SANTA ROSA, Calif. - Penny Ante ($13) withstood a strong challenge from 2-to-5 shot Pickle in the lane Saturday as she won the $60,750 Luther Burbank Handicap in the first turf stakes race ever run at the Sonoma County Fair.

Avoiding a plastic garbage bag that drifted onto the course as the gates opened, Penny Ante grabbed the lead in the opening quarter but was content to let longshot Musical Review grab the lead coming out of the first turn. She stalked nicely and reclaimed the lead without being asked on the second turn.

When owner Bill Hays claimed Sterling Gold for $100,000 at Keeneland in October, he likely envisioned the horse becoming a top stakes performer. It just took him a while to get there.

Sterling Gold won his first stakes race Saturday, winning the $75,000 Don Bernhardt Stakes at Ellis Park in his ninth start after being claimed, beating graded stakes winners Fire Slam, Private Horde and Level Playingfield.

Bossier City, La - Grand Bank made his stakes debut a winning one Saturday afternoon at Harrah's Louisiana Downs as he wore down pacesetter Rodeo's Castle to capture the Island Whirl Stakes. That Tat, the winner of this race last season, finished a length back in third followed by longshot Smalltown Slew.

DEL MAR, Calif. - has grown up nicely since she was acquired last fall by Dan Agnew and trainer Jerry Fanning.

In June at Hollywood Park, Fortunate Event won two races on turf - a maiden race and an allowance race against California-breds. On Monday at Del Mar Fortunate Event will attempt to stretch her winning streak to three in a $60,000 optional claimer over 1 1/16 miles on turf for 3-year-old fillies.

"I think the grass has moved her up," Fanning said. "She's finally matured a little bit. She was fairly small and she's grown up."

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - A mile and a quarter was probably too much for Artie Schiller, but 1 1/8 miles is right up his alley, and that is the distance he will get on Monday in the $150,000 Bernard Baruch at Saratoga.

is the horse to beat in the eight-horse field of turf runners. Among his opponents in the Grade 2 are last year's winner, Silver Tree, and the 2002 winner, Del Mar Show.

Artie Schiller, who has a tremendous finishing kick, was third in the 1 1/4-mile Manhattan Handicap at Belmont in his last start. He was beaten a half-length by the winner, Good Reward.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - There cannot be many faster turf fillies on the continent than Unbridled Sidney, who figures to lead the way as the 122-pound highweight in Monday's $170,700 Royal North Handicap at Woodbine.

Unbridled Sidney, based in Kentucky with trainer Ronny Werner, is unbeaten in three grass starts. Both of her races this year were at five furlongs on the turf at Churchill Downs, where she won an allowance in June and a minor stakes July 9. In the stakes, she earned a huge Beyer Speed Figure of 108 for wiring the field after fractions of 21.60 and 43.80 seconds.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - The $65,000 British Columbia Cup Classic headlines the nine-race B.C. Cup Day card at Hastings on Monday. This will be the 10th renewal of the B.C. Cup, which has become the biggest day of racing at Hastings.

Total purse money for B.C. Cup Day is $407,300.

Seven of the nine races are stakes restricted to British Columbia-breds and, while many of the races are competitive, Roscoe Pito appears to be a standout in the 1 1/8-mile B.C. Cup Classic.

EDMONTON, Alberta - Sixthirtyjoe, Alberta's horse of the year in 2003, will face five rivals as he bids to win his second Sun Sprint Championship in three years at Northlands Park.

Owned and trained by Deanne Davies, Sixthirtyjoe drew the rail in Monday's $50,000 Sun Sprint, a 6 1/2-furlong handicap.

Sixthirtyjoe's task may be made easier since last year's Sun Sprint winner, Deputy Country, was entered to run instead in Saturday's 1 1/16-mile Klondike.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Todd Pletcher thought Flower Alley ran well enough in the Kentucky Derby to have run him back in either the Preakness or Belmont Stakes. But knowing his horse was playing catch-up to the top 3-year-olds, Pletcher thought it best to skip the remaining two classics and point for a summer campaign.

As with most of his moves throughout his career, this one appears to be working out fine.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Trainer Jimmy Toner felt there were too many obstacles for Wonder Again in Saturday's Grade 1 Diana Stakes, so he scratched her from that race and instead will point her to the Grade 1 Beverly D. on Aug. 13 at Arlington Park.

In no particular order, Toner cited Wonder Again's outside post, a weight concession to several top contenders in the field, an extremely firm turf course, and the race-day security barn as reasons he opted to scratch.