ELMONT, N.Y. - Whoopi Cat, a filly who showed much promise at 2 but has fallen on hard times at 3, takes a drop into allowance company Thursday at Belmont Park to try to jump-start her career.

takes on four challengers, including Why You, in a second-level allowance race at six furlongs.

It was at Belmont Park 11 months ago when Whoopi Cat won her debut by six lengths. One month later, she splashed home an easy winner of the Grade 2 Adirondack Stakes at muddy Saratoga, but illness sidelined her the rest of the year.

CHICAGO - Tom Amoss is having a nice little Arlington meet. His satellite operation here, overseen on a day-to-day basis by assistant trainer Chris Richard, has won three races from 10 starters. Down to the south, the Amoss stable is going crazy. At Churchill Downs, where he keeps the bulk of the horses he trains, Amoss has hit a hot streak, and through June 7 he had 17 winners there, ranking second in a very deep trainer colony.

The winning could drift north Thursday, when the Amoss-trained Smooth as Silver starts as the likely favorite in Arlington's featured eighth race.

Mr. Jester, who won his career debut last year at Louisiana Downs before going on to capture several stakes, is due to return to training at the Bossier City, La., track within the next two weeks, said his trainer, Steve Wren.

Mr. Jester's main objective at the meet will be the Grade 2, $500,000 Super Derby on Sept. 25.

Mr. Jester is being freshened after finishing ninth to Smarty Jones in the $1 million Arkansas Derby on April 10. The initial plan was to give him 45 days off at a farm in Arkansas, but his vacation has been extended to 60 days.

Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore made up losses in in-state betting with increases in wagering on its Preakness Stakes card, allowing the track to finish virtually even with last year's all-sources handle figures during its 48-day spring meet.

All-sources handle, counting betting on the track's races and betting by customers on out-of-state signals, was $266.2 million this year, up slightly from last year's total of $265 million, also during a 48-day meet, according to figures provided by Pimlico. Pimlico's meet began on March 31 and ended Sunday.

SAN MATEO, Calif. - Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer had a deep collection of 2-year-old fillies last year, and they have gotten even better this year at 3.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Woodstock Stakes runner-up Estevan will take on older opponents in his turf debut in Thursday's eighth race, a second-level allowance run at six furlongs.

Estevan, a Grand Slam colt trained by Josie Carroll, was one of the top 2-year-olds at Woodbine last year. He won his maiden by 24 lengths in his second start in August, and finished third as the heavy favorite next time out, in the Swynford Stakes.

AUBURN, Wash. - Rightbyu, who was named claimer of the meeting after winning five races at Emerald last season, drops to the $8,000 level to take on nine other older fillies and mares in Thursday's six-furlong feature.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The Plate Trial was run here last Sunday but there's still one stop left on the Queen's Plate trail, the 1 1/8-mile Victoria Park.

One trainer who will be hoping to use Sunday's $125,000 Victoria Park as a launching pad to the June 27 Plate is John Ross, who will send out Picadilly Bay in the open race for 3-year-olds.

Owned by Gary Wellwood and Larry Titchner, Picadilly Bay showed promise in three starts at 2, running second at seven furlongs and at 1 1/16 miles before faltering badly in the Cup and Saucer over 1 1/16 miles of turf.

AUBURN, Wash. - Most fans thought Sunday's Washington State Legislators Stakes would be a rerun of the May 9 Hastings Park Handicap, which was contested at the same 6 1/2 furlongs, and in one respect they were right.

Trainer Todd Pletcher had been intending to run Limehouse in Saturday's Grade 2, $350,000 Ohio Derby all along. On Monday, Thistledown officials found out Pletcher intends to run Pollard's Vision, too.

Limehouse and Pollard's Vision are expected to be joined by six others in the Ohio Derby, a 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds. Others expected to run are Lane's End winner Sinister G, Trieste's Honor, Dashboard Drummer, Brass Hat, Jandemar, and perhaps Texas Deputy.