DEL MAR, Calif. - Shaq and Kobe are no longer together with the Lakers, but they could be vying for a championship at Del Mar this summer. Christian's Eagle (nicknamed Shaq) and Roman Ruler (Kobe) are two of the top colts trained by Bob Baffert, who has the strength in both talent and numbers to reclaim his position as the dominant trainer of 2-year-olds at Del Mar.

DEL MAR, Calif. - For the last three months, Leif Dickinson has looked toward opening day at Del Mar with guarded anticipation.

Recently hired as the track's grounds superintendent, Dickinson has taken over responsibility for the condition of Del Mar's seven-furlong turf course, which was widely criticized last year for being too hard and too fast.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Musical Chimes, a middle-distance turf filly, got a late start on racing this year and found few opportunities that suited her. So, trainer Neil Drysdale was forced to run her not once, but twice against males.

"We got a little bit off on the wrong foot," Drysdale said Monday at Del Mar. "She came around a little late. She didn't come to hand as quickly as we anticipated, so we were playing a bit of catch-up."

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Hollywood Park showed slight declines in average daily attendance and mutuel handle at the 65-day spring-summer meeting that ended Sunday.

The all-sources average handle of $10,807,693 marked a drop of 1.4 percent from the 2003 meeting.

Ontrack average attendance fell 1.8 percent, from 8,498 to 8,348, while average attendance at intertrack locations in Southern California fell 4 percent, to 9,889. The overall average was 18,237, a drop of 3 percent.

Owner Ernie Paragallo, who has campaigned top horses such as Artax and Unbridled's Song, plans to disperse the majority of his racing stock and broodmare band over the next several months.

According to Paragallo's trainer, Jennifer Pedersen, Paragallo is downsizing because of health concerns, though she would not be specific. Paragallo, 46, did not respond to phone messages on Monday seeking comment.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Wednesday starts the countdown at Belmont Park's 61-day spring meet, which concludes Sunday. The card features a pick six carryover of $51,986 and a stakes-quality turf race for fillies and mares, which includes Grade 1 winner Buy the Sport.

Buy the Sport, who won last year's Grade 1 Gazelle at Belmont on the dirt, is among seven runners in Wednesday's seventh race, an optional claimer with a purse of $56,000. Katzen is the only horse entered for the $100,000 claiming price in the one-mile Widener turf race.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Todd Pletcher didn't want to waste two days stewing over the controversial disqualification of Icy Atlantic from first-place in Sunday's Grade 3, $111,100 Lexington Stakes. So shortly after the stewards made their ruling to disqualify Icy Atlantic from first and put him second behind Mustanfar, Pletcher visited the stewards' stand to discuss the incident.

Although Pletcher and the three stewards agreed to disagree on the call, Pletcher does object to one of the standards by which the stewards appeared to make their calls.

DEL MAR, Calif. - A family vacation in 1971 included the usual places for kids to see animals in San Diego. The zoo. Check. Sea World. Check. Del Mar. Del Mar? Yes, this is where a young fan, curious about the sport from having seen it on television, became completely enthralled with horse racing. You don't forget your first love. Del Mar was it for me.

SHAKOPEE, Minn. - It was obvious by early Saturday afternoon that Minnesota racing fans were turning out at Canterbury Park for more than just the hot Pronto Pups and cold Labatt's. Traffic was heavy, both getting into the track and in concession and betting lines, and by day's end, most everyone left the sixth annual Claiming Crown believing they had been part of a special event.

CHICAGO - When they fully register, Apt to Be's career numbers are startling. Now 7, Apt to Be has made 27 starts. At every track except Arlington Park, he has gone 1 for 15 - at Arlington he is 8 for 12. And the kicker is this: Richard Duchossois, Arlington's longtime chairman, bred and owns Apt to Be.