MUSKGEGON, Mich. - On Saturday night, Great Lakes Downs will host the 20th running of the Michigan Sire Stakes, the richest card of the year on the Michigan racing calendar. The Sire Stakes, run in six divisions, are for the progeny of Michigan stallions and offers estimated purses of $120,000 per race.

Five of the races drew full 10-horse fields. The series starts with the third race on the card, which begins at 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

NORTH RANDALL, Ohio - The best Ohio-breds in training traditionally compete on Best of Ohio day, which has a big impact on the balloting for Ohio divisional champions at year's end.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - It's tough to throw out any of the seven horses entered in the feature race at Hastings Saturday, a 1 1/16-mile $25,000 claiming race for older horses. But it's equally difficult to jump all over any one of them.

EDMONTON, Alberta - You don't see many horses ship from Woodbine to Northlands Park, but that's just what Kathern's Cat has done for the $40,000 Freedom of the City on Saturday.

Considering the winner's share of the Freedom of the City is just over $25,000, a payday smaller than for winning an allowance race in Toronto, the presence of Kathern's Cat in the one-mile race for 2-year-old fillies took local officials by surprise.

SAN MATEO, Calif. - Nine 3-year-old fillies create an interesting wagering proposition for bettors in Saturday's $55,000-added Palo Alto Handicap at Bay Meadows.

The 1 1/16-mile turf test includes the fillies who finished second (Dawn's Angel), third (Go Ask Daisy), fourth (Secret Corsage), and fifth (Crozet) in the Carmel Handicap at one mile over the turf on Sept. 12.

Stakes winners Coke's Melody and Swingn' Notes as well as stakes-placed Secret Corsage will also compete. Awesome Lady and Midwife round out the field.

CHICAGO - The rising middle-distance turf horse Herculated probably is the best horse in the Robert F. Carey Handicap, Saturday's feature at Hawthorne Race Course. But sheer talent does not always win a horse race, and the shape of the Carey should play to the strengths of the fast turf miler Gin and Sin.

An 8-year-old gelding who hasn't raced at Charles Town since setting a track record five years ago and a 4-year-old filly who has gone off the favorite in her last nine starts while rarely disappointing her supporters headline Saturday night's 18th annual West Virginia Breeders Classics program.

A Huevo, a highly talented but often injured runner trained by Michael Dickinson, brings a substantial class edge into the $300,000 Classic at 1 1/8 miles, the premier event on the eight-race program for West Virginia-bred, -sired, or -raised horses.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - My Vintage Port and Touchnow will be looking to enhance their credentials for divisional honors here in Saturday's Carotene Stakes.

The $165,600 Carotene, a 1 1/8-mile turf race for 3-year-old fillies, attracted a field of nine and is the highlight of a card that also includes the Bull Page Stakes.

While Touchnow holds a 3-1 edge in head-to-head meetings with My Vintage Port, that My Vintage Port's victory came on the turf commands attention in handicapping the Carotene.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The once-beaten Wholelottabourbon will try to win his third stakes Saturday at Woodbine in the $131,625 Bull Page, a six-furlong event for Ontario-sired male 2-year-olds.

Wholelottabourbon, a $5,500 yearling purchase by trainer Nick Gonzalez, has banked $207,255 in four starts. After capturing his debut in June, he finished second to New York invader Flamenco in the five-furlong Victoria Stakes.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - When Avenging Kat ($6.70) upset favored Backseat Becka in the $100,000 Sadie Diamond Futurity last Saturday, perhaps the most surprised person was her jockey, Pedro Alvarado. In fact, Alvarado initially preferred to ride a different horse, but his younger brother Felimon, who trains Avenging Kat, convinced him otherwise.