Bob Pincins grew up around Narragansett Park and Lincoln Downs in his native Rhode Island. He won with the first horse he saddled, a mare named Trinidoll, at Hawthorne in 1977. He moved his stable to Louisville nearly 30 years ago, and his accent is now a peculiar mix of New England and the South.

Few people have the racetrack in their blood to the degree that Pincins, 54, has it. The prototype of a conscientious, hard-working trainer of six to 12 horses at any given time, Pincins rarely has an opportunity to run horses in stakes races.

Minstrel Runner is an adaptable kind of horse, and that should serve him well Saturday night when he breaks from the rail in the $30,000 Bucharest for 3-year-olds at Sam Houston Race Park.

"If he breaks sharp, we'll get him on out there," said his owner and trainer, Terry Eoff. "If he doesn't, he can come from behind."

When you're talking about stakes races in Maryland, the most potent combination is clearly trainer Larry Murray and owner Sondra Bender.

In 2002, Murray and Bender combined to win seven stakes at Laurel Park and Pimlico and won seven more added-money events in 2003.

Over the past three seasons, Murray-trained horses have gone 11 for 35 in stakes at Laurel - a success rate of 31 percent - with a return on investment of $2.61.

OLDSMAR, Fla. - Electrify, who had his three-race win streak snapped in the What a Pleasure Stakes at Calder in his final start as a 2-year-old, will attempt to get back on the winning track Saturday in the $60,000 Pasco Stakes at seven furlongs at Tampa Bay Downs. In order to do so, he must get past Doc Cheney and Inaugural Stakes winner R Loyal Man.

PORTLAND, Ore. - Last Saturday's OTBA Stallion Stakes was supposed to be Cascadians Cuttie's place to star, but he didn't even get to step onto the stage.

Cascadians Cuttie, who finished second to Tom Two in three straight juvenile stakes late last year, strained a ligament in his final blowout for the Stallion Stakes.

ARCADIA, Calif. - The tactical experiments are over for McCann's Mojave, who starts in Saturday's $1 million at Santa Anita.

After winning the $250,000 California Cup Classic at Santa Anita in November by leading throughout, McCann's Mojave was taken off the pace in the Grade 3 Native Diver Handicap at Hollywood Park on Dec. 10.

The plan failed. McCann's Mojave never threatened the leaders in the Native Diver and finished 7 1/2 lengths behind Trotamondo.

ARCADIA, Calif. - A majority interest in Borrego, the winner of two Grade 1 races in 2005, has been acquired by trainer Beau Greely and his brother, John Greely IV, Beau Greely said Wednesday.

The Greelys, previously minority shareholders, acquired a 55-percent ownership in the horse previously held by Jon and Sarah Kelly, Beau Greely said. Brad Scott, Dennis Foster, and Raleigh Ralls will continue to hold minority shares, Greely said.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Throughout her career, Stage Shy has flirted with becoming a top-class filly.

She was favored to win a stakes in England in 2003, but finished seventh. Since joining trainer Neil Drysdale's stable two years ago, she has won three allowance races, but has lost three stakes.

A stakes breakthrough could occur in Friday's $75,000 La Zanzara Handicap at Santa Anita. The conditions fit Stage Shy: The race is run over 1 1/4 miles on turf for fillies and mares.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - The Gulfstream Park turf course was open for training for the first time this winter on Wednesday morning. Surprisingly, only two horses took advantage of the opportunity, one of whom was Grade 1 winner Silver Wagon.

Silver Wagon had neither raced nor trained on turf prior to Wednesday, which made his seven-furlong workout under jockey Cornelio Velasquez as much an experiment as anything else. And from all appearances he passed the test with flying colors.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trainer Marty Wolfson already knows that Preach It handles a two-turn mile without any problem. On Friday, he'll find out if she can have similar success running a one-turn mile when she takes on seven rivals in the $37,000 allowance feature for fillies and mares.