Phil Johnson would have turned 79 last Saturday. On Monday, Johnson's former long-time assistant, Heriberto Cedano, honored his Hall of Fame mentor by saddling Fortunate Damsel to a gate-to-wire victory in the Grade 3, $112,300 at Belmont Park.

Fortunate Damsel was the last stakes winner trained by Johnson, who died Aug. 6. She was the first winner saddled by Cedano, who had worked as an assistant to Johnson for 33 years.

"It's nice to win this race. His birthday was Oct. 9," Cedano said. "Thank God he left me some nice horses. Thank God he gave me the job."

ARCADIA, Calif. - In some years, races such as Saturday's $150,000 California Cup Matron are showcases for a standout statebred filly or mare, an opportunity to beat an easy field.

This year, the Matron seems more like a Grade 2 or Grade 3 race. The top contenders are Summer Wind Dancer, the winner of the Grade 2 Delaware Handicap; Yearly Report, the winner of the Grade 2 Delaware Oaks; Dream of Summer, the winner of two graded sprint stakes; and the durable Royally Chosen, who has started in nine consecutive stakes.

The race has such depth it hardly seems fair.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Jockey Gary Stevens was as surprised as anyone that Mea Domina pulled an upset at 6-1 in Monday's $100,000 at Santa Anita.

"I hate to say this, but I gave myself no chance going into the gate," Stevens said. "She had me worried in the post parade. She was very nervous and a handful. She wore me out."

Once the race started, Mea Domina was more cooperative for Stevens. She stalked pacesetter Potion for the first half-mile, took the lead on the final turn and pulled clear to win by two lengths.

"She picked it up on her own," Stevens said.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Spencer's Magic seemed to suffer more bad luck than any racehorse in California during the summer.

In several starts, he often broke slowly or found trouble. On July 14 at Hollywood Park, Spencer's Magic appeared to be on his way to winning a turf sprint, but ducked out and unseated jockey Alex Bisono.

Wednesday, Spencer's Magic will attempt to end a five-race losing streak in a $41,000 allowance race for California-breds at about 6 1/2 furlongs on turf at Santa Anita.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Feast or famine? Not exactly. Just because Keeneland ran seven graded stakes on opening weekend but didn't card a single stakes for Wednesday doesn't mean racing fans will be starving anytime soon.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - With the last batch of Breeders' Cup prep races in the books, locally based trainers have begun making travel arrangements for the horses who will run in the Oct. 30 championships at Lone Star Park in Texas.

Starting early next week, four flights chartered by the Tex Sutton Forwarding Co. have been scheduled to Dallas from Louisville or Lexington. Although some details are not yet final, these travel dates appear certain, according to a Tex Sutton spokesman:

Monday - Magistretti (BC Turf) and Sense of Style (BC Juvenile Fillies) for Patrick Biancone.

CHICAGO - Saturday's Hawthorne Derby will require an understudy, since the star of the show will not be making an appearance.

Toasted, who was beaten a head Sept. 6 by the ballyhooed Blackdoun in the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby, was declared out of the Grade 3, $250,000 Hawthorne Derby on Monday by trainer Laura de Seroux. De Seroux said she had planned "up until this morning" to ship Toasted in for the race, but multiple factors combined to keep the colt at home in California.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - A Bit O' Gold reasserted his dominance in the 3-year-old division here Sunday, turning back Organ Grinder convincingly in the $160,050 and boosting his 2004 bankroll past the $1 million mark.

No matter what transpires the rest of the year, A Bit O'Gold should be front and center in the division balloting and could attract attention in the Sovereign Award Horse of the Year vote.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Eurico Rosa da Silva has become a fan favorite at Woodbine in his first year as a member of the jockey colony. A native of Brazil, Rosa da Silva is known for his jubilant celebrations at the end of his winning races, including a $10,000 claimer last Wednesday night in which he gave a rousing ride to his pick-up mount, Slews Child.

In this Wednesday's allowance feature for fillies and mares, Rosa da Silva will ride Great Auntee, who has finished fourth in three consecutive allowances.

SAN MATEO, Calif. - With several tracks having run Monday because of the Columbus Day holiday, some jurisdictions are taking Wednesday off. But not California.

The six-day racing week, coupled with racing at both Bay Meadows and the Big Fresno Fair, has resulted in a shortage of entries for Wednesday's races.

On Monday, Fresno had 75 horses entered in eight races. Six of the races were for Thoroughbreds, and those attracted 55 horses.

Fresno's Wednesday card dropped off dramatically, with 62 entrants for eight races. The five Thoroughbred races attracted 38 horses.