ALTOONA, Iowa - Synco Peach and Sue's Good News head a field of eight entered in the $40,000 Iowa State Fair Stakes at Prairie Meadows.

Synco Peach was a gate-to-wire three-quarter-length winner over Sue's Good News in a seven-furlong optional claiming race at Arlington Park Aug. 5, the most recent start for each.

The win was Synco Peach's fourth in five starts in 2004 for trainer Percy Scherbenske. A 4-year-old daughter of Whatjathink, Synco Peach tries for her first career stakes win when she cuts back to six furlongs in Saturday's State Fair Stakes.

FARMINGTON, N.Y. - Donna Biretta, who trains the much-heralded juvenile colt Caribbean Cruiser, says she is very superstitious before a race and does not like talking too much about a horse. On the Finger Lakes backside this week, there have been countless others doing the talking about Caribbean Cruiser.

EAST BOSTON, Mass. - The sides haggling over three proposed turf races at Rockingham Park over Labor Day weekend are close to reaching an agreement, according to officials at the Salem, N.H., track.

Rockingham wants to card three grass flat races at the end of its scheduled harness racing program on Sunday, Sept. 5, in a move to bring Thoroughbred racing back to the track for the first time in almost two years. The Rock switched to harness racing when it could not reach a contract with the New England Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association following the 2002 season.

AUBURN, Wash. - A highly competitive field of nine 3-year-old fillies, topped by Swingn' Notes, will get the biggest weekend of the Emerald Downs meet off to a fast start in Saturday's $100,000 Washington Breeders' Cup Oaks.

Sunday's card will feature the 69th running of the Grade 3, $250,000 Longacres Mile and the $100,000 Emerald Breeders' Cup Distaff.

EDMONTON, Alberta - Both $60,000 Sales Stakes, one for for 2-year-old colts and geldings and one for fillies, attracted fields of eight sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs at Northlands Park Saturday.

The stakes are designed to bring attention to the annual yearling sale on Monday, with 196 cataloged. There will also be $50,000 Sales Stakes for 3-year-olds next month and, for the first time, $50,000 Sales Stakes for 4-year-olds in October.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - With no other speed to run with him early, Five Point Star will be very tough to handle in the $40,000 Hastings Speed Handicap on Saturday. It would be a different story if Deputy County were to start, but he's been entered only in case he encounters problems at the Unites States border when he heads to Emerald Downs to run in the Longacres Mile Sunday.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - The last time Shacane ran in an actual race was in the fall of 2002, when he beat Futural in the Grade 3 Premiers. That win combined with two other stakes wins earlier in the meet brought his record to five wins from seven starts and helped him earn the local 3-year-old title. He'll make his return this Saturday in the Hastings Speed Handicap.

FORT ERIE, Ontario - Trainer Jennifer Johnson didn't make much of a mark here when she left her Vancouver base and competed at Fort Erie last year.

Johnson brought a handful of runners from the training center on her British Columbia family farm and then went winless in 16 starts at the meet. Nevertheless, while back home she hankered to return for the 2004 meet.

Johnson's scorecard wasn't as bad as it appeared. Her runners finished second five times and third three times. She found the Eastern track enjoyable; it was the place to be, she decided.

WINNIPEG, Manitoba - After an 18-day break, the Assiniboia Downs stakes schedule resumes Saturday with the $40,000 Agassiz. Five older Manitoba-bred males will contest the one-mile feature.

Heading the field is Fancy Bru, whose last three victories have come in stakes races restricted to Manitoba-breds. Two starts ago, Fancy Bru beat 4-year-olds in the Manitoba Maturity. Last year, the Gary Danelson-trained gelding defeated 3-year-olds in the J.W. Sifton and Manitoba stakes.

SASKATOON, Saskatchewan - A total of 24 Saskatchewan-bred 2- and 3-year-olds will compete at Marquis Downs Saturday in four $10,000 Heritage races, making it the richest day of racing in the province.

The 2-year-olds will run 6 1/2 furlongs and the 3-year-olds will run 1 1/16 miles, with races for colts and geldings and fillies of each age.

Megan's Way and Lucky in the Lead headline the Parkland Heritage for 3-year-old fillies in the night's seventh race.