ALBANY, Calif. - Favored Red Rioja sat nicely behind a brisk pace, moved inside in the stretch, and finished strongly to win the Grade 3, $100,000 at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday.

A 5-year-old mare, Red Rioja outkicked Hooked on Niners as both horses wore down A B Noodle in the stretch. Red Rioja ($4) defeated Hooked on Niners by a length in the 1 1/16-mile turf race, winning in 1:46.01 over a soft course.

"She took a half-mile to get into the race and find her action," winning jockey Eric Saint-Martin said.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Skeet overcame a poor start to give trainer Bob Holthus his third stakes win of the young Oaklawn Park meet in the $50,000 King Cotton Stakes. Wacky for Love finished four lengths back in second, while it was another 1 1/2 lengths to Chindi in third.

City Fire won in spite of herself, taking the Nellie Morse Stakes at Laurel Park by a neck after veering out dramatically down the stretch run.

After setting the pace under jockey Abel Castellano Jr. through fractions of 24.08 seconds, 47.70, and 1:11.08, City Fire turned for home with a 2 1/2-length lead over Cruise Along, the 8-5 favorite. Inside the eighth pole, Castellano whipped the filly with his left hand, and she ducked to the outside, but Castellano managed to get her straightened out for the final yards.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Can a horse that has not won a sprint in 10 months still be regarded as the top sprinter in California? Or is Bluesthestandard vulnerable when he returns Sunday in the Grade 2 at Santa Anita?

ARCADIA, Calif. - The race for leading rider at Santa Anita this winter will have much more suspense than last year.

Through Thursday, Alex Solis led all riders with 29 wins, one more than Victor Espinoza and eight in front of Tyler Baze and Mike Smith.

Last year, they all trailed Patrick Valenzuela, who pulled clear to win 94 races, 25 more than David Flores.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Sir Oscar has been training regularly at Calder Race Course since completing his undefeated 2-year-old campaign with a victory in the Jack Price Juvenile Stakes on Nov. 15. On Friday morning, trainer Manny Azpurua took Sir Oscar, a Kentucky Derby hopeful, away from home for the first time to work a mile at Gulfstream Park.

ALBANY, Calif. - Trainers have been busy at the claim box at Golden Gate Fields. From Thursday, Jan. 22 through Thursday, Jan. 29, 21 trainers claimed 30 horses. Among those trainers were Brian Koriner, who won a seven-way shake for Wine Spoken Here on Jan. 22, and William E. Morey, who won a 10-way shake for Bettor Royalty last Wednesday.

The number of trainers claiming horses is a good sign, said trainer John F. Martin.

Jeremy Beasley, the leading rider at Sam Houston Race Park, was taken into custody at the track on Thursday night and charged with sexual assault of a child between the ages of 14 and 16, according to the police. He posted bond and was expected to ride Friday night at Sam Houston.

Beasley, 24, pleaded not guilty during an arraignment, and a preliminary hearing has been set for Feb. 2 in Harris County, according to detective Kenneth Hickey of the Humble, Texas, police. Beasley did not return a call on Friday.

NEW ORLEANS - Herculated, who on Thursday won his second straight race since returning from a layoff, will make his next start in stakes competition. Trainer Mike Stidham said Herculated would be nominated to the Mardi Gras Handicap here Feb. 24 but also said his schedule wasn't firmly set.

Most winter vacationers choose to head to southern states like Florida. Jockey Mike Rowland also went south - across the border, from Ohio to Kentucky.

Rowland, regularly among the leading riders at Thistledown in Cleveland is in the midst of a working vacation this winter at Turfway Park. Thursday, he rode in a snowstorm at Turfway, winning the first race aboard Royal Prophet. Then on Friday, with an evening temperature expected to fall to about 0 degrees, he expressed disappointment that Turfway had to cancel racing due to such extreme cold.