ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - There have been several starts and stops during Shiloh Bound's eight-race career - two long layoffs, a couple of shorter breaks. But when Shiloh Bound comes out, he comes out to run. And his trainer, Walter Bindner, thinks Shiloh Bound is ready to do something when he makes his first start in seven months Saturday in the John Henry Stakes at Arlington Park.

"Well, he's training excellent," said Bindner, who is based at Churchill Downs. "He looks as good as he's ever looked."

EDMONTON, Alberta - Raylene, winner of the City of Edmonton Distaff in her last start, takes on the boys in Saturday's 60th running of the $100,000 Speed to Spare here at Northlands Park.

Raylene has competed with males before. Two years ago Raylene won the Canadian Derby at Saturday's distance of 1 3/8 miles, and when she ran out of filly-mare opportunities at Northlands this season, trainer Rod Haynes opted for the Speed to Spare rather than shipping her to another track.

No mare has won the Speed to Spare since Leo's Lady won back-to-back runnings in 1947 and 1948.

MIAMI - D'Wildcat Speed has proven to be both a delight and source of frustration to trainer Bill White since her arrival from Puerto Rico last winter. Saturday, White is hoping for another of those delightful moments from the graded-stakes-winning D'Wildcat Speed when she heads a talent-packed field of six fillies and mares in Calder's $40,000 Draw In Stakes.

The Draw In shares top billing on Saturday's 13-race card with the $40,000 Ambehaving Stakes. Both races will be decided under allowance conditions at 1 1/16 miles.

BOSSIER CITY, La. - The first six-figure stakes of the Louisiana Downs meet will be held Saturday, with a field of five fillies and mares lining up in the $100,000 River Cities Breeders' Cup at 1 1/16 miles on the turf.

High Pioneer, winner of the Fresa Stakes on the Lone Star turf this summer, could be a slight choice in the well-matched field.

A week after trainer Bart Evans won one of the richest stakes of the Retama Park meet with homebred Almost Certain, he will return to stakes action with the colt's half-brother, Wishingitwas, for Saturday night's $40,000 Chick Lang Jr. Memorial.

A one-mile race, the Lang is for open company, but the field of six is stocked with top Texas-bred stakes winners Agrivating General, Charming Socialite, and Oncearoundtwice, all of whom could be prepping for the $100,000 Texas Hall of Fame Stakes at Retama on Oct. 1.

Valliant Dancer leads a wide-open field of seven fillies and mares, including an entry, in Saturday's 1 1/16-mile, $40,000 Central Iowa Stakes at Prairie Meadows.

Valliant Dancer is unraced since May 1, when she ran third, beaten five lengths, in a one-mile optional claiming event at Churchill Downs for trainer Carl Nafzger.

A 4-year-old daughter of Valiant Nature, Valliant Dancer has run very well off similar layoffs in the past. She is 3-3-3 from 12 career starts, with $121,355 in earnings.

The Niner Account will return to the main track Saturday night for the $40,000 Chuck Taliaferro Memorial at Remington Park. The last time he ran on dirt here, The Niner Account turned in one of his most memorable performances, scoring a nose win over stakes winner Joe Six Pack in an allowance at Lone Star Park on July 15. He covered the six furlongs in 1:08.60 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 105, the second-best in his career, behind a 107.

FLORENCE, Ky. - The first North American program run over Polytrack went off without a hitch Wednesday night, when Turfway Park unveiled the revolutionary racing surface before a festive crowd and an appreciative group of jockeys and trainers.

Regal Reproach, a 13-1 shot under Inocencio Diego, won the first of nine races when coming from off the pace. Winners on the remainder of the program, which was conducted amid impeccable weather conditions, represented a mix of closers and speed horses, from both inside and outside paths, as well as favorites and longshots.

FLORENCE, Ky. - About a dozen Louisville-based trainers who did not participate in the first three programs of the Turfway Park fall meet have entered runners for Saturday, helping to produce easily the fullest fields and most attractive program of the meet thus far.

Tampa Bay Downs will offer a record $2.3 million in stakes during its 94-day 2005-06 meeting, which begins on Dec. 10. The Tampa, Fla., oval celebrates its 80th anniversary this year.

The Grade 3, $250,000 Tampa Bay Derby will again highlight the stakes schedule. It is one of four stakes to be offered on the March 18 Festival Day program, which will also include the Florida Oaks, the Grade 3 Hillsborough Stakes, and the Turf Dash.