ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - You'd think the horse that finished first in the 2004 Arlington Million might be the big name in Saturday's race, but Powerscourt has returned to Arlington Park from trainer Aidan O'Brien's Ballydoyle training center in Ireland draped in doubt.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - International competition in Thoroughbred racing is pretty much taken for granted these days. The Japan Cup, the Breeders' Cup, the Dubai World Cup, and another handful of major events have all become regular melting pots for horses from around the globe.

But it wasn't always this way. In fact, until the Arlington Million moved from drawing board toward reality 25 years ago, the scope of international competition was limited to an invitational race that since has become defunct: the Washington D.C. International at Laurel Park.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - The decision by trainer Graham Motion to run Better Talk Now in Saturday's Arlington Million, may have taken the prerace favorite out of the $500,000 Sword Dancer Invitational at Belmont Park, but at least one trainer doesn't think it affects the outcome of the Grade 1 race.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - The dominoes that began to fall on Thursday when the connections of Better Talk Now decided they would rather run in the Arlington Million than Saratoga's Sword Dancer eventually impacted jockey Chantal Sutherland. Ramon Dominguez, who was to ride Better Talk Now at Saratoga, replaced Sutherland on Vangelis in the Sword Dancer. But Sutherland still has a chance to shine in a nationally televised stakes race on Saturday at Saratoga, when she rides likely favorite Smokume in the Grade 2, $200,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap for sprinters.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Wild Desert, the Queen's Plate winner who was being pointed to the $1 million Travers here on Aug. 27, will be forced to miss the remainder of his 3-year-old season because of a suspensory injury, trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. said Thursday.

Dutrow noticed something amiss with Wild Desert following his six-furlong breeze in 1:15.28 here Monday. The horse was shipped to the Rood and Riddle Equine Clinic in Lexington, Ky., where Dr. Larry Bramlage diagnosed a strain to the suspensory ligament in his right hind leg.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Path of Thunder finally got the firm turf she desires in the $67,100 first division of the on Thursday at Saratoga Race Course. But, like a late-night infomercial, there was more. She also was handed the lead and a soft pace over that firm course, and the combination proved lethal for her nine rivals.

DEL MAR, Calif. - The $150,000 La Jolla Handicap at Del Mar on Saturday amounts to a bonus start for the undefeated El Roblar.

After the colt won a division of the Oceanside Stakes in his turf debut on July 20, trainer Richard Mandella said he planned to wait for the $400,000 Del Mar Derby on Sept. 5 for El Roblar's next start. But the way El Roblar trained after the Oceanside convinced Mandella to add the Grade 2 La Jolla Handicap to the schedule.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Splendid Blended, one of the nation's top 3-year-old fillies, has been retired because of concern over a suspensory ligament, trainer Neil Drysdale said Thursday.

Drysdale made the decision earlier this week after he was unhappy with the way Splendid Blended worked seven furlongs at Del Mar last weekend.

"We were having some trouble with her upper suspensory," Drysdale said. "I didn't like the way she worked."

Owned by Peter Vegso, Splendid Blended is expected to be shipped to Kentucky on Aug. 19 and will be bred next year.

While a number of rich 3-year-old stakes have struggled to attract horses this year, the West Virginia Derby lured an incredible 20 entrants Thursday. The rules of the race limit the field to 12 starters, plus four also-eligibles, and four horses were excluded when post positions were drawn.

The Grade 3, $750,000 will be run for the 36th time Sunday at Mountaineer Race Track and Gaming Resort in Chester, W.Va.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - So Gifted is an interesting new face in the $55,000 Sneakbox Stakes Saturday at Monmouth Park.

The five-furlong Sneakbox on the turf attracted many of the leading grass sprinters in the region. So Gifted will ship in from Kentucky for trainer Grant Hofmans following a pair of excellent grass sprints in the Midwest.

So Gifted was a seven-length allowance winner on June 23 at Churchill Downs and followed that with a second-place finish in the Smile Stakes at Arlington Park.