BOSSIER CITY, La - Friday's optional-claiming headliner brings together an eclectic group of runners, including six who move from the turf to the main track. The mile and 70-yard allowance race offers a $35,000 claiming option and drew a field of 11.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - King of L.A. may yet live up to his name if he continues to turn in performances similar to his seven-length win in the Pepper Oaks Farm Stakes for maidens on April 24.

Friday at Hollywood Park, faces an important test, meeting winners for the first time in a $49,000 allowance race for California-breds at 6 1/2 furlongs.

The race has drawn only five starters, including This Wizard Rocks, who won the Gateway to Glory Stakes at Fairplex Park as a maiden last September, and KC Nite Mayr, who was second in the Barretts Stakes on April 24.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Workers' compensation insurance premiums paid by California trainers are unlikely to change significantly, and are not expected to rise, when policies are renewed on July 1, according to Ed Halpern, the executive director of California Thoroughbred Trainers.

But Halpern warned that the subsidy generated for policies from an increase in takeout that began last year has yet to be determined and may be cut, which could lead to higher costs for trainers.

MIAMI - The 2005 Calder meet is only 17 days old but leading jockey Eddie Castro Jr. has already racked up eight stakes victories, including the $75,000 Ponche Handicap aboard Nightmare Affair on April 30.

Castro, 20, who won the Eclipse Award as the nation's leading apprentice in 2003, has won the last three riding titles here, beginning with the 2003-2004 Tropical-at-Calder meet. He dominated the standings during both meets in 2004, winning the spring-summer championship by a 154-120 margin over Manny Cruz and the Tropical meet by an 83-60 spread over Cruz.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Alec Fehr took a different approach to his off-season training methodology last winter, starting up his horses early and building up their fitness through a program of jogging and galloping.

The move has returned dividends as Fehr, private trainer for Steve Stavro's Knob Hill Stable, already has saddled several impressive winners, including Queen's Plate nominees Granique and Atanas.

"I think it's paid off very well," said Fehr. "I'm hoping it continues, and I can't see any reason why not.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Huntingthetruth will try to regain her solid 2004 form following a layoff in Friday's Woodbine feature, a $100,000 optional claimer for fillies and mares.

Huntingthetruth was an astute $40,000 claim by owner Hugh Blackmore and trainer Justin Nixon last June after two wins of a four-race win streak. Her last two victories in the string came for her new connections - one in a $60,000 claimer here and the other in a $50,000 optional claimer at Fort Erie.

WINNIPEG, Manitoba - Stakes winner Adanac faces a tough test as he tries to go 2 for 2 at Assiniboia Downs in Friday's featured seventh race for $10,000 claimers at five furlongs.

Making his first start outside his home province of British Columbia, Adanac won his initial outing for trainer Jared Brown, defeating $8,000 claimers here on May 8 with a gutsy front-end performance.

Shirley Girten is back.

After winning the most important race of her life - a 2 1/2-year battle with ovarian cancer - Thistledown's all-time winningest female trainer visited the winner's circle last Thursday with Jazz Combo, the first horse she has started since May 5, 2003.

Canterbury Park declared Sunday's ninth and final race a no-contest when it was determined that the starting gate did not operate properly and the field was dispatched unevenly.

All 12 fillies and mares in the field were loaded for the $15,000 claiming test, but when starter Bud Keen hit the button that opens the gates only stalls 5 through 9 immediately opened. A split-second later stalls 10 through 12 opened, followed immediately by stalls 1 through 4. The result was a field of horses spread over 20 lengths apart in the first quarter-mile.

After 59 years as a trainer and more than 2,500 victories, including numerous stakes, Frank Smith Jr. figures it's time to retire.

Smith, 83, experienced some health problems while on a cruise last winter and hasn't started a horse this year. He saddled his last winner, Rush Straight, in a $2,500 claimer on April 17, 2003.

"I can't do the things I need to do and want to do," said Smith, who turned over his last few remaining horses to Tim Collins.