ELMONT, N.Y. - Mr O'Brien, who is coming off a terrible effort in an off-the-turf stakes at Pimlico, will be back on his preferred surface in Saturday's $350,000 Kelso Breeders' Cup Handicap at Belmont Park.

Mr O'Brien finished last, beaten 21 lengths, in the Shapiro Memorial Breeders' Cup Handicap, a race that was moved to the dirt because of rain Sept. 18. Trainer Robin Graham decided to run Mr O'Brien because he had previously won on a wet track.

By the time the Shapiro was run, the track was listed as fast.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Queen's Plate winner Niigon is enjoying life on the farm these days, having been turned out for the season not long after running fourth in the Sept. 6 Pennsylvania Derby.

But his Chiefswood Stable compatriot Alleged Ruler is ready to pinch-hit here in Sunday's Ontario Derby, and he could do Niigon a good turn by knocking off A Bit O'Gold and Organ Grinder in the final open 3-year-old race of the meeting. A Bit O'Gold, Organ Grinder, and Niigon would have to be considered the leading candidates in the Sovereign Award voting for the division.

WINNIPEG, Manitoba - Average daily handle on live racing for the recently concluded Assiniboia Downs meeting decreased slightly from last year to $127,270, compared to $136,753 in 2003. The decrease can mainly be attributed to less wagering at other outlets on Assiniboia's races. Offtrack handle on the track's races averaged $40,449 per day compared to $47,064 for the previous year.

There was also a slight decrease in ontrack handle, to $86,821 per day from $89,689 in 2003.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Dynever has shown flashes of brilliance in his career, posting a lifetime-best Beyer Figure of 116 for his rallying third in last year's Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita.

The springboard to that effort was a solid second behind Bowman's Band in last year's Grade 2, $500,000 Meadowlands Breeders' Cup Stakes. Once again, Dynever, could be bound for the Breeders' Cup, depending on how he runs Friday night in The Meadowlands Cup.

SAN MATEO, Calif. - Sean Greely, the Monmouth and Meadowlands racing secretary from 2000-2003 and also a former racing secretary at Hialeah, has been appointed the racing secretary at Golden Gate Fields for its meet, which begins next month.

Greely's first day on the job was Monday, and he's been busy introducing himself to northern California horsemen.

Greely, 41, has been involved in racing his entire life. He is the son of long-time racing official and Keeneland president William Greely and the brother of Kevin Greely, the current racing secretary in Dubai.

Pine Stormy, winner of the $100,000 Charles Town Dash on July 4, and Ribbon Cane, whose current four-race winning streak began with back-to-back stakes wins at Charles Town, are the headliners in a pair of Friday night sprint stakes at the West Virginia track.

The City of Charles Town Handicap, which goes as race 7 at 4 1/2 furlongs, and the City of Ranson Handicap (race 8), a seven-furlong race for fillies and mares, are each worth $50,000 and serve as an appetitizer to Saturday night's West Virginia Breeders Classics program.

The undefeated Foolininthemeadow joins more proven Great Lakes Downs stars Secret Romeo and Rockem Sockem as the headliners on Saturday's Michigan Sire Stakes program. The Sire Stakes, which will be held for the 20th time this weekend, are a series of of six $120,000 races for the progeny of Michigan stallions.

The richest night on the Great Lakes Downs racing calendar, the Sire Stakes drew five full fields of 10, and a field of six in the older filly and mare division.

Last Saturday's 10th edition of the Indiana Derby drew 6,839 fans to Hoosier Park, the fourth-highest crowd for a derby and eighth overall for Thoroughbred or Standardbred attendance in the track's 11-year history.

Ontrack wagering on the live card was $286,918, compared with $264,031 a year ago. Overall handle was off a bit. The combined total of $2,032,911 on this year's card fell short of last year's $2,162,212.

MIAMI - Charlene Stevic does not have a trainer's license. But on Monday she completed a feat any veteran horseman would be proud of when she sent out 2-year-old colt Red Treasure to win his career debut under a $25,000 claiming tag in the fourth race at Calder.

Stevic purchased Red Treasure, a son of Northern Afleet, last March, not at a major horse sale but at a local auction in Ocala. Stevic got Red Treasure legged up over the seven-sixteenth-mile training track on her farm but had to bring him to the Starting Gate Training Center for any serious workouts.

Trainer Paul Jones is in the enviable position of having three dangerous juveniles - Feel the Roar, Lethal Bay, and Willie Getto Know Me - among the eight entrants in the $27,400 Autumn Handicap on Friday night at Los Alamitos.

Feel the Roar comes off a third-place finish in the California Juvenile Challenge after being brushed at the start. He came into the Challenge off three straight daylight victories.