OZONE PARK, N.Y. - With a seemingly favorable pace scenario, the possibility of a desired wet track, and having defeated half of this field in her last start, Provincial is clearly the one to beat in Wednesday's $46,000 featured second-level allowance race at Aqueduct.

Wednesday's card includes a pick-six carryover of $48,740 after the wager went unhit on Sunday.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Her throat is cleared of the ulcer that hindered her performances last fall. She is training great. But House of Fortune despises an off track, and if the continued wet weather lasts until Wednesday at Santa Anita, as predicted, the probable favorite in the $75,000 Kalookan Queen Handicap will sit it out.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Horsemen on this circuit had to be relieved when they picked up the overnight for Wednesday's Aqueduct card and didn't see trainer Tom Bush's name on it.

Through the first month of the inner-track meet, Bush has been the hottest trainer on the grounds, saddling 10 winners from 22 starts, an astounding .454 winning percentage. His 10 wins equal Richard Dutrow Jr. for the most during the inner-track season.

"I don't know what to tell you, it's been as good as it gets," Bush said Monday in his Belmont Park office.

ALBANY, Calif. - There once was a time 5-year-old maidens were banished from California.

That, of course, is ancient history. The horse population in California these days is such that 5-year-old maidens are welcomed and even recruited.

Wednesday's most interesting race at Golden Gate Fields is a six-furlong sprint that includes a pair of 5-year-old maidens. While most 5-year-old maidens languish in the bargain-basement $8,000 maiden-claiming region, these two are the ones to beat in a straight maiden affair.

Hawthorne Race Course wrapped up a 67-day fall-winter meet Sunday with business basically unchanged from last year.

Even with a surprisingly high number of starters per race, 9.2, betting was flat compared with 2003, with minute decreases in total and ontrack handle.

Souris surpassed the $500,000 mark in earnings when she closed into a hot pace to win the $53,250 by 1 1/4 lengths at Sunland Park.

Sandia's Flicka finished second, three lengths in front of the 7-5 favorite, Yet Anothernatalie.

Souris ($5.20) settled in fourth early in the 5 1/2-furlong race, while Sandia's Flicka, Yet Anothernatalie, and Lauren Lynn fought through an opening quarter in 21.93 seconds, and the half-mile in 44.78 seconds. Souris rallied through the stretch for the win, covering the distance in 1:03.01.

Megascape's speed proved too much for her three rivals as she shot to the front immediately under Stewart Elliott and cruised to a three-length victory in the $80,200 for 3-year-old fillies at Aqueduct.

Pelham Bay, outrun early, rallied to be second, 2 1/2 lengths clear of Academy Brass.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Doug O'Neill was the leading trainer at Del Mar, finished second at Oak Tree, won the Hollywood Park fall meeting, and is atop the Santa Anita standings because of a strong opening week. He sent out four winners on Sunday's card, including Areyoutalkintome in the Grade 3, $110,500 .

Neither rain, nor an off track, could keep Areyoutalkintome from his appointed rounds in the 5 1/2-furlong El Conejo, the shortest stakes race of the meet at Santa Anita.

ALBANY, Calif. - Jake Skate ($7.60) got a confident ride and handled a sloppy track with ease as he earned his initial stakes victory in the $78,150 Lafayette Handicap at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday.

Jake Skate broke alertly and bounded to the lead. He was headed briefly by Motel Staff at the half-mile pole before assuming command on the turn and pulling away in the stretch to defeat even-money favorite Adreamisborn by three lengths while covering one mile in 1:35.73.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Taking advantage of a surface switch and the withdrawal of four rivals, Truly a Judge won his second consecutive graded stakes in Saturday's $150,000 at Santa Anita.

Sent off as the 3-5 favorite, Truly a Judge stalked pacesetter Forty Suertudo to the middle of the backstretch, took the lead before the final turn and held off a late threat from Star Cross to win by a length.

Ridden by Martin Pedroza, Truly a Judge ($3.60) finished 1 1-8 miles in 1:48.90. "I had a lot of horse underneath me," Pedroza said.