EDMONTON, Alberta - Rindanica is looking for a long-overdue victory in a $40,000 optional claimer Friday, after being a strong contender in an ambitious stakes campaign.

A 5-year-old Kentucky-bred trained by Riley Rycroft, Rindanica will drop back to 6 1/2 furlongs after going 1 1/16 miles last out. He has five rivals Friday.

Rindanica has been second or third in all but one of his six 2005 appearances; he was fourth to Deputy Country in the Spangled Jimmy in early July. Quincy Welch retains the mount.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The meeting's leading jockey, apprentice Emma Wilson, will ride J N J's Executive for the meeting's leading trainer, Sid Attard, in Friday's Woodbine feature, a seven-furlong, first-level allowance on the grass.

After finishing far back in a pair of turf routes last summer, J N J's Executive ran in the lower maiden ranks in the fall. He placed in several $16,000 maiden claiming races on the main track this spring, then won with ease while switching surfaces in a seven-furlong maiden special June 10.

HENDERSON, Ky. - Horseplayers will be happy to know that Ellis Park is offering an all-stakes pick four here Saturday, the richest day in track history.

Chalk players may be even happier.

Favorites could be in line to dominate the races that make up the inaugural "Big Four Stakes Saturday," a program highlighted by the lone graded race of the Ellis meet, the Grade 3, $150,000 Gardenia Handicap.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Notis Otis made a triumphant return to the races last Sunday. Last year's local 2-year-old champion, Notis Otis had come very close to dying earlier in the year, and at the time it didn't seem likely that he would ever make it back to the races, let alone this year.

Ole Nielsen of Canmor Farms, who bred and co-owns Notis Otis, was extremely nervous before the race.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Saturday's $136,875 Ontario Debutante Stakes has attracted a competitive group of seven 2-year-old fillies, and one who may be slightly overlooked is Knights Templar.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - The Meadowlands Racetrack has trimmed $500,000 from the stakes schedule for the upcoming meet, which gets under way Sept. 30 and runs through Nov. 12.

The Big M will offer 33 stakes races worth $2.6 million during its 30-day meet. Last year, during a 33-day meet, the track offered $3.1 million in graded and overnight stakes.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Mark Casse makes an infrequent visit to Monmouth Park on Saturday.

The Woodbine-based trainer has brought in Ballado Dancer for the Grade 3, $150,000 Sapling Stakes, the premier 2-year-old race of the season.

Since 1992, Casse has had 25 starts at Monmouth with two wins. One of those victories came in the Eatontown Handicap with Red Journey in 1992.

"Monmouth has always been one of my favorite places to visit," Casse said. "It's a beautiful spot."

He returns with a colt making his third start, and first away from Woodbine.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Okay, it's not the Kentucky Oaks, but it will have to do for this weekend's stakes racing at Arlington Park. Eight fillies were entered Wednesday in Saturday's $100,000 Arlington Oaks, the biggest dirt race of this meet for the 3-year-old female set.

MIAMI - Pampered Princess is the undisputed leader of the local filly and mare handicap division despite her recent loss to American Miss in the Nancy's Glitter Handicap. But with Pampered Princess off to Kentucky this weekend for Ellis Park's Grade 3 Gardenia Stakes, American Miss becomes the one to beat in Friday's $40,000 Sambacarioca Stakes.

BOSSIER CITY, La. - Our Love's remarkable gate-to-wire effort in last Sunday's Sangue Handicap in turf-course-record time almost might not have happened at all.

Frustrated that he could not find a spot for Our Love, who had never raced beyond six furlongs until Sunday's victory, trainer Jeff Trosclair was basically forced into running in the two-turn Sangue out of necessity. Our Love needed a race, almost any race, to get ready for her fall campaign, including defending her title in the five-furlong Majorette on Super Derby weekend, Oct. 2.