Pletcher nearly pulled off a sweep of the afternoon's two long-distance turf stakes and a major upset to boot, but his 31-1 Ramazutti was run down in the final strides by Silver Whistle, who posted a neck decision in the Grade 3, $150,000 . Go Deputy, the more accomplished half of Pletcher's uncoupled duo, finished two lengths farther back in third as the 9-5 favorite.

Dale Capuano claims horses on a frequent basis, invariably with the hope of improving a horse at least enough to turn a profit.

But Capuano, a perennial leading trainer in Maryland, could not have reasonably expected Little Thunder to get as good as he has. Since claiming Little Thunder for $16,000 for owner Ryan Haynes at Laurel Park last October, Capuano has sent out Little Thunder to 5 wins from 6 starts, with by far the greatest victory coming Saturday in the $100,000 .

Even without the smoothest of trips, Exclusive Quality was able to withstand a prolonged bid from Diabolical and defeat four other 3-year-olds in the $75,000 for the team of Pletcher and Velazquez.

After breaking slowly in the 6 1/2-furlong race, Exclusive Quality rushed into contention down the backstretch when sandwiched between In Summation and longshot Carvajal. Leaving the turn, after In Summation faded and Carvajal began to get weary, Diabolical loomed a major threat to the outside of Exclusive Quality but fell a half-length short.

Drum Major ($7.40) got a perfect rail trip under Rafael Bejarano, taking command turning for home and going on to a two-length triumph over Rebel Rebel in the last of 13 Saturday races, the $75,000 Lure Stakes.

Drum Major, owned by Dogwood Stable and trained by George Weaver, was the fifth winning favorite in the seven Saturday stakes. He finished one mile in a swift 1:32.67 over a firm turf. Like the Florida Derby winner, Barbaro, Drum Major was sired by Dynaformer.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Not many Illinois-breds bring $290,000 at auction, but that's what it took to buy Lucy Valentine last spring at the Ocala Breeders' sales. An eye-catching pre-sale breeze caught the attention of trainer Steve Klesaris, and it was he and the Puglisi Stables who ended up writing a big check for her.

STICKNEY, Ill. - The highest-class race on Monday's National Jockey Club program is the fourth, a second-level route allowance, but the most interesting horse on Monday's National Jockey Club program is Taylor Madison, who goes in the eighth, an Illinois-bred second-level allowance at 1 1/16 miles.

Taylor Madison recently arrived from Florida, where she had a decent winter at Tampa Bay Downs before finishing a distant seventh on

He was the "other" New York-bred and the longer price of the two horses trainer Todd Pletcher entered in Saturday's Grade 3 Excelsior Breeders' Cup Handicap at Aqueduct. But in the end, West Virginia was the standout victor of the $151,900 , turning back Funny Cide and Colita in the process.

Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., will race 56 dates in 2007, from Jan. 19 through April 14. The calendar was approved

during an Arkansas Racing Commission meeting at the track on Saturday.

Oaklawn will mostly race four days a week in January and February, and will move to a five-day-a-week schedule in March and April. The exceptions are a three-day race week Jan. 19-21, and a special Monday card on Presidents Day, Feb. 19. There is no racing on Easter Sunday, April 8.

STICKNEY, Ill. - By any standards, trainer Wayne Catalano has had an excellent National Jockey Club, but even Catalano's two horses might not be enough to win Tuesday's featured fifth race here.

Catalano has a coupled entry for Tuesday's fifth, an entry-level 3-year-old route allowance with a $35,000 claiming option. Jockey Chris Emigh was named on both Ormond by the Sea and Chile's Quest, so one may scratch, but neither is a lock at a short price, though the Monday feature lacks both size and strength.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Platinum Princess gave her trainer, Steve Asmussen, his third straight win in Oaklawn Park's $50,000 Carousel Stakes on Saturday, when she led throughout for a three-quarter length win over Miss Elsie. It was another three-quarters of a length back in third to True Tails.