PORTLAND, Ore. - Demon Warlock will carry high weight of 124 pounds when he takes on seven other local handicap stars in Saturday's $20,000 Portland Meadows Mile.

Demon Warlock, a 5-year-old son of Demons Begone from the barn of trainer Terry Gillihan, comes off a sensational 4-year-old campaign in which he won 6 of 11 starts, including victories in the Mt. Rainier Breeders' Cup and the Muckleshoot Tribal Classic at Emerald Downs. In perhaps his best effort of the year, Demon Warlock ran second to Adreamisborn in the Grade 3 Longacres Mile.

CALGARY, Alberta - Thunder Jake was the talk of the backstretch here last spring after his arrival from Phoenix following a highly rated maiden tally at Turf Paradise. Thunder Jake covered six furlongs there in 1:10.71 to win his second career outing.

Thunder Jake hasn't raced since his maiden win, and he begins his comeback Saturday when he faces six rivals in a four-furlong allowance for non-winners of two.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Bellamy Road, one of five Kentucky Derby hopefuls trained by Nick Zito, drew post 3 in a field of eight and was installed as the 2-1 morning-line favorite for Saturday's Grade 1, $750,000 at Aqueduct.

Bellamy Road, owned by New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, won the Grade 3 Cradle Stakes at 2 when trained by Michael Dickinson. In his lone start at 3, Bellamy Road won a second-level allowance race by 15 3/4 lengths at Gulfstream Park, his first start for Zito.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - There are sure signs that the richness of spring has arrived in central Kentucky. Not to downplay the allure of budding foliage and milder weather, but it's the beginning of big-money racing at Keeneland that thaws the heart of many a racing fan.

Friday marks the start of another three weeks of an embarrassment of racing riches. Purses at the 16-day spring meet are scheduled to average about $650,000, a North American record, and it only stands to reason that the best horses and horsemen are hot on the money trail.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - When your stable rings up 2,294 starts in a year, as Steve Asmussen's did last year, there is bound to be the good horse that occasionally gets away.

And so it is that Asmussen, who set a North American record for victories by a trainer in a season by winning 555 races in 2004, admits to having regrets about losing Sis City by way of the claim box.

"If you're dealing with horses, you're going to be wrong sometimes," he said flatly. "And I was simply wrong about her."

ARCADIA, Calif. - Three of the four favorites for Saturday's $750,000 drew inside posts on Wednesday, with Sweet Catomine, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2004, starting from post 2 in her debut against males.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Technically, Storm Minstrel is taking a class hike when she faces five rivals in Friday's $60,000 Classy Mirage Stakes at Aqueduct. Realistically, it looks like a great spot for her to earn a second career stakes victory.

When returned from a 100-day layoff last month, she stumbled at the start and found herself on the lead in a race void of speed. The filly who tracked her - and eventually beat her - was Bank Audit, who won the Interborough Handicap on New Year's Day and, most recently, took the Grade 2 Distaff Breeders' Cup here last month.

CALGARY, Alberta - The TNT Racing Stable entry of Digger's Pride and Vic's Sweety is imposing in Friday's featured eighth race at Stampede Park, a nonwinners-of-two allowance for fillies and mares, 3 years old and up.

Digger's Pride and Vic's Sweety just arrived in trainer Stu Simon's barn after shipping from their home base at Hastings in Vancouver, and they sport solid work tabs for their 2005 debuts.

Digger's Pride drew post 3 with Stephan Heiler, up while her entrymate drew the outside post in the field of seven with the red-hot Quincy Welch to ride.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens is predicting an upset by the longshot Wannawinemall in Saturday's $750,000 .

Stevens has won the Santa Anita Derby a record nine times, but will miss this year's race to ride Summerly in Saturday's Grade 1 Ashland Stakes at Keeneland.

He picks Wannawinemall to finish in front of Giacomo, with Sweet Catomine, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2004, to run third in the field of 11.

While Sweet Catomine is the 7-5 favorite on the morning-line, Stevens suggests that bettors should demand value.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Less than two weeks after winning for the first time this year, Capitano returns in a tougher field in a $60,000 allowance race at Santa Anita on Friday.

Trainer Ray Bell said the quick comeback is not a concern. "He seems to be doing so good I better run him," he said. "He came out his race in better shape than he went in."

is part of a strong six-horse field competing in a one-mile allowance race. It is the eighth race on a nine-race program that begins at 3 p.m.