AUBURN, Wash. - Aubrey Villyard, the trainer of Random Memo, was clearly nervous as they loaded the 3-year-olds into the gate for Sunday's $42,250 Tacoma Handicap at a mile.

"I'll be glad when this is over," he said.

As it turned out, Villyard was glad when the Tacoma was over. That was because Random Memo went to the front and never looked back, drawing off to win by 4 1/4 lengths under Gallyn Mitchell in 1:35.80. Pool Boy held second as the slight 2-1 favorite over Random Memo, while Jablunkov Pass got up for third in the field of eight at 18-1.

WINNIPEG, Manitoba - Remiewaterbluz defends her title against nine fillies and mares in Thursday's $40,000 Canada Day Stakes over one mile.

Remiewaterbluz has been favored in all three of her starts here this year. Trained by Clayton Gray, Remiewaterbluz finished second and third in two allowances races before winning the La Verendrye Stakes on June 13. Paul Leacock retains the mount from post 6.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Someone's bubble will have to burst when Cut and Shoot and Dashing Admiral, both undefeated in three starts to date, square off at Woodbine in Thursday's Achievement Handicap.

The Achievement, a six-furlong race for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds, attracted a field of five and will be worth $159,900.

Cut and Shoot, trained by Mark Casse, should rule the choice off his sharp last-out victory in the six-furlong Afleet here May 29.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Twisted Wit and Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk both were considered to be potential Queen's Plate material heading into this season.

However, Twisted Wit and Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk, both trained by Bob Tiller, saw their Queen's Plate hopes evaporate when they were outdistanced in their last starts around two turns.

Both horses will be back here Thursday in their preferred milieu, which is sprinting, and will be looking to atone in the six-furlong Achievement Handicap.

FORT ERIE, Ontario - A horses for courses angle might be the way to go here in Thursday's $100,000 Canada Day, a six-furlong stakes for Canadian-bred older horses at Fort Erie.

Four Woodbine-based runners make up the field on the special holiday program. Two of them, Barbeau Ruckus and Krz Ruckus, sport glowing records at the Fort.

Barbeau Ruckus is 2 for 2 here, winning back-to-back stakes last summer in the $75,000 H. Addison Jr. and the $78,000 Cool Reception, both at 1 1/16 miles.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Bobby Frankel thought enough of Powerful Touch to nominate him to Grade 1 events such as this Saturday's Suburban Handicap and the following Saturday's Hollywood Gold Cup.

But Frankel has found an easier spot for Powerful Touch in Wednesday's $50,000 third-level allowance feature at Belmont Park. Powerful Touch will take on four rivals in the nine-furlong race, including recent allowance winner Seek Gold and the stakes-placed Roaring Fever.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Trainers Bobby Frankel and Christophe Clement will have one eye on The Weather Channel and the other on their horses this week as they try to get ready for Saturday's Grade 1, $500,000 Suburban Handicap at Belmont Park.

Neither Frankel, who trains Peace Rules, nor Clement, who trains Dynever, want to run their horse on an off track. As of Monday, the forecast called for scattered thunderstorms Saturday. Both Frankel and Clement said that if the track comes up wet Saturday, they will most likely scratch and run in the $750,000 Hollywood Gold Cup on July 10.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - With the Independence Day weekend comes the traditional trio of six-figure stakes races that signals the end of another Churchill Downs spring meet: the Firecracker, Debutante, and Bashford Manor.

But when the meet's final six-day stretch begins Wednesday, the focus will be on big money of another sort: the kind that horseplayers can take home for themselves.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - With the Churchill Downs spring meet ending Monday, trainers stabled here with top horses are looking ahead to shipping elsewhere for major races.

One of those races, the Cornhusker Breeders' Cup at Prairie Meadows, will be run Saturday while the Churchill meet is still winding down. At least three local horses are scheduled to travel Thursday by charter flight to Iowa to run in the Cornhusker: Perfect Drift, Crafty Shaw, and Roses in May.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Since arriving in California last fall, Magnificent Val has been first or second in six starts, including in two raids on minor stakes at Turf Paradise.

Wednesday at Hollywood Park, bettors will expect her to extend that streak when she goes off as the favorite in an optional claimer over 1 1/16 miles on turf. The purse for the race is $58,000.