal Chase for the Sport of Kings, a Grade 1 steeplechase, while Erin Go Bragh and McDynamo didn't even finish. Erin Go Bragh lost his rider, Matthew McCarron, at the ninth of 13 jumps, and McDynamo was pulled up in the stretch when soundly beaten.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Chantal Sutherland knew winning races would not be an easy task here this winter, competing against a jockey colony that included many of the best riders in the world. But she was also hopeful that once the majority of the big-name riders headed north immediately after Florida Derby Day, she'd be able to take advantage of the opportunities that would present themselves during the latter stages of the meet.

Her judgement proved correct on both counts.

CHICAGO - On opening weekend at Arlington there is a new stakes race on the calendar, named the Avers Wexler Illinois Owners Stakes, and it appears that Mr. Wexler himself has a leading candidate for it.

The Wexler-owned Kid Grindstone scored an upset win in the $100,000 Fifth Season Breeders' Cup on April 12 at Oaklawn Park, and his next start will come at Arlington in the race named after his owner, a longtime figure on the Chicago racing scene.

"Well, since they wrote a stakes in his honor, that's definitely where we're going to point," said trainer Mike Campbell.

Sprinters with an affinity for a sloppy surface might hold a distinct advantage in Sunday's $75,000 Hoover Stakes at Pimlico.

Based on forecasts that call for more than an inch of rain on Saturday and the likelihood of more rain Sunday morning, Pimlico's main track will almost assuredly be wet for the six-furlong Hoover.

So although five of the seven older sprinters in the field finished first or second in their last start, proven mud form should give a substantial advantage to The Student, Favalora, and Abbondanza.

Although the $1 million Delaware Handicap is nearly three months away, a couple of potential candidates for that 1 1/4-mile race could be on display in the $50,000 Winter Melody.

The 1 1/16-mile overnight stakes drew Friel's for Real, a 6-year-old mare with nearly $500,000 in earnings, and horse-for-the-course Summer Rainbow.

Friel's for Real, 11-for-25 lifetime, won two stakes last season and was fourth in the 2005 Delaware Handicap. In her lone start this year, Friel's for Real just missed in the 1 1/16-mile Florida Breeders' Distaff at the Ocala Training Center.

The classy sprinter Gold Storm is on his way back to the races from injury, and so is the stakes-class 3-year-old filly Mykindasaint, but this still was a troubled week for the Bubba Cascio barn at Lone Star Park. That's because Seabreeze Blvd., a highly promising 3-year-old colt, broke down badly in a Wednesday morning workout and had to be euthanized because of his catastrophic injuries. Jockey Larry Taylor, who was aboard Seabreeze Blvd. for the work, escaped serious injury, Cascio said.

"It's tough," said Cascio. "I don't get too many like that to work with."

Tony Patterson has been named the new racing secretary at Harrah's Louisiana Downs in Bossier City, La., replacing Pat Pope, who resigned earlier this month after holding the position since 1985.

Patterson, a native of Ruston, La., has 22 years of experience in the racing industry. He worked as both racing secretary and assistant racing secretary at Remington Park before moving to Sam Houston, where he has been the assistant racing secretary for the past six years.

ALBANY, Calif. - Vaca City Flyer and Fortunately are two proven sprinters, but there is one big unknown as they square off in the $40,000 Rockridge Stakes on Sunday at Golden Gate Fields. The five-furlong race is scheduled for the turf, a surface Fortunately is familiar with but on which Vaca City Flyer has never run.

is 6 for 22 on the grass and has won both her starts this year, with both coming in turf sprint stakes at Turf Paradise.

PORTLAND, Ore. - Evening News will shoot for his 17th career win in the first half of Sunday's split feature at Portland Meadows.

Both the eighth and ninth races on the 10-race card are $4,000 claiming races for older horses at six furlongs. The six-horse eighth race looks competitive, as five are coming off a top-three finish. The ninth will go with seven runners, and six of these horses figured in the trifecta in their last race.