AUBURN, Wash. - Storm Leaper will attempt to step up and repeat in Friday night's Emerald Downs feature, a six-furlong test for $15,000 fillies and mares that has drawn a field of seven.

Storm Leaper, a 5-year-old daughter of Storm Blast, has been a very hot item at the claim box, changing hands after each of her last three outings. In her most recent start, a win over $7,500 company on June 26, Storm Leaper was claimed by trainer Larry Wolf for Unstable Stables. The new connections apparently like their purchase, as they are doubling the asking price on Friday.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Saturday's $750,000 lost a top contender on Wednesday when Perfect Drift, a winner of more than $3.2 million, was held out of the entries because of lingering effects of an eye injury, trainer Murray Johnson said.

The absence of Perfect Drift leaves Limehouse, the winner of the Grade 2 Brooklyn Handicap at Belmont Park on June 11, as the only shipper for the Gold Cup, which is run over 1 1/4 miles. The Grade 1 Gold Cup is being run for the 66th time.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Jockey Alex Solis is taking the blame for Surf Cat's loss in the Grade 3 Affirmed Handicap on June 18 and looking toward Saturday's $400,000 Swaps Stakes at Hollywood Park for a chance at redemption.

In his stakes debut, Surf Cat finished a neck behind Indian Ocean in the Affirmed over 1 1/16 miles.

NGLEWOOD, Calif. - Gathering Storm, a stakes winner from South Africa, makes her U.S. debut in Friday's $62,000 Curious Clover Stakes, the third race of an evening program at Hollywood Park.

Trained by Jenine Sahadi, Gathering Storm, 6, will be making her first start since winning a handicap over five furlongs on turf at Kenilworth, South Africa, in March 2004.

has won 5 of 14 starts, including a minor stakes over six furlongs on turf in 2003.

ELMONT, N.Y. - The New York Yankees have A-Rod. New York horseplayers have J-Rod.

Juan Rodriguez, no relation to the Yankees' All-Star third baseman, has been putting up all-star numbers of his own while taking over for trainer Richard Dutrow Jr., who is currently serving a 60-day suspension. Since June 1, when Dutrow's suspension took effect, Rodriguez has saddled 14 winners from 44 starters. That puts him fifth in the Belmont Park trainer's standings. If you add Dutrow's wins to Rodriguez's, the barn is 26 for 99 at the meet.

ELMONT, N.Y. - For a two-week period last July, Eye of the Tiger was developing into a useful horse in the handicap division.

But as quickly as he emerged was as quickly as Eye of the Tiger vanished. After myriad minor issues kept him away from the races, Eye of the Tiger is set to return Friday in a $58,000 classified allowance race at Belmont Park going one mile.

Six of the 19 stakes at the Keeneland fall meet will have purse increases over last year. Keeneland released the stakes schedule Wednesday for the 17-day meet, which runs Oct. 7-29.

With total stakes purses exceeding $5 million for the first time, the fall meet at the Lexington, Ky., track will be highlighted as usual by "FallStars Weekend," the opening three-day weekend packed with races designed as preps for the Oct. 29 Breeders' Cup championships. Three of the meet's four Grade 1 races will be run opening weekend.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - The tropical storm lashing the Gulf Coast will be tracked closely by meteorologists over the next several days. If, as some computer models predict, the storm advances up the East Coast, Monmouth Park could feel the full brunt over the weekend.

That would be welcome news for the Todd Pletcher barn and the mud-loving Capeside Lady in Saturday's Grade 2, $300,000 Molly Pitcher Breeders' Cup Handicap for fillies and mares.

MIAMI - While it's a logical assumption that Lost in the Fog is on a direct path to the Breeders' Cup Sprint, trainer Greg Gilchrist said Tuesday it's still a little too early to pencil his undefeated speedball into the race just yet.

Gilchrist accompanied Lost in the Fog to Calder last weekend to prepare him for Saturday's $300,000 Carry Back Stakes, in which Lost in the Fog, a northern California based 3-year-old, will be the overwhelming favorite to post his eighth win in as many starts.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - A lot of people were surprised and some a bit critical when Garth Weeks shelled out $67,000 for R. Associate in the horses of racing age sale at Hastings in April.