SAN MATEO, Calif. - Heavenly Humor meets two Southern California invaders dropping out of graded stakes in Saturday's $60,000-added MOC Insurance Services Woodside Handicap at Bay Meadows.

The six-furlong sprint will likely boil down to a stretch duel between Heavenly Humor and Puxa Saco. Heavenly Humor won the 1 1/16-mile San Jose Handicap here last spring and the six-furlong Soviet Problem Feb. 26, her first race since last May. Puxa Saco was a fast-closing second in the Grade 3 Las Flores Handicap at Santa Anita on Feb. 27 in her last start.

Two things worked against Virden on March 13 in the Cactus Cup Handicap at Turf Paradise: Island Escape and trouble.

When Virden takes on nine runners in Saturday's $40,000 Scottsdale Handicap at Turf Paradise, Island Escape will not be there, and trainer Dan McFarlane hopes that trouble doesn't show up either in the mile turf race for 3-year-old fillies.

"She was blocked behind a wall of horses and couldn't find clear sailing," McFarlane said of Virden's second-place finish in the Cactus Cup. "She should have won that race."

Go figure. The entire eight-horse field for Saturday night's $40,000 Fort Bend County for 3-year-old Texas-breds at Sam Houston Race Park will be cutting back from two turns to a one-turn seven furlongs, including Dixie Meister and Leaving on My Mind.

The two horses have accounted for the last two 3-year-old stakes at Sam Houston. Leaving on My Mind won at a mile in the $40,000 Texas Heritage in his last start March 5. He raced close to the pace and figures to again be prominent from his rail post in the Fort Bend. Roman Chapa has the mount for trainer Danny Pish.

The shippers Our Best Man and Robin Zee should vie for favoritism in Saturday's $30,000-guaranteed Dowd Mile Handicap at Fonner Park. The race is the local prep for Fonner's showcase event, the $100,000 Bosselman/Gus Fonner Handicap, which will be run in three weeks.

The race, the ninth on a 10-race card, is part of a $5,000-guaranteed pick five that Fonner Park will offer Saturday as part of its handicapping challenge weekend. The pick five will be offered on races 6 through 10.

CALGARY, Alberta - Saturday's feature at Stampede Park, a four-furlong optional claimer for older fillies and mares, drew a field of seven including Rum Candi, trained by Red Smith, and Classa Red Wine, trained by Dale Saunders.

The veteran trainers finished one-two in the standings at this meet last spring - a frequent occurrence over the past decade - with Smith posting 29 tallies to 20 for Saunders.

PORTLAND, Ore. - Trainer Jim Fergason could scarcely have a stronger hand in Saturday's $15,000 Oregon Derby at Portland Meadows. Fergason will send out the undefeated Typhoon Aaron to set the fractions as the certain favorite, and will have Preview Stakes winner J. D.'s Date coming from behind to pick up the pieces as the probable second choice in the 1 1/8-mile race.

It is a trainer's job to worry, however, and Fergason wasn't quite the picture of confidence earlier this week.

CHICAGO - In a 48-start career dating back five years, the 8-year-old gelding Ask the Lord has raced at 15 different tracks, blazing a trail from Texas to Chicago to New York, with stops in between. Saturday, the show comes to Hawthorne, where Ask the Lord faces six opponents in the Sarco Stakes.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Ghostzapper, the reigning Horse of the Year, will miss an intended start in the $500,000 Oaklawn Handicap on April 9 after being found to have a sinus infection earlier this week.

His trainer, Bobby Frankel, said the illness is not a major concern and that Ghostzapper may start in the $150,000 Ben Ali Handicap over 1 1/8 miles at Keeneland on April 28 as a prep to his next major goal, the Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park on May 30.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - When does six minus two equal nine?

That equation added up after top contenders Bandini and Closing Argument were not entered Wednesday in the $1 million Florida Derby, prompting several horses who previously were not under consideration for the race to be entered.

Only six 3-year-olds, including Bandini and Closing Argument, had been pointing for the 1 1/8-mile Florida Derby, but when foot bruises forced both out of the race, the field quickly swelled to nine.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Borrego, who finished third in the Santa Anita Handicap last month, will miss Saturday's $100,000 Tokyo City Handicap for older horses after contracting a virus earlier this week. The defection robs the race of a much-needed top contender.

Trainer Beau Greely said Borrego was found to have the virus after a workout last Sunday.

"He was a little flat," Greely said. "He was dragging when he was cooling out."

Borrego will be pointed for the Mervyn LeRoy Handicap at Hollywood Park on May 14, Greely said.