VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Futural is obviously not as good as when he was one of the top handicap horses in southern California in 2001, but he still looks like a standout in Saturday's $35,000 optional race at Hastings. The 1 1/16-mile feature also features 32-time winner J V Bennett, who is coming off a win over $25,000 sprinters on July 10.

EDMONTON, Alberta - The $40,000 Count Lathum, the final prep for the Grade 3 Canadian Derby on Aug. 28, attracted a field of just five locally based horses.

Nevertheless, hope remains high that this year's higher purse of $250,000 for the Canadian Derby, the 1 3/8-mile race that is the centerpiece of the Northlands stakes schedule, will attract shippers from California, Vancouver, Toronto, and Winnipeg.

None of the locals has raced beyond 1 1/16 miles, and the 1 5/16-mile Count Lathum on Saturday would appear to be a necessary steppingstone to the Derby distance.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Lion Heart and My Snookie's Boy were the story in the Long Branch Stakes, the traditional local prep race for the $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park, as they engaged in a stretchlong duel before Lion Heart narrowly prevailed. But what about the other horse who comes out of that race?

OCEANPORT, N.J. - With most of the 10 entrants likely to be looking for the early lead, the pace scenario should work to the advantage of the likely favorites in Saturday's $60,000 Colleen Stakes at Monmouth Park.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Jockey Richard Migliore was already looking forward to this weekend because he is going to ride two of his favorite horses - Seattle Fitz and Artie Schiller - in graded stakes races.

As an added bonus, Migliore will also ride Eddington - a horse he has admired from afar - in Sunday's Grade 2, $500,000 Jim Dandy Stakes for 3-year-olds.

Fair Grounds Race Course and the Louisiana Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association are negotiating a settlement of the video-poker lawsuit the horsemen have pending against the racetrack, and an agreement between the parties could preclude Fair Grounds being auctioned off in bankruptcy court.

Attorneys for the LHBPA and Fair Grounds confirmed negotiations between the two parties were ongoing as of late Thursday, but few details were offered.

"There's been no agreement yet, and that's all I can say," said Jim Gelpi, lead attorney for the horsemen's group.

Although Pollard's Vision is blind in his right eye, his connections are not blind to opportunity. He is entered in Saturday's $600,000 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer Race Track and Sunday's $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth, as trainer Todd Pletcher and owner David Moore of Edgewood Farm weigh which race better suits the horse.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Elloluv was being walked back through the stables following a half-mile workout Thursday morning when jockey Jose Valdivia Jr. caught up with trainer Craig Dollase.

Elloluv had gone in 48 seconds, the first time that Valdivia had ridden the 4-year-old filly.

"She's just asking to be let loose," Valdivia said.

SANTA ROSA, Calif. - Saturday's $100,000 Joseph T. Grace Handicap at the Sonoma County Fair is the premier race of the northern California fair circuit.

The 1 1/16-mile Grace drew only five entrants, but all are stakes winners who have at least placed in a graded stakes.

A year ago, Ghostly Numbers had little trouble disposing of Quest of Fate, along with seven other turf sprinters, to win the Mister Diz Stakes at Laurel Park. Since then, however, Quest of Fate has finished ahead of Ghostly Numbers three times.

Ghostly Numbers is back to defend his title in Saturday's $75,000 Mister Diz, a five-furlong turf sprint for Maryland-breds at Pimlico. In order to win, he must not only deal with Quest of Fate, but possibly two other horses from Ben Feliciano's barn, Nortouch and Ameri Brilliance. All three Feliciano horses will race uncoupled.