ARCADIA, Calif. - Cue up the theme from "Rocky," get out those duck calls, and make room in the Santa Anita parking lot for all the trucks from Idaho. Buddy Gil is back.

PORTLAND, Ore. - Classic Jourdan and Lasting Kiss will make their Portland Meadows debuts in Friday's 5 1/2-furlong headliner, an $8,000 claiming race for fillies and mares that has drawn a highly competitive field of six.

Classic Jourdan, a 4-year-old from the barn of trainer Robbie Baze, won twice last summer at Emerald Downs. She defeated $12,500 company at six furlongs in June, then bested $8,000 rivals at a mile in September. While she has not raced since Sept. 19, Classic Jourdan has had four five-furlong works here.

ARCADIA, Calif. - A hot pace enabled He's the Rage to score an upset victory last month in the California Cup Juvenile, and he should get a similar opportunity Friday in the $125,000 California Breeders' Champion Stakes, the supporting feature to another seven-furlong race, the Grade 1 Malibu, on the opening-day card at Santa Anita.

ARCADIA, Calif. - After Del Mar and Fairplex Park enjoyed substantial gains last summer, business at Southern California racetracks slumped in the fall, enough to cause purse cuts at Santa Anita's Oak Tree meeting and at Hollywood Park.

Breaking that trend is a priority at the Santa Anita's winter-spring meeting, which begins an 84-day run on Friday.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - He missed five days with the flu and had to stave off belated challenges from Victor Espinoza and Tyler Baze, but jockey Patrick Valenzuela still prevailed at the fall Hollywood Park meeting, while becoming only the second jockey to win all five major Southern California meetings in the same year.

The Southern California jockey colony took quite a few hits in recent seasons with the successive retirements of Chris McCarron, Eddie Delahoussaye, and Laffit Pincay Jr., and the reduced participation of part-time actor Gary Stevens and Kent Desormeaux, who spent many months riding in the Far East.

As we get set for the opening of Santa Anita, the gaping holes are being partially filled by Hall of Famers Julie Krone and Mike Smith and possible Hall of Famer Patrick Valenzuela, plus a pair of vastly improved riders, Tyler Baze and Jose Valdivia Jr.

MIAMI - Three of the four reigning champions from last year's Grand Slam II card will be back to defend their titles Saturday at Calder.

New Economy, winner of the Grade 2 La Prevoyante, as well as Milt Wolfson-trained stablemates Stormy Frolic (Stage Door Betty Handicap) and The Judge Sez Who (Fred W. Hooper Handicap), were all entered Monday for the 12-race Grand Slam II program. Only Man From Wicklow, winner of the 2002 W. L. McKnight Handicap, will not return to defend his crown as a result of an injury that has kept him sidelined since the spring.

NEW ORLEANS - A year ago, Bedanken stepped onto the Fair Grounds grass course and rolled to a seven-length victory in the Pago Hop Handicap, looking very much like a major player for turf stakes.

What she has been instead is an exercise in frustration and patience for her owner, the Pin Oak Stud of Josephine Abercrombie, and trainer, Donnie Von Hemel. One physical setback after another beset Bedanken during 2003, and it is only in Friday's $60,000 Furl Sail Handicap here that the filly returns to action.

Some might perceive a stakes restricted to horses who have never won a stakes as lacking in quality, but that is not the case in the $40,000 Noel, a one-mile race for 3-year-olds and up Friday night at Delta Downs.

A number of promising horses have been entered in the race, including Price of Honour, third last out in the $60,000 Thanksgiving Handicap at Fair Grounds; America's Storm, a $3.6 million yearling purchase who has placed in stakes in his last two starts; and Taxicat, who in his last out earned a 107 Beyer Speed Figure.

ALBANY, Calif. - Friday's Golden Gate Fields feature race marks the return of Rough R.N., who has not run since finishing second at1-5 on Feb. 28

A 4-year-old Cal-bred filly who has 3 victories and 2 seconds in 5 starts, Rough R.N. has 10 rivals in the six-furlong allowance race.

Trainer John F. Martin said Rough R.N. has not raced because of a minor injury.

"I thought she'd need six months off, but we took a little extra time because we wanted to do the right thing," said Martin, who claimed Rough R.N. for $25,000 from her winning debut.