DEL MAR, Calif. - After Borrego finished 10th in the Kentucky Derby and seventh in the Preakness Stakes in May, trainer Beau Greely knew that the talented 3-year-old needed a break.

"After the Preakness, he was pretty worn out," Greely said.

Greely said that Borrego has shown signs of rebounding in recent weeks. Friday, Borrego will try for his first stakes win, in the $75,000 El Cajon Stakes for 3-year-olds at Del Mar.

"It looks like he's bounced back in good form," Greely said. "He's starting to shine again. It looks like a good spot."

DEL MAR, Calif. - Our New Recruit, unraced since winning the $2 million Golden Shaheen Sprint in Dubai in March, is expected to make a comeback in Monday's $75,000 Pirate's Bounty Handicap at Del Mar.

Trained by John Sadler for CRK Stable, Our New Recruit is a candidate for the Breeders' Cup Sprint at Lone Star Park on Oct. 30, depending on how he fares in coming weeks.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Gander, the popular 8-year-old New York-bred gelding who banked more than $1.8 million, broke the short pastern bone in his left foreleg during a workout Wednesday and will not race again.

The injury was not deemed life-threatening by Dr. Don Baker, a track veterinarian. Gander was scheduled to undergo surgery Thursday at the Rood and Riddle Equine Clinic in Lexington, Ky. Baker called the injury unusual because the break ran across the bone, rather than up and down, as is usually the case. The short pastern bone is between the foot and the ankle.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Golden Commander has two streaks in play in the $65,000-added Troy at Saratoga on Friday. A 4-year-old New York-bred, he has yet to win in open company, but is also undefeated in three starts at Saratoga.

Golden Commander is part of a very competitive inaugural running of the Troy, for 4-year-olds and up at one mile on the turf. The Troy has drawn a field of nine, with an additional six horses listed as main-track only. If the race is moved to the main track, it will be run at seven furlongs.

Away from the races for more than seven months, Fait Accompli surged past Leedle Dee in the final strides to win the $65,000-added inaugural running of the for New York-bred fillies and mares at Saratoga on Wednesday.

Fait Accompli ($14) was along the rail in sixth turning for home, but she split horses under Aaron Gryder leaving the sixteenth pole and wore down Leedle Dee to win by a half-length. Cat's Roar was third.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Photographers would make the worst horse trainers. They fall in love with all of them - a noble and useful trait when capturing horses on film, but sometimes a curse when it comes to training them.

Wednesday morning was beautiful. The sun was out for a change. The air had a crisp, fresh feel. The pressure of the Travers was long gone. Mornings like this are becoming scarce with only one week left at Saratoga.

Photographer Barbara Livingston was at the trunk of her car, fighting back tears.

SAN MATEO, Calif. - Bay Meadows' 70th anniversary racing season begins a 49-day run Friday with a new racing secretary and an unsettled situation regarding which group will operate the track in 2005.

Magna Entertainment Corp. will conduct what could be its final Bay Meadows meeting. The company has conducted racing at Bay Meadows since 2000, but the Bay Meadows Land Co., which owns the track and the land it sits on, has indicated it wants to take over racing operations in 2005. Magna leases the track from the land company, and the lease expires Jan. 1, 2005.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Adoration, the Breeders' Cup Distaff winner, who shipped into Arlington on Monday, breezed a half-mile in 48 seconds here Wednesday morning, her final serious exercise before racing Saturday in the Arlington Matron Handicap.

Martin de Ruben, an exercise rider for trainer David Hofmans, was aboard for the breeze and told Hofmans afterward that Adoration "went great, really easy," Hofmans said.

"All I wanted was for her to finish up strong, and that's what she did," Hofmans said.

Gold Storm is stepping up his game at an opportune time. He ran a career-best race last weekend in the $150,000 Arlington Breeders' Cup Sprint, and a good performance in next month's Grade 3, $250,000 Phoenix at Keeneland would lead to a run at the $1 million Breeders' Cup Sprint.

The BC Sprint will be run at Gold Storm's home track of Lone Star Park. He returned there earlier this week after earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 111 for his powerful win in the Arlington BC.

Retama Park and Evangeline Downs will combine to offer a regional pick four on Saturday night. The wager coincides with one of Retama's biggest programs. The track will be running two turf stakes for 2-year-olds: the $100,000 Ketel One El Joven and the $100,000 M2 Technology La Senorita.

Both are part of the pick four, which includes the sixth, seventh, and eighth races from Retama and the ninth race from Evangeline Downs - the Matron Stakes.