Flip Side, winner of the 1 1/16-mile Tomboy Stakes at River Downs in her last start, goes for two in a row in the $45,000 J. William Petro Memorial Handicap at Thistledown. The Petro, for Ohio-bred 3-year-old fillies, will be run at 1 1/16 miles.

A daughter of Devil His Due, Flip Side won the Tomboy by a length. In her prior start, May 10, she finished third, beaten 7 1/4 lengths, after showing speed into the stretch of an open allowance sprint at River Downs. Trained by William Napier, Flip Side will be ridden Lori Wydick at 119 pounds.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Believe in Missy put away heavily favored Deputy Cures Blues on the front end and held off Roman Romance in the stretch to take the $125,400 Ballade Stakes on Wednesday night at Woodbine.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Barbeau Ruckus should be a major force Saturday at Woodbine in the $125,000 Steady Growth Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile race for Ontario-sired runners that he won in 2003.

After winning the 2004 New Providence Stakes, Barbeau Ruckus was a well-beaten fourth in last year's Steady Growth. He subsequently placed in two stakes in July, then missed the second half of 2004 with a minor injury.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Gold Strike, an impressive winner of the Grade 3 Selene over 1 1/16 miles here May 22, has been made the favorite in a field of 10 for Sunday's $500,000 Labatt Woodbine Oaks.

Gold Strike drew post 6 on Thursday and has been established as Daily Racing Form's 8-5 choice for the Oaks. She is one of five horses in the field trained by Reade Baker, who also will send out Bosskiri, River Nore, Pirouetting, and Whiskey and Low.

AUBURN, Wash. - Flamethrowintexan will make his 4-year-old debut in Saturday's best race at Emerald Downs, a $40,000 optional claimer that has drawn a stakes-quality field of seven going 6 1/2 furlongs.

CALGARY, Alberta - The $50,000 Duchess of York headlines Saturday's card at Stampede Park, and Vancouver-based trainer Dave Forster saddles two of the four older fillies and mares in the 1 1/16-mile test.

Forster successfully invaded Alberta three weeks ago to capture both the Teeworth Plate and Ken Pearson Memorial, and his entry of Socorro County and Gold Accent will be heavily favored to keep his local stakes streak alive.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - With Regal Red on the sidelines, the older filly and mare division at Hastings is looking for a new leader. Saturday's $40,000 Brighouse Belles could provide a clue as to who is going to step up and take control of the division.

A longtime member of the starting gate crew at Penn National Race Course was killed in an accident on the track during Wednesday night's live racing program.

The worker, identified by Pennsylvania State Police as William Stewart, 46, of Elizabethtown, Pa., died from multiple traumatic injuries sustained in an accident involving the gate shortly after the start of the fourth race.

The last five races on Wednesday's program at Penn National, as well as Thursday evening's entire live racing card, were cancelled.

ELMONT, N.Y. - The $400,000 Manhattan Handicap boasts the highest purse among the supporting stakes on Saturday's Belmont Stakes card, but the race that will generate the most interest outside of the Belmont Stakes is the $200,000 Riva Ridge Breeders' Cup, in which the undefeated Lost in the Fog will try to stretch his winning streak to seven.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Trainer Jimmy Jerkens won last year's Hill Prince with Artie Schiller, who is among the top turf horses in the country and the likely favorite in Saturday's Grade 1 Manhattan.

In Friday's Grade 3 Hill Prince at Belmont Park, Jerkens has a promising colt in Tinseltown, who will make his graded stakes debut in the 1 1/8-mile turf race for 3-year-olds.

Belmont's first race goes off at 1 p.m. on Friday, two hours earlier than usual.