VANCOUVER, British Columbia - It's hard to imagine that a trainer who saddled a Kentucky Derby winner would be happy working as an assistant trainer at Hastings. Nevertheless, David C. Cross Jr., who saddled the 1983 Kentucky Derby winner, Sunny's Halo, seems to be perfectly content in his behind-the-scenes role in Terry Jordan's barn.

"It's going well," said Cross. "Terry became very busy with his business and personal life, and he asked me if I would come out and give him a hand this winter. I'm glad I came."

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Out From Africa and March With Me both came into their 3-year-old seasons with legitimate designs on the $1 million Queen's Plate. Both have made it to the post only once this season, however, and Sunday's Plate Trial, a 1 1/8-mile race for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds, will be a critical test of their worthiness for the 1 1/4-mile Queen's Plate here June 26.

FORT ERIE, Ontario - Disbelief, a $7,500 claim by trainer John Simms in Tampa Bay this winter, will be a formidable force at Fort Erie when the track serves up its Cup races in August.

The four Cup races for male runners are the Don Valliere Memorial Cup, the Peace Bridge Cup, the Parnitha Cup, and the very popular Puss n Boots Cup. The purse for each is $30,000.

Last year, three previous starts at the meet were required for eligibility. The 2005 restrictions have not been finalized as yet.

WINNIPEG, Manitoba - Aly's Flyer goes for her third win in as many local starts in Sunday's $40,000 Chantilly Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at six furlongs.

Trained by Jared Brown, Aly's Flyer defeated maiden special weight company opening day, May 1. A daughter of Alybro, Aly's Flyer followed that up by winning the prep for Sunday's race on May 23.

Aly's Flyer has gone to the lead in her two previous starts here and will likely show speed again Sunday. She breaks from post 9 with Felipe Valdez in the irons.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Even with the absence of Summerly and Sis City, the leaders of the 3-year-old filly division, Saturday's $250,000 Acorn features a strong lineup, and its winner will likely have an impact on the divisional rankings.

ALBANY, Calif. - Russell Baze, horse racing's second winningest jockey, reached the 9,000 career mark at Golden Gate Fields on Thursday when he rode Queen of the Hunt ($2.80) to a wire-to-wire, one-length victory over She Made It Happen in the day's closing race.

Baze, who trails only Laffit Pincay Jr.'s total of 9,530 on the all-time win list, had ridden Somethinaboutlaura ($3.60) to an easy victory earlier on the card for win No. 8,999.

ELMONT, N.Y. - The return of Sense of Style, one of last year's top 2-year-old fillies, will not take place in Saturday's Grade 1 Acorn at Belmont Park as expected, but rather across the river in New Jersey.

On Thursday morning, Sense of Style's trainer, Patrick Biancone, said the filly "was not ready to come back in a Grade 1 race" and would be pointed to the $300,000 Mother Goose here on May 25. Later in the day, Sense of Style showed up in the entries at Monmouth Park for Saturday's $60,000 Revidere Stakes.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Though no horse has tested positive for the respiratory infection of strangles on the Belmont Park backstretch, New York Racing Association officials are taking extra precautions to allay any fears out-of-state horsemen may have shipping in for the Belmont Stakes or any other stakes race that day.

Suffolk Downs will bring back four previously canceled open stakes races for the 2005 meet after redistributing $100,000 in Breeders' Cup money that had been slated for the canceled James Moseley Breeders' Cup.

The money will be split four ways, and Suffolk will add another $25,000 to each race, making four $50,000 stakes, starting with the Rudy Baez for 3-year-olds at six furlongs June 11. Only Breeders' Cup nominees will be eligible for the full $50,000 purses.

ALBANY, Calif. - When Mister Acpen was last in the Bay Area, he scored an impressive wire-to-wire victory in the Grade 3 Bay Meadows Breeders' Cup Handicap on Sept. 27, 2003.

Adreamisborn wasn't even in northern California yet. He was, at that time, a 4-year-old maiden. By the time Adreamisborn won his first race, at age 5, Mister Acpen had gone nearly halfway around the world to run in the Hong Kong Mile and nearly died.

The two have traveled widely divergent paths but meet Saturday in the $100,000 Rolling Green Breeders' Cup Handicap.