ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The Mark Casse-trained entry of Tommy's Topper and New Topper, both sons of successful California freshman sire Old Topper, will likely be favored in Friday's seventh race at Woodbine, a six-furlong allowance for 2-year-olds.

Tommy's Topper lost his Aug. 7 debut on the main track by just a neck, then graduated three weeks later in a six-furlong maiden special weight event on the grass.

CHICAGO - In an era when short fields have become the norm at many racing venues, Friday's Hawthorne card looks like a double feature, with enough horses entered on a 10-race program to fill two cards at a less populous racetrack.

The Breeders' Cup this is not, but who would expect star quality on a November afternoon in Southwest Chicago? And with 107 horses entered on the day, a fat exacta or pick three surely hides in some shadowy thicket, waiting to be taken home.

SAN MATEO, Calif. - Reading condition books is one key to a barn's success, and Southern California-based trainer Patrick Gallagher has proven adept at picking the right spots in northern California.

Gallagher sent Kingdom Come and Talaris north to Bay Meadows last month to gauge whether either should be considered for Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Bay Meadows Derby at 1 1/8 miles on turf.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - This has been a difficult year for the father-and-son team of Gerry and Kevin Sleeter, as they lost two top stakes-winning New Jersey-breds.

Something Smith, winner of the Bernie Dowd Handicap at Monmouth Park, was put down in August after contracting a virulent infection. The mare Whoop's Ah Daisy was retired several weeks later because of chronic bad ankles.

What a difference 700 slot machines have made. Just five seasons ago, purses at Sunland Park in New Mexico averaged $30,000 a day. When the track opens Friday for 87 days of racing, purses will average $210,000 a program and the stakes schedule will include a nationally televised prep for the Kentucky Derby.

Purses at Sunland have surged since the track opened a slots casino in 1999.

"It's exceeded all of our expectations," said Harold Payne, the general manager of Sunland. "It's been very rewarding."

In the final two months of the year a number of matchups will determine the Quarter Horse divisional championships. This weekend Los Alamitos and Sam Houston will hold races that could influence year-end balloting.

On Friday night at Los Alamitos, Be a Bono, a top prospect for world champion, will meet Hawkish, 2003's champion 2-year-old colt, in the Grade 1, $604,450 Los Alamitos Super Derby. On Sunday night, fastest-qualifier Hardly Hateful meets two Grade 1 futurity winners in the Grade 1, $1 million Golden State Million for 2-year-olds.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Inish Glora's racing days have come to an end.

Inish Glora, an Ontario-bred 6-year-old, was Canada's champion turf filly or mare last season and is a candidate for that honor again this year.

Owned by Bob Costigan, Inish Glora began her career in Vancouver with trainer Kathy Bremner but stayed here with Mac Benson after making her second trip to Woodbine in the fall of 2002.

In her first full campaign here, Inish Glora won 3 of 6 starts, including the Grade 2 Canadian Handicap and the restricted Victoriana Stakes, earning $359,667.

PORTLAND, Ore. - A few minutes before last Saturday's $28,760 Northwest Open Futurity for 2-year-old Quarter Horses was run at 400 yards, a brilliant rainbow appeared in the sky above Portland Meadows.

Julio Felix took a 17-13 lead in the jockey standings over Luis Gonzalez on Monday, when he won 5 of the 9 races, including the first three. Felix won the opener on Mystic Appeal ($5) and the second with Gambling Time ($11) for a $31.60 daily double. In the third he won with Final Endeavor ($12.60) to complete a $180.80 pick three.

Mystic Appeal and Final Endeavor are both owned by Bruce Talisman and trained by Greg Miller. Felix capped off the day by winning the $25.60 late daily double with Matter of Justice ($6.40) and Miss Briteness ($5.60).

The family that trains together wins together. Such has been the case for the Here We Come gelding George Taylor, who picked up his fourth straight win at Remington Park on Monday. He is one of three horses out of the mare Miss Willa Will to win during the current meet.

All of the horses race for their breeder, Rash Barrett, and are trained by Ricky Gustafson. A fourth sibling, Percy Marie, has made one start at the meet and was fifth in August.

"They've all got different sires and all look different, but they've got some habits that are the same," said Gustafson.