ARCADIA, Calif. - Sunday was Breeders' Cup dress rehearsal day for Choctaw Nation and Wild Fit, two of the horses that trainer Jeff Mullins is sending to Belmont Park on Oct. 29.

To replicate the Belmont Park system of horses being placed in a security barn for six hours before racing, Mullins did just that with Choctaw Nation and Wild Fit at Santa Anita on Sunday morning and then worked the pair just before lunchtime.

After Wild Fit worked six furlongs in 1:13.40 and Choctaw Nation went in 1:13.20, Mullins considered the simulation to be a success.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Jill's Sky set too fast of a pace when she returned from a four-month layoff on Sept. 28. As she faded to finish eighth in a one-mile allowance race on turf, owner Toby Turrell shrugged and looked toward the future.

The filly's next chance for a win comes on Wednesday in a $45,000 allowance race for California-bred 3-year-old fillies at Santa Anita. Even though the distance of 1 1/8 miles on turf will be the longest of Jill's Sky's career, Turrell is convinced that she can handle the trip - as long as she does not burn out too early.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Woke Up Dreamin's retirement is on hold.

Though he won't run in the Breeders' Cup Sprint, Woke Up Dreamin could very well return to the races later this year. On Monday, Woke Up Dreamin worked four furlongs in 47.18 seconds over Belmont's training track, his first breeze since he finished ninth in the Vosburgh here on Oct. 1. Woke up Dreamin worked in company with Prideland, an allowance horse trained by John Terranova.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Nobody has to tell Robby Albarado that racing is a game of inches. The veteran jockey was smack in the middle of bang-bang photo finishes in the two graded stakes run last weekend at Keeneland, losing one in gut-wrenching fashion and winning another with a minor assist from the racing gods.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Graham Motion might just be here for the weather. And why wouldn't he? With the exception of a drizzly opening day, the weather just doesn't get any better than it has been through the first half of the 17-day fall meet at Keeneland.

Of course, Motion has an even better reason for making the long trek from his home in northeastern Maryland: to run good horses in big-money races. As the meet reaches its midpoint Wednesday, the veteran trainer has won with 3 of 7 starters, including a victory last week with T. D. Vance in the Bryan Station Stakes.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - A Bit O'Gold, who switched his focus to turf this summer, has long been considered the top local hopeful for Sunday's Grade 1, $2 million Canadian International here at Woodbine.

But a serious change in plans has quietly been brewing, and on Monday morning trainer Catherine Day Phillips said she was pre-entering A Bit O'Gold in the Breeders' Cup Classic, to be run Oct. 29 at Belmont Park.

A stablemate, Jambalaya, will take over as the barn's representative in the Canadian International, a 1 1/2-mile turf race for 3-year-olds and upward.

ALBANY, Calif. - Golden Gate Fields hopes to build on momentum created at its spring mini-meet when it opens a 46-day fall meeting Wednesday.

Last spring, Golden Gate Fields started strong during its 28-day meet, creating a stakes race for Lost in the Fog, who responded by setting a track record before a large and enthusiastic crowd. It was just the jump start that was needed, and the track used that momentum for a successful meeting.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Judging by the company he has been keeping, Top Authority should be tough in Wednesday's Woodbine feature, a 1 1/16-mile allowance for 2-year-olds.

Top Authority, a California-bred colt owned by Tommy Town Thoroughbreds, won his career debut in a 4 1/2-furlong maiden special on June 12. Nearly six weeks later, he ran third in the six-furlong Colin Stakes behind Edenwold, who has since won two other stakes and is the leader of Woodbine's male 2-year-old division.

EDMONTON, Alberta - The Vancouver-based connections of Notis Otis probably won't be eager to ship to Alberta again soon.

Notis Otis was scratched out of last Saturday's $50,000 Western Canada Handicap here at Northlands Park, bringing back memories of last spring when he was felled by a virus in the President's Handicap at Stampede Park. That illness put Notis Otis out of action for three months and cost him shots at the three derbies in Alberta and British Columbia.

Northern Lady broke on top, shook off her stablemate Detailed in upper stretch, and moved to a 5 1/4-length win in the fillies division of the $40,000 Hoosier Silver Cup for 2-year-olds at Hoosier Park.

The race offered only win and exacta betting after the field was reduced to three betting interests. The entry of Northern Lady and Detailed paid $2.60.

In the open division of Hoosier Silver Cup, Ewell made up seven lengths in the final furlong for a half-length win over Medieval Dreams. Rodney Prescott rode Ewell, who paid $3.20 in the five-horse field.