LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Madcap Escapade is generally considered the fastest filly in the country and figures to be the odds-on favorite to win Saturday's $250,000 Humana Distaff Handicap at Churchill Downs.

has captured 6 of her 7 career starts, including the Grade 1 Ashland. She returned from a 10-month layoff following her only career setback in the 2004 Kentucky Oaks to post a pair of easy victories to open her 2005 campaign, and comes into the seven-furlong Humana as the undisputed leader of her division.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - On the four-year anniversary of Monarchos' victory in the 2001 Kentucky Derby, his winning connections - jockey Jorge Chavez, trainer John Ward Jr., and owner John Oxley - celebrated another graded stakes victory at Churchill Downs. Their representative in Thursday's $114,200, Grade 3 , Seek a Star, proved a dominant winner in her stakes debut, scoring by 2.75 lengths before a crowd of 22,020 at Churchill Downs.

ELMONT, N.Y. - No one knows exactly how the Kentucky Derby will unfold, but the proverbial crystal ball is much more clear regarding the favorite in each of the two sprint stakes to be run at Belmont Park on Saturday: Don Six is going to the front in the $100,000-added Bold Ruler Handicap, and Acey Deucey is going to wait, and then wait some more, before coming with her late run in the $200,000 Nassau County Breeders' Cup.

CHICAGO - The Hawthorne grass course is not unkind to speed. The right speed horse can go a long way over the local turf, even when the pace turns hot. But there is a limit, of course, and Primm found it when he finished second of six as the odds-on favorite here in a second-level turf allowance April 17. And on Saturday, bettors playing Hawthorne must ask the same question all over again: Will Primm lead all the way, or give way to one of the field's decent stretch-runners?

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Fencelineneighbor and House of Fortune, who ran disappointing races at Oaklawn Park in recent months, will attempt to rebound when they start in Saturday's $100,000 Hawthorne Handicap at Hollywood Park.

Both will have to contend with Hollywood Story, who has already won two graded stakes over the Hollywood Park main track and is training well for John Shirreffs.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The road to the June 26 Queen's Plate, Canada's version of the Kentucky Derby, begins in earnest Saturday at Woodbine when Moonshine Justice takes on Verne's Baby and four other Ontario-foaled 3-year-olds at seven furlongs in the $162,000 Queenston Stakes.

Moonshine Justice is returning from an extended layoff following a series of sharp works. Moonshine Justice won three stakes last year and his only loss came in his debut to Wholelottabourbon, who went on to be crowned Canada's champion 2-year-old.

BOSSIER CITY, La. - Not long after the 131st Derby is in the books, bettors here are going to be faced with another arduous task - trying to make sense out of the $50,000 Honeymoon Stakes. The nine-horse field of fillies and mares for the one-mile turf race is as equally matched as this region is likely to see all year.

SHAKOPEE, Minn. - Twenty years ago this summer Thorough-bred racing was introduced to Minnesota when the track now known as Canterbury Park opened its doors. Now owned and operated by the Sampson family and its partners, Canterbury Park begins its third decade of live racing Saturday with an expanded 69-day meeting that commences for the first time on Kentucky Derby Day and runs through Labor Day.

Pleasant Gulch figures to be a longshot in Saturday's $40,000 Desert Sky Handicap at Turf Paradise. But don't let that fool you, because Pleasant Gulch may well be poised for a big effort.

A one-mile turf race for 3-year-old fillies, the Desert Sky has lured a field of nine.

A year ago, jockey Stewart Elliott was the toast of the town in Louisville, Ky., after winning the Kentucky Derby on Smarty Jones. This Derby Day, Elliott will be riding six mounts at Delaware Park, including Doctor Voodoo in the $75,000 Francis "Jock" Labelle Memorial for 3-year-olds at six furlongs.