ARCADIA, Calif. - Pleasantly Perfect will not race again until Oct. 30 at Lone Star Park, when he defends his title in the Breeders' Cup Classic. But he's hardly on vacation. On Wednesday morning at Santa Anita, Pleasantly Perfect worked five furlongs in 1:00.80, as trainer Richard Mandella continues to mark time until the more serious work begins next month.

"He kind of cruised along," Mandella said. "I'm just giving him a few little things to keep him busy."

Crystal Brown, Pleasantly Perfect's regular exercise rider, was aboard for the drill.

POMONA, Calif. - The big gray mare Bold Roberta returns to her favorite stomping grounds Friday to aim for a repeat victory in the $60,000 Pio Pico Stakes on the five-eighths-mile track at Fairplex Park. For the 6-year-old mare, the Los Angeles County Fair is just like home.

"She likes it here," trainer Don Warren said. "For a big filly, she takes the corners really well."

won the Pio Pico and Las Madrinas Handicap last fall at Fairplex, so when she disappointed in successive efforts this spring, Warren and owner-breeders Larry and Sheila Ullmann backed off.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Perfect Soul was impressive Wednesday morning in his final major tune-up for the Grade 1, $1 million Atto Mile Sunday at Woodbine.

With assistant trainer Rachel Halden in the irons, Perfect Soul breezed five furlongs in 59.80 seconds, going on his own with the dogs up and the rail out over firm going on Woodbine's expansive E.P. Taylor turf course.

"He's a good work horse when he's right," said Halden. "I was very happy with him. It was a nice, good, sharp work."

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Percy Scherbenske's voice changed audibly with the news.

"Summer Mis isn't in there?" Scherbenske said Wednesday afternoon, edging toward something like elation.

No, Summer Mis was not entered in the $40,000 Unique Type, featured on Friday's nine-race Arlington program. And absent her - the reigning queen of Illinois-bred females - the Scherbenske-trained Synco Peach becomes the horse to beat in the Unique Type, a one-mile dirt race for statebred fillies and mares.

SAN MATEO, Calif. - With only seven nominees, the status of Saturday's $55,000-added San Mateo Stakes at Bay Meadows is up in the air.

It seems likely that at least five 2-year-olds will enter, the number needed to make the race go, but the fact only seven were nominated to the six-furlong stakes speaks to the sparsity of young horses in northern California.

"I really don't want to run," said Greg Gilchrist, who trains Danny Dingle. "I would prefer to run in an allowance race."

Danny Dingle would be no worse than the second choice in the field behind Wind Water.

MIAMI - The local filly and mare sprint division has featured more than its share of top-class performers over the past several years. Chaposa Springs, U Can Do It, and Princess Pietrina successfully defended their home turf with victories in the Grade 2 Princess Rooney Handicap, the most prestigious filly and mare dash on the local stakes schedule, while Sugar N Spice, Chispiski, and Fly Me Crazy all won their share of important races during the same period.

Agrivating General, who would have been one of the leading contenders in the $100,000 Texas Hall of Fame Stakes on Saturday night at Retama Park, will miss the race, said his trainer, Danny Pish.

"We just made the decision," said Pish.

Pish said Agrivating General will have the next 120 days off. He had some "slight lameness" in his hind end, and is now scheduled to launch his comeback next year.

"It's not one big problem, just a lot of little ones," said Pish.

Ed Burke Memorial Futurity fastest qualifier Lindas Dasher will try to do it again when she starts in trials to the Grade 1, $300,000 Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Association Breeders Futurity at 350 yards on Friday night at Los Alamitos.

In the Grade 1 Ed Burke Futurity trials, Lindas Dasher showed she thrives at the PCQHRA trial distance of 350 yards by winning in 17.35 seconds. She followed that effort with a dead heat for second place in the Ed Burke finals with Flyn GT, who should win his maiden in the fourth PCQHRA Futurity trial.

AUBURN, Wash. - Trainer Pete Axmaker will send out two of the six horses in Friday's Emerald Downs feature, a 5 1/2 furlong affair for 3-year-old fillies eligible to be claimed for $25,000 to $20,000.

Axmaker will saddle One for You, who races for Coal Creek Farm, and She'sonmymind, who races for Webjorn and Solgunn Eikrem. Because they have different owners, the two fillies will race uncoupled.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Three weeks ago, trainer Bob Holthus swept Ellis Park's major stakes races for 2-year-olds, taking the $100,000 Ellis Park Juvenile with a colt named Elusive Chris, and the $100,000 Fisher Debutante with the filly Kota.

Sunday, on closing day at Arlington, Holthus has a chance for a second sweep, as Elusive Chris runs in the $200,000 Arlington-Washington Futurity, Kota in the $100,000 Arlington-Washington Lassie. The Futurity is run as a Breeders' Cup-sponsored race this season, and $50,000 of its purse is Breeders' Cup money.