HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Funny Cide hasn't won a race since October 2004 yet his name remains one of the most recognizable in the sport, still conjuring memories of his outstanding 3-year-old campaign, highlighted by victories in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness.

Now 6, and among the elder statesmen of the handicap division, Funny Cide will try to keep his name in the forefront beginning here Saturday when he launches his comeback in the six-furlong Mr. Prospector Handicap.

The field for Saturday's Grade 2, $400,000 was in flux right up until entry time on Wednesday, but the race came away with a competitive group of eight older horses, including Alumni Hall and West Virginia, who were not considered definite starters earlier in the week.

Normally run in March, this year's New Orleans Handicap is not only being run earlier, but also at Louisiana Downs in Bossier City, La., where Fair Grounds is conducting an abbreviated meet due to the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - On the surface, it appeared logical. Trainer Rick Violette, leery about running a recent maiden winner in a stakes, scratched Spenny out of Monday's Ruthless Stakes to run in an allowance race at Aqueduct on Friday.

Violette may have had some second thoughts after favored Oprah Winney bounced off her last effort and finished last in the Ruthless, while Friday's entry-level allowance race drew a full, competitive field of 11.

ARCADIA, Calif. - When a 6-year-old veteran such as Kewen runs the best race of his life in the 21st start of his career, a handicapper's natural inclination is to expect a mild relapse the next time he runs.

Skeptical horseplayers adopting that viewpoint Friday at Santa Anita will dismiss Kewen in the race-7 feature, a 6 1/2-furlong turf sprint that is the best wagering contest on the card. But dismissing Kewen would be a mistake. He may not be a lock in the second-condition allowance, but none of the other 13 entrants is either.

SAN MATEO, Calif. - Northern California has a deep crop of 3-year-olds who should generate some interest along the Kentucky Derby trail this year.

Several of them already have made their presence felt in Southern California, and the two divisional leaders already have three stakes victories each.

The cancellation of last Monday's scheduled Bay Meadows Mile put a crimp in the plans of several trainers who had hoped to use that race as a prep for the Grade 3, $250,000 El Camino Real Derby on Jan. 29.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - The New York Racing Association is experimenting this winter with allowing supplemental nominations to its traditional stakes program. The Mid-Atlantic-based trainer Randy Allen plans to take advantage of that stipulation by putting up the $650 supplemental fee to make Mike'sgoodandtough eligible for Saturday's $65,000 Count Fleet Stakes at Aqueduct.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Although the rain cleared out late Monday, the Santa Anita main track remained muddy Wednesday morning, and horsemen juggled training schedules to accommodate the weather and upcoming stakes schedule.

"The track's not that good - we're just going easy" trainer Richard Mandella said while One Union worked a half-mile in 48.80 seconds preparing for the six-furlong San Miguel Stakes for 3-year-olds on Sunday.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Good thing for trainer Bob Baffert he had a Plan B with Resplendency. He was going to run her in last week's Monrovia Handicap if it came off the turf, but the morning of the race, it still looked as though the race would remain on grass, so Baffert went ahead and worked Resplendency. Later that morning, the race was moved to the dirt.

ARCADIA, Calif. - There really is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. There is a pick-six carryover of $137,596.24 heading into Thursday's races at Santa Anita, courtesy of rainy weather last weekend that left the main track in sloppy condition and threw mud in the eyes of handicappers on Monday's holiday card.

Trainer Larry Jones never seems short on good fillies. Think graded stakes winners Island Sand, Josh's Madelyn, and Ruby's Reception.

Thursday, two of Jones's latest crop of fillies will be in action at the Fair Grounds meet at Louisiana Downs, when Gold Quarry and recent maiden winner Hoochie Glide start as separate interests in the featured 10th.

The optional claiming race is for 3-year-old fillies going 1 1/16 miles. There are seven in the field, and Gold Quarry, a daughter of Touch Gold, will be the shorter price of Jones's starters and could go favored.