LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Elliott Walden has no trouble right here in River City. Even with just one win at the Churchill Downs fall meet and an overall 2004 that pales in comparison to some of his better years, Walden says he is "happier than ever."

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Alfonsina has had perfect trips winning her first two starts by a combined nine lengths. Sunday's $100,000 Valley Stream at Aqueduct looks like the ideal spot for the 2-year-old filly to earn her first graded stakes victory.

With the speedy Megascape and Winsome among her four challengers in the Grade 3 race, Alfonsina should have a strong pace to stalk. Alfonsina will break from post 4 under Cornelio Velasquez.

Cryptograph would like what he would see if he could read the past performance lines of his 11 rivals in the Grade 3, $150,000 Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park on Sunday. He's a closer and there is no shortage of speed in the race, with entrants like Quintons Gold Rush, Britt's Jules, and Gamblin.

The Oklahoma Derby, which drew more starters than expected with the entry of some locals, is one of four stakes that will make up the richest card of the meet. The stakes are linked by a special pick four that includes the $75,000 MEC Mile.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The once-beaten Roving Angel will try to rebound from the drubbing she took in the Grade 2 Astarita when she starts Sunday in the $136,875 Glorious Song Stakes, a seven-furlong race for 2-year-old fillies.

Roving Angel defeated the talented Victorious Ami when she won her debut in August, but she was scratched at the gate when in against males in the Sept. 6 Silver Deputy Stakes. Four days later, she won a six-furlong allowance in a romp,

and then captured the Finger Lakes Juvenile Filly Stakes by 7 1/4 lengths.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Horseplayers face a variety of challenges Sunday at Hollywood Park, where eight juvenile fillies sprint seven furlongs in the $100,000 Moccasin Stakes.

With division leader Sweet Catomine awaiting the Santa Anita winter meet, the Moccasin shapes up as an interesting handicapping puzzle with ramifications into next month's Grade 1 Hollywood Starlet.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Local hall of fame trainer Allan Jack got off to an uncharacteristically slow start this meet, but he's been winning more than his share of races lately and there's a good chance he will add to his total when he sends over Swingingintherain for the feature race at Hastings Sunday. The $11,000 optional sprint for 3-year-olds drew seven horses, including Arizona Sky, who could be dangerous as the lone speed. It goes as the seventh race.

NEW ORLEANS - Fair Grounds opens a new era with the start of its 133rd season Thursday, featuring the traditional opening-day stakes, the Thanksgiving Handicap. Long one of the most coveted of the nation's independent racetracks, Fair Grounds will now be part of the powerful Churchill Downs Inc. after Churchill purchased the track in October for $47 million.

Remington Park was awarded a 66-date meet for Thoroughbreds for 2005 by the Oklahoma Racing Commission on Thursday. The dates, from Aug. 5 to Nov. 27, are similar to this year's.

Remington was also granted a 32-date meet for Quarter Horses from March 19 to June 5.

Blue Ribbon Downs will race two meets next year, both mixed meets with races for Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses. The first will run 27 days from Feb. 19 to May 7, and the second will run 33 days from Aug. 6 to Oct. 30.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Cajun Beat, the winner of the 2003 Breeders' Cup Sprint and fifth in the 2004 Sprint last month, might start in Friday's $150,000 Hollywood Turf Express at Hollywood Park.

Trainer Bobby Frankel said he was encouraged by Cajun Beat's five-furlong workout in 1:01.40 at Hollywood Park on Friday and is leaning toward starting Cajun Beat in the Turf Express over 5 1/2 furlongs instead of the $100,000 Vernon Underwood Stakes over six furlongs on dirt on Dec. 5.

"It's $50,000 more," Frankel said.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The comeback trail has begun for Madcap Escapade, the speedy filly who incurred a hip fracture about two weeks after her unbeaten record was snapped in the April 30 Kentucky Oaks, in which she was third. The injury did not require surgery.

In her first workout since getting time off, Madcap Escapade breezed three furlongs here Friday in 36.60 seconds over a sloppy track. She has been back in training at Churchill for about two months.