ETOBICOKE, Ontario - South Bay Cove, Woodbine's fastest 2-year-old filly, will be a prohibitive favorite in Sunday's My Dear Stakes, a five-furlong dash worth $137,625.

South Bay Cove is out of My Dear winner Fantasy Lake, Canada's champion 2-year-old filly in 1998, who like South Bay Cove was owned by Windhaven and trained by Roger Attfield. South Bay Cove made quite a splash in her May 22 debut, winning a 4 1/2-furlong maiden special here in a time of 52.80 seconds, good for a Beyer Figure of 87.

FORT ERIE, Ontario - Returning to her specialty, Ontheqt bears watching in Sunday's $100,000 Daryl Wells Sr. Memorial, a supporting feature to the $250,000 Bison City Stakes.

The six-furlong stakes, which drew a field of six, is for Canadian-bred fillies and mares.

"I did something you're not supposed to do," said Reade Baker, who trains Ontheqt and owns the 3-year-old in partnership with his wife, Janis Maine. "I tried to run her in the Selene. Obviously, she couldn't go that far. It knocked her out."

WINNIPEG, Manitoba - Strike an Image is the one to beat in Sunday's $20,000 North Dakota Derby at Assiniboia Downs, a one-mile race for 3-year-olds eligible through the North Dakota Thoroughbred Association.

Trained by Jack Robertson, Strike an Image won last year's restricted North Dakota Futurity. This year, the daughter of Patriot Strike has raced twice, finishing fifth in the Chantilly Stakes in her most recent effort.

Strike an Image will break from post 5 with Jason Leacock in the irons.

ALTOONA, Iowa - Savorthetime and Put Me In are the most accomplished runners in Sunday's $100,000 Saylorville for fillies and mares at Prairie Meadows, but they will face several accomplished rivals in the six-furlong race. The Saylorville drew a solid field of six horses who have combined to win 37 races in 86 starts.

ALTOONA, Iowa - Cat Genius and Coach Jimi Lee, two of the top sprinters in the Midwest, head a field of eight entered in Sunday's $125,000 Iowa Sprint Handicap at Prairie Meadows.

The six-furlong Iowa Sprint wraps up the four-day Iowa Festival of Racing, and Sunday's 10-race program also brings the 49-day Thoroughbred meeting to a close.

Cat Genius, 4, comes off what may be the best performance of his 16-race career, when he finished second, beaten 1 1/2 lengths by Speightstown, in the Grade 2 True North Breeders' Cup Handicap at Belmont Park.

AUBURN, Wash. - Poker Brad will carry high weight of 119 pounds, including leading rider Ricky Frazier, when he takes on seven rivals in Sunday's $40,000 Independence Day Handicap at 1 1/16 miles.

EDMONTON, Alberta - Winnipeg invader Ericka's Lass will ride the momentum of two consecutive stakes victories into Sunday's 19th running of the Chariot Chaser Handicap for 3-year-old fillies at Northlands Park.

Honoring the memory of the Lomar Stable's filly who beat the boys in the 1965 Canadian Derby, the Chariot Chaser has a field of seven and will be contested at 6 1/2 furlongs.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Although it has been almost a year since Commodore Craig has won a race, he still figures to be favored over five other older horses in the Hastings feature on Sunday, a 6 1/2-furlong allowance race. Bold 'n Keen, the champion sprinter in British Columbia last year, has also been entered.

CHICAGO - A core group of jockeys at Arlington is continuing to push a plan that would raise money for disabled former riders, and some Arlington riders could be wearing sponsored advertising patches during races this weekend. But the plan continues to meet resistance, and its main initial sponsor, the prominent owner Frank Calabrese, still has not fully committed to participate.

AUBURN, Wash. - A strong blast is expected to come down from Canada on Sunday, but it won't be part of any weather system. It will arrive in the form of Metatron, who figures to show his considerable speed in the $40,000 Independence Day Handicap at Emerald Downs.

"I'm not sure he'll be on the lead, but he'll be awfully close to it," said trainer Mel Snow. "He's too fast to be very far away."