Keeneland Race Course on Thursday released its stakes schedule for the 17-day fall meet with only subtle revisions to the usual high-class fare.

Two of the 12 graded stakes to be run at the Lexington, Ky., track now sport a higher grade and larger purse: the Lane's End Breeders' Futurity went from Grade 2 to Grade 1 and is now worth $500,000, up from $400,000, while the Raven Run Stakes is up one notch to a Grade 2 and is worth $200,000, an increase of $50,000. The purse for the Storm Cat Stakes has also been raised from $75,000 to $100,000.

A bankruptcy court judge in New Orleans on Thursday approved an amended financial disclosure statement filed by Fair Grounds Race Course, paving the way for the track to be auctioned in bankruptcy court Aug. 16.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The future seemed to be burning bright for I'm the Tiger when he returned from Florida this spring.

I'm the Tiger, a Kentucky homebred who races for Stronach Stable, had left Gulfstream on a triumphant note, having captured a 6 1/2-furlong dash under third-level allowance terms on Feb. 14.

But respect for I'm the Tiger, a 4-year-old gelding, stemmed not so much from that success but from a half-length defeat in his previous start.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - It has taken only four starts for Alumni Hall to earn a spot in an open stakes race. He is making up for the lost years.

Alumni Hall turned 5 this past Jan. 1, and three months later he made his career debut. Five-year-old maidens are not supposed to be runners, even if they have top-end pedigrees, even if Neil Howard trains them. Alumni Hall was 17-1 on April 3 at Keeneland. He broke 10th from the rail, was checked at the top of the stretch, and still bulled his way to a 1 1/4-length victory.

PLEASANTON, Calif. - Races often create a niche for themselves, developing reputations for quality year after year.

The Alameda County Fair's sprint championship, the $50,000 Sam J. Whiting Memorial Handicap, which tops the Saturday card, is such a race. And despite a switch in dates this year, the six-furlong Whiting again has drawn a deep, well-balanced field of eight sprinters.

"We usually run it the first weekend of the meet, but we pushed it back one week because the Bay Meadows Breeders' Cup Sprint ran on June 19," racing secretary Greg Brent said.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Jockey Chris DeCarlo was distracted at the start of High Court's North American debut, but the filly never lost focus.

High Court scored an impressive rallying win in the Fort Monmouth Stakes at Monmouth Park on May 30. That effort earned her a spot in Monmouth's Grade 3, $100,000 Eatontown Handicap on Saturday. She also is entered for Saturday in the Grade 3, $200,000 All Along at Colonial Downs.

The Eatontown represents a step up in class, but High Court looked ready for the challenge in Fort Monmouth.

EAST BOSTON, Mass. - With the top three all-time female riders either retired or currently inactive, Jill Jellison is now the leading active female jockey in terms of wins. She had a big comeback this week and won two races Monday following three months on the sidelines with a broken collarbone.

Berdelia has something most 2-year-olds don't have on their resume this early in the year: a stakes win. Because of that, Berdelia could be a slight favorite in a competitive division of the $125,000 Texas Stallion Stakes at Lone Star Park on Saturday.

The 5 1/2-furlong race for 2-year-old fillies is restricted to the offspring of stallions nominated to the Stallion Stakes program, and it drew a field of nine. Other top contenders in the race are Rockin' Kate, Magnolia Belle and Rockin Regent.

BOSSIER CITY, La. - Last year, a son of Silver Deputy stepped up to win the $50,000 Pioneer Stakes at Louisiana Downs off a local maiden win. Before the year was out, Mr. Jester had earned more than $700,000 and was the nation's third-richest 2-year-old. On Saturday, his trainer, Steve Wren, will send out another son of Silver Deputy in this year's renewal of the Pioneer.

"It would be too interesting if he were to win it," said Wren.

Some racing fans might still be wondering what happened three weeks ago at Arlington Park, where Mayo on the Side labored home a weak fourth in the Chicago Breeders' Cup as the 3-10 favorite.

Trainer Carl Nafzger and his staff were wondering, too, but were unable to come up with any plausible excuse for Mayo on the Side in that race. "Horse racing" is how a disappointed Ian Wilkes attempted to explain the defeat several days after the fact.