Thundering Verzy, the top Nebraska-bred 3-year-old colt last season, makes his seasonal debut for new connections when he heads a field of six in the $25,000 Ogataul Handicap for older statebreds at Fonner Park.

NEW ORLEANS - Silverbulletday winner drew post 2 and was named the 7-5 favorite Wednesday for the Grade 2, $300,000 Fair Grounds Oaks, where she will meet Runway Model, who beat Summerly last fall in the Golden Rod Stakes at Churchill Downs.

"Great post," said Steve Asmussen, who has given the call on Summerly to jockey Jerry Bailey.

Earlier this week, Asmussen talked about Summerly's loss to Runway Model in the Golden Rod.

NEW ORLEANS - The deepest race on the Fair Grounds card Saturday is drawing the least attention, but the $100,000 Marie Krantz Memorial Handicap appears to be a terrific betting event with a full field of 12 older fillies and mares and two also-eligibles entered for the 7 1/2-furlong race on the turf.

Sister Swank, the 5-2 favorite, drew the extremely unfavorable outside post in the field, posing a real problem for jockey Jerry Bailey.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Trainers Julio Canani and Jeff Mullins, both of whom had horses test positive for excessive levels of carbon dioxide at the Santa Anita meeting, will no longer be required to transfer their entrants to a 24-hour prerace detention barn effective Friday.

The penalties were issued by a consortium of racing organizations - Santa Anita, the Thoroughbred Owners of California, and California Thoroughbred Trainers - that has conducted carbon dioxide testing since the Santa Anita meeting began on Dec. 26.

ARCADIA, Calif. - The quick development of Courtly Jazz from maiden to two-race winner at the current Santa Anita meeting has given trainer Gary Mandella optimism that the 4-year-old gelding can become an important horse this year.

"I see him as a horse with a lot of potential," Mandella said.

will try for his third win of the meeting in a $56,000 optional claimer at a mile on Friday. Owned by Lazy Lane Stables, Courtly Jazz beat maidens in a six-furlong race on Dec. 30 and returned to win a 1 1/8-mile allowance race on Feb. 4.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Salt Champ, the winner of the Grade 1 Santa Monica Handicap in her U.S. debut Jan. 30, has been retired after suffering a tendon injury earlier this week, trainer Richard Mandella said.

The injury came just days before Salt Champ would have been a top contender for Saturday's $300,000 Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap at Santa Anita. The injury was detected Tuesday, a day after Salt Champ worked five furlongs in 59.60 seconds at Santa Anita.

Trainer Richard Mandella described the injury as a "strained tendon."

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trainer Mark Hennig could have started Gygistar's 2005 campaign in Saturday's Grade 2 Richter Scale Handicap. Instead he opted for a softer spot and a likely victory by entering the Grade 1 winner in Friday's $46,000 headliner - under money allowance and optional claiming conditions out of the one-mile chute.

The Richter Scale is expected to attract a strong field, including Cigar Mile winner Lion Tamer, Grade 1 winner Silver Wagon, and Clock Stopper, who outfinished Gygistar for second in last summer's Grade 1 Forego at Saratoga.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - B. B. Best finished third behind High Fly and Bandini in Saturday's Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes, but the effort was good enough to earn B. B. Best a spot in the $1 million Florida Derby on April 2.

B. B. Best set the pace to the stretch, then continued on gamely after being headed by High Fly to finish 1 1/2 lengths behind in the 1 1/8-mile Fountain of Youth. The outing was only the second this year for B. B. Best, who was fourth following a slow start when making his 3-year-old debut in the six-furlong Sunshine Millions Dash on Jan. 29

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Though most of Aqueduct's main track was awash in snow, ice, and slush on Wednesday, New York Racing Association officials are still hoping to open it for racing next Wednesday. That means the Gotham, a 3-year-old race scheduled for March 19, would be run as a one-turn mile race as advertised.

Officials at NYRA, however, admitted those plans could change if winter weather persists as is forecast. As it stands, the main track is scheduled to open for training on Monday.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - A change in bits has helped Fencelineneighbor recapture her best form, and on Saturday she will start as one of the top choices in the $175,000 Azeri Breeders' Cup at Oaklawn Park.

The Azeri, a 1 1/16-mile race for fillies and mares that serves as a prep for the Grade 1, $500,000 Apple Blossom, is one of two Grade 3 stakes that will be run here this weekend. The Sunday stakes is the $125,000 Razorback Breeders' Cup Handicap, a prep for the Grade 2, $500,000 Oaklawn Handicap. The Apple Blossom and Oaklawn Handicap will both be run on April 9.