HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Afleet Alex has the best credentials of any 3-year-old to come into the Oaklawn Park meet in years. He is already a Grade 1 winner, and is also a finalist for 2-year-old champion of 2004. It's an exciting spot for trainer Tim Ritchey, and a memorable spring seems in the offing.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - The Grade 3 British Columbia Derby highlights the 46 stakes for the 2005 meet at Hastings. The track's season will run from April 16 through Nov. 27.

With a purse of $250,000, the B.C. Derby on Sept. 24 will again be the track's richest race of the year.

B.C. Cup Day on Aug. 1 will feature seven stakes worth a total of $365,000. The day's top race is the $65,000 B.C. Cup Classic.

NEW ORLEANS - Storm's Darling, an impressive winner over the Fair Grounds main track at a mile and 40 yards in her last start, is likely to be well supported in Saturday's Truly Bound Handicap at 1 1/16 miles.

"She's training well and had a good workout the other day," said trainer Bobby Barnett on Wednesday, referring to a half-mile breeze in 48.40 seconds on Monday. "She had a little congestion up in her head but I don't think it's anything serious. We'll scope her Friday before the race and if she's okay we'll run her."

Colonial Colony, who upset the Grade 1 Stephen Foster at 62-1 at Churchill Downs in June, drew post 6 when seven horses were entered for Saturday night's $100,000 Maxxam Gold Cup at Sam Houston Race Park. Entries for the race were taken Wednesday.

The Maxxam, to be run over 1 1/8 miles, is one of three stakes on the card Saturday. It is supported by the $50,000 Sam Houston Distaff and the $50,000 Sam Houston Sprint Handicap.

Larry Melancon has the mount on Colonial Colony for trainer Dallas Stewart.

Last Saturday's $132,450 Pepsi Cola Handicap was supposed to be a shootout between favorites Sandias Peppermint (2-1) and Leon's Bull (3-1). Instead, it was the longshots who had their day in the sun.

It was money well spent. The $5 million bonus Oaklawn Park owner Charles Cella paid to the owners of Smarty Jones last year is still reaping dividends for the 101-year-old Hot Springs, Ark., track, which opens Friday with a large number of new stables, led by owner Michael Gill and trainer D. Wayne Lukas.

Also on hand will be some of the hottest 3-year-olds around, including Afleet Alex, Rockport Harbor, and Greater Good, who are settled in for the meet, and the Grade 2-winning filly Runway Model.

ARCADIA, Calif. - The blunt answer from trainer Jeff Mullins best stated why he and the partners that own Sinister G opted for a $56,000 optional claimer Thursday instead of the $200,000 San Fernando Breeders' Cup Stakes last weekend at Santa Anita.

"The other race had too much speed," Mullins said. "It would have been stupid to start in there."

So, the front-running Sinister G has stayed in the barn five more days, awaiting Thursday's race over 6 1/2 furlongs.

ARCADIA, Calif. - The easy part of the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting ended on Monday for Sharp Lisa, the winner of the $150,000 Santa Ynez Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.

From here on, she is expected to tangle with Grade 1 winners Sweet Catomine and Splendid Blended in the division's top races of the meet.

Sharp Lisa ($3.80) scored her first stakes victory in the Grade 2 Santa Ynez. Ridden by Tyler Baze, she rallied from fifth to reach contention in early stretch and pulled clear late to win by 1 1/2 lengths.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Most trainers competing at Gulfstream this winter would be delighted to win five 3-year-old races during the entire meet. It took Todd Pletcher only three days to accomplish that feat this past holiday weekend.

Pletcher sent out Harlington to win for the second time in as many starts over a sloppy track Saturday; came back Sunday to win with Passing Star, Monarch Lane, and Maddalena; then completed his big weekend when Yes Yes Yes dominated a field of maiden rivals in Monday's seventh event.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - First Blush and Primary Suspect are the two most likely winners of Thursday's $37,000 feature at Gulfstream Park. But if the prevailing track bias that influenced the outcome of so many races here last week still exists, separating the two main contenders in the 6 1/2-furlong optional claiming and allowance dash should be only a small problem.