HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Nobody knows exactly what will transpire in the the two divisions of an allowance sprint at Gulfstream Park on Wednesday, but if history is a guide, horseplayers will like what they see.

After all, this is the first full week of the Gulfstream meet, where with unlimited futures tend to congregate. If form holds, as it usually does, the splits of an entry-level, seven-furlong allow-ance will produce an eye-popping performance or two, leading most everyone to start thinking about more demanding races such as the Fountain of Youth and Florida Derby.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Though there is a $5 million bonus awarded by Oaklawn Park for a horse that sweeps that track's Rebel Stakes and Arkansas Derby, and then win the Kentucky Derby, that's not the primary reason trainer John Servis is taking Count Fleet Stakes winner to Arkansas.

"We're not going for the bonus," Servis said. "I'm going because I think that's the route that will suit him best."

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Having run in 24 stakes in his last 30 starts, the Grade 1 winner certainly holds a class edge over five rivals in Wednesday's featured optional claiming race at Aqueduct.

ARCADIA, Calif. - For trainer Eoin Harty, it was the perfect storm. Harty wanted to run European import in a maiden race on the dirt in her first start in this country, but there was nothing in the condition book for her. An extra race, however, was added by the racing office for Saturday's card. Trouble was, it was on the turf.

"I'm going to enter, because it's supposed to rain," Harty said the day entries were taken. "I hope it rains enough to take the race off the turf, but not enough to where the track is sloppy."

ARCADIA, Calif. - Fresh off an upset victory by Star Cross in Saturday's San Pasqual Handicap, trainer Darrell Vienna takes aim at a trio of races at Santa Anita on Wednesday, which kicks off week three of the winter meeting.

The Wednesday card is surprisingly deep for a weekday, with allowance races making up half of the eight races. Vienna has runners in three of those four races, and while none of them figure to be favored, all of them have a chance.

ALBANY, Calif. - Northern California-based 's next stop will most likely be the $250,000 Grade 1 Santa Monica Handicap at Santa Anita on Jan. 25. She concluded 2003 by winninng her sixth straight race in the $84,850 Kalookan Queen Handicap at Santa Anita on New Year's Eve.

Trainer Larry Ross gives jockey Roberto Gonzalez credit for the victory, which came about after Gonzalez claimed foul against Royally Chosen and Alex Solis, who got to the line first by the narrowest of noses in the 6 1/2-furlong race.

Hawthorne Race Course in Stickney, Ill., reported an increase in daily average handle for its fall meet which concluded Saturday. Daily average handle increased 3 percent to more than $2.95 million, fueled by a 5.5 percent increase in out-of-state handle on Hawthorne's races.

The Portland Meadows stewards have suspended veteran rider Karen Knapp for 365 days, the maximum allowable by law, and referred her case to the Oregon Racing Commission with the recommendation that her license privileges be permanently revoked.

Knapp, who tested positive for prohibited drugs on four previous occasions dating back to 1986, was faulted for repeatedly providing urine samples of insufficient quantity for testing.

David Schmidt, a prominent trainer at Fort Erie, died Sunday shortly after he was injured on a training farm in Stevensville, Ontario. Schmidt, who would have turned 46 on Monday, was kicked in the back by a horse while he was exiting the stall after a routine feeding.

J and B's Nu Image, claimed for $7,500 from a nonwinners-of-two-lifetime race in July 1999, was probably Schmidt's best runner in a career that began in 1983. The mare, now 8 with earnings of $234,987, has a record of 15 wins from 42 starts.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Baldomera completed a sweep of Aqueduct's weekend stakes for Philadelphia Park-based runners by rallying from last to win the $79,875 Ruthless Stakes for 3 year-old fillies by 1 3/4 lengths.

High Peaks, who put away two pace challenges, held second by a half-length over Prudencia. Bikini Wiggle and Highgate Park, the 6-5 favorite, completed the order of finish.

Baldomera is based at Philadelphia Park with trainer Guadalupe Preciado. The Philadelphia Park-based Smarty Jones, trained by John Servis, won Saturday's Count Fleet for 3-year-old males.