The addition of blinkers made a big difference for trainer Ed Tobin's 2-year-old filly Malibu Sue.

Beaten nearly 13 lengths three weeks earlier in the West Virginia Futurity, Malibu Sue ($73) responded to the equipment change by upsetting the inaugural $40,000 Eleanor Casey Memorial Stakes for 2-year-old statebred fillies at Charles Town on Dec. 3.

Despite breaking last in the field of 10, Malibu Sue managed to get herself into contention under jockey Matt McGown and drew clear by 1 1/2 lengths. Cross Creek Rosie was second, a head in front of Aye Robbin.

The already-lucrative stakes program for 2-year-olds at Evangeline Downs received an additional boost this week as track officials announced a purse increase from $75,000 to $100,000 for the John Franks Memorial Stakes slated for next summer. In addition, the track will add a filly division that will offer the same purse.

Leprechaun's Gold didn't make his career debut until October, but the 3-year-old gelding is making up for lost time and showing that he may have a big future.

Based at Penn National with trainer John Zimmerman, Leprechaun's Gold ($3.80) cruised to a 6 3/4-length victory going seven furlongs against first-level allowance horses on Dec. 3 at Laurel Park. He got a Beyer Speed Figure of 90.

In his previous start, Leprechaun's Gold won his maiden by 10 lengths at Penn National on Nov. 3.

Jockey Larry Taylor's rise in Texas began with his success aboard Gold Storm in 2004, and his momentum has carried through to the current meet at Sam Houston Race Park in Houston.

Taylor leads all riders at the track with 26 wins from 111 starts. He won four races last Wednesday night, and his earnings total of $241,636 so far this meet tops all jockeys at Sam Houston. He came into the season on the heels of winning the riding title at Retama Park near San Antonio.

Bettors who follow Mountaineer only casually should be aware that any horse shipped in from Kentucky by trainer Bernie Flint is automatically a contender.

Since Oct. 1, Flint is a phenomenal 17 for 30 - 56 percent - with the horses he has run at the Chester, W.Va., oval. Although many of Flint's runners are overbet, he has shown a profitable $3.04 return on investment during his hot streak.

Last week, Flint saddled four more winners, including a pair that earned 90-plus Beyer Speed Figures.

Smoken Shooter, making just his third start since November 2004, stretched out from six furlongs to 1 1/16 miles to take a third-level allowance by 1 1/2 lengths last Sunday at Philadelphia Park.

A 5-year-old gelding trained by Ron Glorioso, Smoken Shooter ($6.80) earned a career-best Beyer of 94. He was one of five winners ridden over a two-day period by jockey Jose Flores.

* Trainer Bob Seeger saddled four winners in two days last weekend, all but one of them favorites.

Yaddo Cat was hammered down to 1-5 for Tuesday's Princess Stakes at Sunland Park, and she showed why as she strolled home the easiest of winners for trainer Steve Asmussen. Yaddo Cat broke alertly from the rail in the six-furlong event and prompted the pace. A royally bred daughter of Forest Wildcat, Yaddo Cat skimmed the rail and opened up to a four-length advantage at the top of the stretch.

The big favorite, ridden by Brian Peck, simply coasted home from there as Visual Effect raced by a tiring Ms. Glacken to get the place. The winning margin was 4 1/2 lengths.

Crack 2-year-old Arizona-bred filly Restride stayed perfect when she won last Saturday's filly division of the $51,515 Arizona Breeders' Futurity, while Levelled made the $53,730 colts-and-geldings division his first career win.

Restride had little trouble making her record 3 for 3 for trainer Glen Wasson as she won by nearly three lengths. Wasson was confident in both his filly and rider Steve Gomez.

"I told Stevie, 'You've been on her more than I have. You know what she can do,' " said Wasson. "He did, and she was a perfect lady."

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Bob Tiller, who has taken home the last two Sovereign Awards in the outstanding trainer category, isn't harboring particularly high hopes on that front this season.

Tiller has been putting up his usual strong numbers at Woodbine in races won and money earned, ranking third on both lists heading into the final week of the meeting. But Tiller has not enjoyed as high a profile on the stakes scene, with four added-money victories here this year compared to 15 at each of the two previous meetings.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Stakes-winning 3-year-old Silver Impulse seeks her first win of the year in the second of two $62,500 optional claimers for fillies and mares on Friday's 11-race card at Woodbine.

Silver Impulse was claimed from her 2-year-old debut for $62,500 by trainer Stanley Baresich, in partnership with Winston Penny. She took the 1 1/16-mile Ontario Lassie Stakes in her last start of 2004 and was aimed toward this year's Labatt Woodbine Oaks, in which she finished far back.