Smarty Jones, the recently retired winner of this year's Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, will parade between races on Aug. 14 at Philadelphia Park, the track where the horse is stabled.

Remington Park could enter an era of prosperity if a statewide gaming referendum is passed by Oklahoma voters on Nov. 2. But for now, it's business as usual as the track opens for a 67-date meet on Friday night. The season will run through Dec. 5.

Optimism for what the future might hold has led to a strong roster of stables at Remington this year. Trainers Donnie Von Hemel, who has won 11 titles at the track, defending champ Joe Offolter, Joe Petalino, and Joe Lucas will be joined by new stables, like that of Bret Calhoun.

Turf sprint specialists Nicole's Dream and Tangier Sound, separated by only a nose when they met in Kentucky this spring, are rematched in Friday night's $50,000 Jenny Wade Handicap at Penn National Race Course.

The five-furlong grass race for fillies and mares, which drew a field of 12 plus three also-eligibles, will be run as race 2 on a nine-race program that begins at 7:25 p.m. Eastern.

On April 29 at Churchill Downs, front-running Nicole's Dream barely held off the late rush of Tangier Sound in the $117,000 Mamzelle.

LANSING, Mich. - About 500 members of the Michigan racing industry, representing Thoroughbred, Standardbred, and Quarter Horse interests, traveled to the state capitol in Lansing on Wednesday to protest against House Bill 4612, which, if passed, would hurt the chances of the state's tracks gaining slot machines.

COLUMBUS, Neb. - Gene DeRoin made a big move in the trainer standings last weekend. After being shut out with five starters on opening weekend, he sent 10 horses to the post last weekend and scored doubles on both Saturday and Sunday to move into a three-way tie for second in the standings.

David Anderson leads the way with six wins, followed by DeRoin, James Compton, and Marv Johnson with four wins each.

Fly Slama Jama stamped himself as the early favorite for the $100,000 Texas Hall of Fame Stakes when he defeated open company in Saturday night's $50,000 Retama Park Turf Breeders' Cup Handicap. The Hall of Fame is restricted to horses bred in Texas and will be run at Retama on Sept. 18.

Heros Call, the 2003 co-champion distance horse, will be a solid favorite to get his first 2004 victory in the $18,000 MD Barns Distance Challenge at Los Alamitos on Friday night.

The weekend at Los Alamitos is highlighted by the Grade 1, $141,000 Vessels Maturity on Saturday night. Buccaneer Beach, who nearly broke the 400-yard track record in his trial victory for the Vessels, is by far the race's fastest qualifier.

Beau's Town is a horse who wins more races than he loses, which made his 10th place finish in last month's Grade 1 Bing Crosby Breeders' Cup a surprise. But he had a logical excuse for the defeat, and is headed next to the $150,000 Arlington Breeders' Cup Sprint at Arlington Park on Aug. 28, said his owner, Dave Hulkewicz.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Hour of Justice asserted her dominance over the local sprinting turf fillies and mares on Monday, winning the Grade 3 Royal North in impressive fashion.

"She's always impressed me since I've had her," said Mike Keogh, who took over as Hour of Justice's trainer this spring and has sent her out to win both of her 2004 starts. She is owned and was bred by Stronach Stable. "She worked like she's a really good horse."

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - A Bit O'Gold is unquestionably the best dirt horse in Sunday's $500,000 Breeders' Stakes, the third leg of the Canadian Triple Crown.

A Bit O'Gold was second as the favorite in the $1 million Queen's Plate, and he defeated Plate winner Niigon in the second leg of the series, the Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie, also on the main track.