HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Trainer Jinks Fires has been on a tear at Oaklawn Park, where he has won with six of his first 16 starters. Last week alone, he won a pair of high-profile races with half-siblings Wildcat Shoes and Isabell's Shoes.

Wildcat Shoes won an allowance on Saturday, earning a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 105 and becoming a top candidate for the $50,000 Hot Springs on March 26. Two days later, his half-sister Isabell's Shoes won the $50,000 Martha Washington, just like her dam, Pink Shoes, did in 1995, and her granddam Fun Flight did in 1988.

NEW ORLEANS - Trainer Steve Flint was planning on entering Gigawatt in Saturday's $125,000 Fair Grounds Breeders' Cup Handicap, but another horse in his stable, G P Fleet, gave him second thoughts.

The Fair Grounds BC, at 1 1/8 miles on the turf, is the prep race for the meet's premier grass event, the Grade 2, $500,000 Marvin Muniz Memorial Handicap on March 19. The Muniz has been Flint's goal for the 5-year-old G P Fleet at this meet, and he wants to give him a race over the turf course here to make sure that he's comfortable with the loose, sandy surface.

Sweet Catomine, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2004 and 3-year-old filly division leader, is among 144 fillies nominated to the May 6 Kentucky Oaks, officials at Churchill Downs announced Wednesday.

Among the other accomplished nominees to the Grade 1, $500,000 Oaks are Runway Model, Sis City, Splendid Blended, Sharp Lisa, Summerly, and Maddalena. Sweet Catomine, unbeaten in five career starts, is also nominated to the May 7 Kentucky Derby.

Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., has increased its purses by $500 to $1,000 a race, starting Thursday.

Oaklawn announced the increase Wednesday, following significant gains in handle on Instant Racing, a parimutuel game that plays like a slot machine. Instant Racing handle topped the $1 million mark for the first time on Monday. In all, Instant Racing is expected to provide $1.5 million toward purses this Oaklawn meet.

Wednesday's second race at Philadelphia Park was declared no contest by the stewards because of a gate malfunction.

Head-on replays of the start of the six-furlong sprint show that gates 4, 5, and 8 in the eight-horse field had opened a moment before the other five gates.

All wagers were refunded. There was a consolation daily double and pick-three payoffs using all runners in race 2.

SAN MATEO, Calif. - Trainer Jeff Bonde didn't have to rent any videos while stabled at Del Mar last summer.

Bonde and his wife were fascinated watching a Peruvian runner, Zorro Rojo, on a tape given to them by long-time trainer Dent Caton.

Friday, Bonde will let everyone else see what he saw when Zorro Rojo makes his U.S. debut in the Bay Meadows feature, a six-furlong allowance race.

Trainer Paul Jones, winner of two of the four runnings of the Los Alamitos Winter Derby, has an excellent chance to add to that impressive record at Los Alamitos on Friday night as he saddles six of the 10 horses chasing the $232,900 purse in the year's first Grade 1 derby.

The Los Alamitos Winter Derby brings together an exceptional field, culled from four trials on Feb. 5. Nine of the 10 finalists are either a graded stakes winner or qualified to a Grade 1 futurity in 2004.

Sunday's $100,000-added Borderland Derby, the final local prep for the $500,000 WinStar Derby, to be held April 2, is not only luring the top local 3-year-olds but also some new shooters from out of town. The last two winners of the WinStar, Hi Teck Man and Excessivepleasure, used the Borderland as a springboard to victory.

Don Roberson's fellow trainers recognize that he's sharp with runners returning from layoffs.

Roberson picked up two wins last Sunday at Charles Town, but lost both horses via claims.

Vexation ($7.60), stretching out from seven furlongs to 1 1/8 miles, was taken for $5,000 by Steve Romeka. Gerry Gerry Gerry ($8.20) rose in class from $5,000 to the $10,000 level while cutting back from 1 1/16 miles to seven furlongs. He went to Richard Butts Jr.

Munificence, who finished second to favorite Greater Good in the $100,000 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park on Saturday, returned to the track Wednesday. Munificence is being considered for a return trip to Hot Springs, Ark., for the Grade 3, $250,000 Rebel on March 19.

"He ran really well," said Jim Hudson, who trains the Delta Downs-based Munificence. "I'm very pleased with him."