The Kentucky state veterinarian on Thursday lifted the final quarantine restrictions at Turfway Park, declaring the track free of equine herpesvirus six weeks after the highly contagious disease first appeared at the track.

The final quarantine was in place on Barn 27, which housed 52 horses. The barn was initially quarantined Jan. 6 after several horses in it tested positive for exposure to equine herpesvirus, a highly contagious disease that attacks a horse's upper respiratory and neurological systems.

Mystery Giver, who has not raced since suffering a torn suspensory ligament in his right hind leg during the 2004 Arlington Million, will take his first step on the comeback trail Saturday, when he starts in the ninth race at Tampa Bay Downs, an optional claiming race at about 1 1/16 miles on the turf.

Mystery Giver, an Illinois-bred turf specialist, has won of 11 of 33 starts and more than $1.1 million for Illinois-based trainer Chris Block and his family, who are the 8-year-old gelding's owner and breeder.

OLDSMAR Fla. - Ebony Breeze, fresh off a track-record performance here at Tampa Bay Downs, and Malibu Mint top a strong field of 14 fillies and mares Saturday in the $60,000 Manatee Stakes at seven furlongs.

A 6-year-old, Ebony Breeze is coming off a six-length victory in the 6 1/2-furlong allowance prep for the Manatee here Jan. 21. Returning from a two-month break, Ebony Breeze overcame early traffic problems to loop rivals leaving the turn, then drew away smartly through the final furlong to cover the distance in a track record 1:16.41.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Great Intentions should kick off her 4-year-old campaign much better than she ended her 3-year-old season when she heads a field of six entered in Saturday's $65,000 Correction Handicap at Aqueduct.

Great Intentions, who won the Grade 2 First Flight Handicap in October, enters the Correction off a sixth-place finish as the favorite in the Grade 1 La Brea at Santa Anita on New Year's Eve. Great Intentions had the misfortune of catching a sealed, extremely wet track that day, one she just didn't seem to handle.

Six weeks ago, Sweetnorthernsaint was racing against maiden claimers. After posting one of the fastest Beyer Speed Figures by a 3-year-old in January, he's now a Triple Crown nominee.

Based on his one outstanding performance against maidens in New York, is the 6-5 favorite on the track's morning line for Saturday's $75,000 Miracle Wood Stakes at Laurel Park.

The one-mile race for 3-year-olds drew a field of 11.

SAN MATEO, Calif. - It only takes a glance to see that Somethinaboutlaura has a great chance to win Saturday's $75,000 Foster City Handicap at Bay Meadows. She has never lost at Bay Meadows and held on well for third after setting a pressured pace in the Grade 2 El Encino at Santa Anita in her last start. The one-mile distance should be ideal for her.

PORTLAND, Ore. - Tom Two raced 11 times last year as a 2-year-old, winning five races and nearly $87,000, and capped the grueling campaign with a hard-fought victory over Cascadians Cuttie in the one-mile Os West Oregon Futurity on Dec. 31.

Don't Strike Out seeks to keep his momentum going, toting high weight of 120 pounds while going after his third consecutive victory in the $50,000 Curribot Handicap at Sunland Park. The 1 1/16-mile race has a field of eight, with Don't Strike Out, winner of the recent Winsham Lad here, the likely favorite.

Don't Strike Out, 6, owned by Richard Kasuda and trained by Ray Carlisle Jr., may be in sharp form but he doesn't have much margin for error.

Muir Beach did everything right in the Kachina Handicap at Turf Paradise Jan. 14. Trouble was, she didn't win.

But that race marked her first outing in over five months, so Muir Beach might now be set for her best race, and that could be bad news for her opposition in the $40,000 Princess of Palms Handicap at Turf Paradise. The six-furlong race for fillies and mares lured nine, among them Kresgeville, who spoiled Muir Beach's comeback run, and Lil Easy, an early sizzler in the best form of her life.

There is something different about the Delta Mile this year.

First and foremost, Saturday's $50,000 race for older horses is not being held at Delta Downs at all. Because of damage from Hurricane Rita, Delta's dates this winter have been moved to Evangeline Downs.

The complexion of the race itself is likely to differ as well since Evangeline's oval measures a mile compared with the six-furlong track at Delta.