MIAMI - Combine a prep race for a Grade 3 stakes with a potential hurricane and you get the strange set of circumstances that has developed before Sunday's $40,000 Sumter Stakes, the final local prep for the $100,000 Spend a Buck Handicap here Oct. 23.

The Grade 3, $250,000 Tampa Bay Derby is the highlight of a $2.1 million stakes schedule for the 2004-2005 Tampa Bay Downs meeting, which begins on Dec. 11.

The derby is the focal point of the track's signature event, Festival Day, which also includes the $150,000 Florida Oaks, the Grade 3, $125,000 Hillsborough Stakes, and the $75,000 Holiday Inn Express Turf Dash. Traditionally run on the third Sunday in March, the day after Gulfstream Park's Grade 1 Florida Derby, Festival Day has been moved forward one day and will be held on Saturday, March 19.

SAN MATEO, Calif. - It took some extra time, but Christmas Time and Pheiffer are set to renew their rivalry in Sunday's $55,000-added Charles H. Russell Handicap at Bay Meadows.

Only eight were nominated to the six-furlong race for fillies and mares, and only six signed on, including Christmas Time's stablemate Gonetorule.

Christmas Time and Pheiffer have met six times this year, with Christmas Time finishing in front of Pheiffer in four of the six meetings.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - The Monmouth Park season ends Sunday with a stakes on the flat and one over the jumps.

The New Jersey circuit shifts north to The Meadowlands Racetrack starting Friday night with first post set for 7:30 p.m. Eastern.

The final racing fling on the Jersey Shore is an 11-race card topped by the $60,000 Just Smashing Stakes for 3-year-old fillies going six furlongs and the Grade 2, $75,000 Metcalf Memorial Steeplechase at 2 1/2 miles over National fences.

STICKNEY, Ill. - Tamweel, who finished second to the recently retired Adoration last out of the Arlington Matron, breezed a comfortable five furlongs Thursday at Hawthorne, and in a change in plans, could make her next start in the Oct. 10 Spinster Stakes at Keeneland.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Gotaghostofachance heads an excellent field of 12 3-year-olds in the Grade 3, $250,000 British Columbia Derby at Hastings on Sunday. Gotaghostofachance is coming off an easy win in the Lamplighter Stakes at Monmouth on Aug. 28, and, with his tactical speed, he figures to get a perfect stalking trip behind Flamethrowintexan, the second-place finisher in the Emerald Downs Breeders' Cup Derby.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - If the five-furlong work by Flamethrowintexan on Tuesday is any indication of how he's going to run in the $250,000 B.C. Derby Sunday, he's going to be very tough to beat.

With exercise rider Bryson Cooper aboard, Flamethrowintexan worked a very fast 59.20 seconds, more than two seconds faster than the next-best five-furlong work of the day. And the way Flamethrowintexan did it has Cooper excited about his chances in the B.C. Derby.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - You might think Flashy Anna had seen enough of Blonde Executive, whom she'll face again here in Sunday's La Prevoyante Stakes at one mile on turf.

Trained by Deborah England, Flashy Anna chased Blonde Executive home in the Passing Mood Stakes here July 28, finishing second by 2 1/4 lengths. Both Flashy Anna and Blonde Executive are housed in Barn 4 on the Woodbine backstretch. In fact, they were next-door neighbors for some time, and even now are separated by just one stall.

WINNIPEG, Manitoba - Your Excellence will be looking for his third stakes win in Sunday's $41,000 Buffalo at Assiniboia Downs, a one-mile race for Manitoba-bred 2-year-olds.

Four of the five Buffalo entrants, including Your Excellence, will be trying two turns for the first time.

BOSSIER CITY, La. - Imperialism and Borrego invade from Southern California for Saturday's Grade 2, $500,000 at Louisiana Downs, and both would benefit from an honest pace in the 1 1/8-mile race, something that could come courtesy of two fast locals. Britt's Jules and South Africa have excellent speed, and given that they will start alongside each other from inside posts, a duel seems probable.