DEL MAR, Calif. - Night Patrol was considered a live longshot in the San Diego Handicap three weeks ago, but whatever chance he had went by the wayside the first stride out of the gate, when he stumbled badly. He remarkably remained in the thick of the battle until the top of the stretch, when his eventful trip took its toll.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Bettors at Del Mar on Thursday might get Jippy with it.

Forget trying to pronounce , who could start as a slight favorite in the featured seventh race. Leave that to a trained professional, like track announcer Trevor Denman. Instead, just call him Jippy.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - A day after he worked Society Selection a mile on Monday, trainer Allen Jerkens said he "would probably" run the filly in Saturday's Grade 1, $750,000 Alabama rather than the Grade 1, $250,000 Ballerina against older fillies and mares on Aug. 29.

The Alabama, which is for 3-year-old fillies, will be run at 1 1/4 miles. The Ballerina is run at seven furlongs, the same distance as the Grade 1 Test, which Society Selection won earlier in the meet.

Society Selection is without a win in three starts in two-turn races.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - A year ago at Saratoga, Traffic Chief turned heads with an impressive two-length win in the Albany. On Thursday, he makes his second start since the Albany in the $65,000-added John Morrissey Stakes

A 6 1/2-furlong race, the Morrissey drew a solid field of nine New York-breds.

has run only once in a sprint race, and that was when he won his career debut in a six-furlong race at Aqueduct in 2002. Winner of the New York Derby last year, Traffic Chief hasn't raced since finishing sixth in the Empire Classic at Belmont on Oct. 18.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - There could be a strong Monmouth Park flavor at Saratoga for Travers Day on Aug. 28.

It starts with the Travers itself, where Lion Heart, winner of the Monmouth's Haskell Invitational and Long Branch Stakes, will be one of the favorites in the Mid-Summer Derby.

Joe Bravo, Monmouth's leading rider, will have the return call on Lion Heart for Saratoga-based trainer Patrick Biancone.

Hotstufanthensome and Frisky Spider, a pair of prominent Monmouth runners, could turn up in supporting stakes on the Travers card.

When jockey Francisco Torres rode three races last Thursday at Louisiana Downs, the mounts were his first in North America since November 2000. His presence raised questions, and Torres is not dodging them.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Bold Arctic Ice, unbeaten in two starts this year, will try to stretch her speed from five to seven furlongs in Thursday's Woodbine feature, a second-level allowance for fillies and mares on the grass.

Bold Arctic Ice, trained by Robert Martin for owner-breeder Linda Mason, won her maiden against Ontario-sired opponents in her 10th career outing June 23.

AUBURN, Wash. - A field of seven fillies and mares will contend for a purse of $14,300 in Thursday's top offering at Emerald Downs, a six-furlong sprint for $20,000 to $15,000 claimers.

The purse for Thursday's headliner reflects an increase of 15 percent that will prevail throughout the final 20 days of this meeting and all of next year, courtesy of a $1.6 million contribution from the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe.

All the details are coming together. Lone Star Park near Dallas has begun installing 38,000 temporary seats for this year's Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships. The track has also released the condition book for the fall meet, continues to manicure its dirt and turf courses, and is generally bracing itself for the expected Breeders' Cup crowd of 50,000 on Oct. 30.

Louisiana Downs in Bossier City, La., will have its earliest start date since 1996 next year, opening for 93 days of Thoroughbred racing on April 29. The meet, which will run through Oct. 9, was approved by the Louisiana Racing Commission on Monday.

The commission also awarded Evangeline Downs an 88-date meet for Thoroughbreds in 2005, from April 7 through Sept. 5. Evangeline will move to its new home in Opelousas, La., next year. Evangeline received approval to run a limited number of Quarter Horses races during that meet, beginning on Aug. 21.