United was clearly the best horse in the $54,100 Peppy Addy Stakes at Philadelphia Park, but his last race, a second in the $100,000 Woodlawn at Pimlico, had come going two turns on turf, and there was some question whether he could duplicate it on the main track in the seven-furlong Peppy Addy.

Question answered.

United, under Anthony Black, took the lead out of the gate and was never headed, winning the Peppy Addy by 1 1/2 lengths over North Potomac. Moonshine Man took third in the field of six Pennsylvania-bred 3-year-olds.

Flip Side, under Lori Wydick, defeated Nitty Gritty by a head in the $45,000 J. William Petro Memorial Handicap at Thistledown. Cho Chang finished third in the 1 1/16-mile race for Ohio-bred 3-year-old fillies.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - A class drop and surface change benefit Memorette, the only 3-year-old filly running Sunday at Hollywood Park with established form in graded stakes.

So why isn't Grade 1-placed Memorette - dropping from the Kentucky Oaks - a standout in the Grade 2 Hollywood Oaks? One reason is she is best as a closing sprinter, and the Oaks is at 1 1/16 miles. Another reason is the presence of Leave Me Alone, whose smashing win in the $200,000 Melair Stakes on April 24 stamped her as a rising star.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Buzzards Bay, the winner of the Santa Anita Derby in April and the fifth-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby, will make his next start in the $100,000 Affirmed Handicap at Hollywood Park next Saturday.

Bill Bianco III, the son of co-owner Bill Bianco and the racing manager for Fog City Stable, said Buzzards Bay will use the Grade 3 Affirmed Handicap over 1 1/16 miles as a prep for the $400,000 Swaps Stakes on July 9.

"It will be a good catalyst for bigger things," Bianco said.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Following a blanket finish and a bumping incident steps before the finish line, Rey de Cafe emerged a nose winner over Prince Rahy in the Grade 3, $114,700 for 3-year-olds at Belmont Park on Friday.

As the wire loomed, Prince Rahy, with Eibar Coa aboard, was racing to the outside of Rey de Cafe and Classic Campaign. When Coa hit Prince Rahy right-handed, Prince Rahy bumped with Rey de Cafe, who was in the middle of the trio. Rey de Cafe then bumped Classic Campaign into the rail. Prince Rahy finished second, a neck in front of Classic Campaign.

The experience gained in two prior starts served Beacon Shine well in Friday's Grade 3, $105,100 for 2-year-olds at Belmont Park. After breaking poorly from the rail in his previous start at Churchill Downs, Beacon Shine left the gate alertly from an outside post in the Flash, and that made the difference, but just barely.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Steeplechase racing in New York hits its peak during the Saratoga meet, but fans will get a taste of it this Sunday when the Grade 2 Meadow Brook is run at Belmont Park.

The 2 1/2-mile Meadow Brook, run over 10 jumps, drew a maximum field of 14, plus two also-eligibles, and will be run as the third race. The $75,000 Meadow Brook is the third leg of the steeplechase triple crown for novice jumpers.

Sunday's well-matched field includes the winners of the first two legs of the triple crown, Toughkenamon and Mixed Up.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Robert Irvin admits that watching Cee's Irish excel in stakes this year has sometimes been a bittersweet experience.

Last fall, facing a tax bill, Irvin sold Cee's Irish privately to Merv Griffin. At the time, Cee's Irish was a promising 2-year-old maiden filly who had just finished a close second in a one-mile race at Santa Anita.

Since then, Cee's Irish has won 4 of 8 starts, including three stakes. She has earned $375,480. Irvin and his wife, Betty, have been rewarded with breeder awards, but owning Cee's Irish would have been more of a thrill.

ELMONT, N.Y. - After twice getting bested by Bank Audit in graded stakes in New York, Sensibly Chic will take one more crack at that rival in Sunday's $150,000 Vagrancy Handicap at Belmont Park.

A field of 10 was entered for the Grade 2 Vagrancy, run at 6 1/2 furlongs, including five from the Genuine Risk, which Bank Audit won by a nose over Sensibly Chic. In March, Bank Audit defeated Sensibly Chic by 1 1/4 lengths in the Grade 2 Distaff Breeders' Cup Handicap at Aqueduct.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - It was one year ago Sunday that Walt Bindner Jr. got his biggest thrill in nearly 40 years in horse racing. Colonial Colony gave Bindner the lone Grade 1 victory of his training career when he pulled a 62-1 upset in the $810,750 Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs on June 12, 2004.

"You think back to things like that, and you pinch yourself to see if you're dreaming," said Bindner. "That was an unbelievable day. I may never do anything like that in racing again."