LOUISVILLE, Ky. - They can't all be stellar cards. The spectacular racing that awaits fans at Churchill Downs this weekend means the preceding programs have to pale in comparison, although that smidgen of bad news won't preclude thousands of fans from coming out to break up an otherwise mundane Tuesday.

STICKNEY, Ill. - Pass the Pepper had the rail and the speed in Hawthorne's featured race last Friday, but it did not matter. Hounded for the first three furlongs by Smoke Chaser, Pass the Pepper ran out of gas in the stretch and finished a distant second.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk closed along the inside under jockey Dino Luciani to win his stakes debut Saturday in the $137,375 Woodstock, a six-furlong dash for 3-year-olds at Woodbine.

Imperial Alydeed, the 19-1 outsider in the five-horse field, led through fractions of 22.17 and 44.71 seconds while being stalked by Estevan and favored San Diego Blowout. Estevan hit the front exiting the turn, as Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk sought running room.

Grand Island, Neb. - Sonic West responded with a strong late run over the muddy going to hold off defending champion Dusty Spike and register a 3/4-length victory in Saturday's $100,000 Bosselman/Gus Fonner Stakes.

Ridden by Willie Martinez, Sonic West and Dusty Spike settled in back of the 9-horse field early. Sonic West saved ground racing just off the rail of the mile and a sixteenth test, worked his way through traffic on the far turn and outgamed Dusty Spike and pacesetting Tonight Rainbow through the lane to be slowly edging clear.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Nick Zito is fervently hoping that what occurred in the will soon prove to be an omen. Zito was in the winner's circle at Churchill Downs after sending out Sir Shackleton to a 1 3/4-length triumph in the 80th running of the $110,800 Trial on Saturday, one week before Zito will run The Cliff's Edge and Birdstone in the 130th Kentucky Derby.

Zito, in his normally excitable state following a win of significance, said he "always wanted to win" the Grade 3 Derby Trial. But he was unable to resist looking ahead to the Derby.

STICKNEY, Ill. - After a year and a half of teasing, Allspice finally broke through. A stakes winner at 2, Allspice went winless last season, and she entered the on Saturday at Hawthorne dragging a seven-race losing streak. Tell that to Bare Necessities. In a duel from the sixteenth pole to the finish, Bare Necessities, the 3-10 favorite, came up short, as Allspice dug deeper than ever before.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Overlooked in the betting at 32-1, Chilly Rooster gamely fought off a challenge in the stretch from Union Place, who was 50-1, to win the $111,400 .

Ridden by seven-pound apprentice Shannon Uske, Chilly Rooster became a stakes winner in the Grade 3 Fort Marcy with his half-length victory over Union Place. It was another length back to Slew Valley in third. Remind, the 6-5 favorite, was never in the hunt and finished fifth in the eight-horse field.

SAN MATEO, Calif. - Heavily favored Singletary ($3.40) wore down pacesetting Captain Squire in the stretch to win the $148,750 Grade 2 San Francisco Breeders' Cup Mile.

Singletary, who broke from the outside 7 post, was able to get over quickly and settled behind Captain Squire and longshot Motel Staff. Captain Squire set soft early fractions of 23.35 and 47.16 as he maintained a one-length advantage over Motel Staff.

Calder Race Course opens its doors for the long 2004-05 season on Monday, and expectations are high for another big year at the south Miami oval. The 126-day Calder meet runs through Oct. 23, followed by the Tropical at Calder session, which begins Oct. 24 and continues until Jan. 2, 2005.

Entries for opening day filled to overflowing, with racing secretary Bob Umphrey having to split the main event, the $40,000 That's Our Buck Handicap, into two divisions.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Yearly Report returned from a three-month break to score her second stakes win the $200,000 Melair Stakes for 3-year-old California-bred fillies.

Owned by Golden Eagle Farm and trained by Bob Baffert, Yearly Report was making her first start since winning the Grade 2 Santa Ynez Breeders' Cup Stakes at Santa Anita in January. She had been sidelined in late winter and early spring because of illness.

"It seemed like every time a race would come up, she had a cold," said Betty Mabee, who owns Golden Eagle Farm. "But she's back, big-time."