NEW ORLEANS - For the first time next Saturday, the Fair Grounds's biggest race for 3-year-olds, 3-year-old fillies, and older horses will be run on the same day. With the Louisiana Derby, Fair Grounds Oaks, and New Orleans Handicap bundled together, track management is hoping for the best day of racing of the year and perhaps the track's first $10 million handle.

With a fourth stakes race on the card, the Marie Krantz Memorial Handicap, Fair Grounds is offering a guaranteed $250,000 pick four bet linking all four races.

STICKNEY, Ill. - The racing office, one of those corridors of daily racetrack life generally tucked away from public view, can be a pleasant, jovial place. But when there are a limited number of horses available to race, and a certain number of races that have to be filled, it can turn into a house of stress.

PHOENIX - The California invaders were too much to handle for Lead for Speed in last month's Turf Paradise Derby, but he remains among the elite 3-year-olds on the local circuit and will be out to show that in Sunday's $50,000 Palo Verde Handicap at Turf Paradise. The 6 1/2-furlong race has a field of nine, and Lead for Speed looms a heavy favorite, toting high weight of 123 pounds.

Lead for Speed, trained by Dan McFarlane, first came onto the radar last fall here, winning the Sail on By Stakes, before chasing home Walker in the slop in the Fool the Experts Stakes.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Over the last four months, Saint Liam's status in the national handicap division has soared, with major stakes victories at Churchill Downs and Gulfstream Park.

Saturday, goes for his third consecutive major stakes win in the $1 million Santa Anita Handicap, his first start in California.

Saint's Liam's presence at Santa Anita has engendered respect from rival trainers, who watched with awe his convincing win in the Grade 1 Donn Handicap on Feb. 5.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Along with all the anxiety and pressure he might face Saturday afternoon in bringing out Declan's Moon for his 3-year-old debut, trainer Ron Ellis is walking a tightrope. Ellis wants Declan's Moon, last year's champion 2-year-old, to come out firing in the Grade 2, $200,000 at Santa Anita and keep his unbeaten record intact. Yet he is using the Santa Catalina and the April 9 Santa Anita Derby as preps for this spring's ultimate goal, the May 7 Kentucky Derby.

ARCADIA, Calif. - The $300,000 Frank Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita on Saturday is the first major test of the season for turf milers, and a race with more than the usual number of questions surrounding the leading hopes.

The four top contenders - Cajun Beat, Leroidesanimaux, Singletary, and Sweet Return - are all making their first start since last fall.

, the winner of the 2003 Breeders' Cup Sprint, has not started since winning the Hollywood Turf Express over 5 1/2 furlongs last November.

ARCADIA, Calif. - It has been a whirlwind week for trainer D. Wayne Lukas. He flew to Florida on Sunday, worked the 2-year-old sale at Calder on Monday and Tuesday, flew home Tuesday night, got to his home near Santa Anita around 2 a.m. that night, and less than two hours later was at his barn. Still, he was as upbeat and perky - and, yes, we are talking about the same D. Wayne Lukas - as he has been the past few months. What's gotten into him?

ARCADIA, Calif. - His connections frustrated by expensive travel plans, Chandtrue will stay in California for Saturday's $100,000 Baldwin Stakes at Santa Anita and will not be sent to Gulfstream Park for the Swale Stakes the same day.

Trainer Bob Hess wanted to start Chandtrue in Saturday's Swale Stakes, but said he could not find satisfactory travel arrangements.

As a result, Chandtrue will make his turf debut, and first start since July, in the Grade 3 Baldwin, run at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Miss Loren, the winner of the Grade 1 Santa Maria Handicap at Santa Anita on Feb. 13, has been purchased privately by Ernie Moody's Mercedes Stable and transferred to trainer Richard Mandella.

The deal was completed earlier this week, and Miss Loren joined Mandella's stable on Monday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - High Fly will have a new trainer and a new rider for Saturday's $300,000 , but he'll still have to run the same distance that may have proved his undoing when he suffered his first defeat last month in the Holy Bull Stakes.