WINNIPEG, Manitoba - Kalfaari faces new competition as he returns to Assiniboia Downs in Sunday's featured sixth race, a five-furlong allowance valued at $16,000.

Owned and trained by Clint Willson, Kalfaari was last seen here winning the Free Press Stakes on June 15, 2003. A 7-year-old gelding, he went on to win two stakes at Northlands Park and one at Hastings last year.

Kalfaari began this year with a third-place finish in an allowance race at Hastings on April 18. A son of Alfaari, he is 10 for 14 locally and has won 5 of 6 starts at five or 5 1/2 furlongs.

FORT ERIE, Ontario - Trainer John Simms wasn't having much luck when the Fort Erie meeting opened last Saturday.

Simms entered six runners for the first three days, and none of the races filled.

But that changed on Tuesday, which was a "go" for three of his horses, and all of them won. So Simms sat alone atop of the trainer standing at the end of week 1.

A record pick six pool at Churchill Downs resulted in 33 perfect tickets, each worth $63,045, after more than $2 million was bet into the wager on Thursday.

Tickets with 5 of 6 winners returned a consolation payoff of $375.

The Churchill pick six, a $2 minimum, was conducted on races 5 through 10. The winning numbers were 1-4-1-9-1-13.

Only one of the winners, Pay the Fox ($4) in the seventh race, was favored. The other winners were: Lods ($10.20), Federale ($12.20), Sweet Bernice ($22.20), Two Dot Slew ($7.20), and Champagne Now ($9.40)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Trainer David Carroll would love to win Saturday's $100,000 Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs with Fire Slam. His goal, however, is the Grade 2 Riva Ridge Stakes at Belmont Park on June 5.

The Matt Winn is a prep for the Riva Ridge at seven furlongs, which Carroll believes is an ideal distance for Fire Slam. Following four consecutive two-turn routes, the prospect of running Fire Slam in the six-furlong Matt Winn against the likes of Cuvee and Wildcat Shoes has Carroll less than enthusiastic.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Trainer Larry Jones said Thursday that Kentucky Oaks runner-up Island Sand may not race again until the June 26 Mother Goose, the Grade 1, 1 1/8-mile race at Belmont Park that just happens to be the major early-summer goal for her Oaks conqueror, Ashado.

"We don't know exactly what will be next," Jones said from his primary summer base at Prairie Meadows in Iowa. "We may have a race before the Mother Goose, or we might not."

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - The career of Gassan Royal has been geared toward races such as Saturday's $350,000 Jim Murray Memorial Handicap at Hollywood Park, a 1 1/2-mile turf race.

Trained by Bobby Frankel, has raced exclusively on turf, finished first or second in his eight starts, and won optional claimers over 1 1/4 miles at Santa Anita in his last two starts.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Away from the races an entire year, Hombre Rapido could have taken a path of little resistance for a comeback. Trainer John Sadler had other ideas: "I didn't want to waste one."

Rather than ease back into competition, Hombre Rapido dives into the deep end Saturday at Hollywood Park, returning in the Grade 3 . It's an ambitious spot for a horse who has not started since last May 8, when he won this race by a length. His trainer is confident a repeat is within reach.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Even the Score was not ready for a top effort when he finished third in the San Bernardino Handicap at Santa Anita on April 3, his first start of the year.

"He was about two works short and we were very happy with the way he ran," trainer Vladimir Cerin said.

The same storyline will not apply when Even the Score returns in Saturday's $150,000 Mervyn LeRoy Handicap at Hollywood Park.

"If he loses, we'll have to have a different excuse. He's not short," Cerin said. "He's a pretty good horse."

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - The Santa Lucia Handicap at Santa Anita on April 4 is turning out to be a key race. That bodes well for Hope Rises's chances in Sunday's $250,000 Vanity Handicap at Hollywood Park.

Summer Wind Dancer, the runner-up in the Santa Lucia, returned to finish a game second to Royally Chosen in the B. Thoughtful Stakes at Hollywood Park on April 24. Royally Chosen was seventh in the Santa Lucia.

Pesci, who was third in the Santa Lucia, returned to win an optional claimer by 8 1/2 lengths at Hollywood Park on April 30.

ELMONT, N.Y. - It has been nearly 14 months since trainer Scott Lake claimed Shake You Down for $65,000 and then developed him into one of the best sprinters in the country.

has won six stakes since the claim, including last year's Bold Ruler Handicap at Belmont Park. On Saturday, Shake You Down will be the heavy favorite to win the $100,000-added Bold Ruler for the second year in a row.

Undefeated in three starts at Belmont, Shake You Down is the 121-pound highweight and gives eight to 10 pounds to his five rivals in the six-furlong race.