EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Hurricane Shockey could be a 2-year-old on the move this weekend.

Trainer Jim Ryerson is considering two races for him: the $40,000 World Appeal at The Meadowlands on Friday night and the $100,000 Dover Stakes at Delaware Park on Saturday afternoon.

The World Appeal, at a mile and 70 yards on the turf, would be Hurricane Shockey's first race on grass. The Dover, at one mile on the dirt, will offer more money but requires a longer ship from Ryerson's training base at Monmouth Park.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Blame for the erratic form displayed by Desert Pearls at Del Mar in August falls squarely on the shoulders of trainer Bob Baffert.

"I overran her too much at Del Mar," he said.

In three starts, Desert Pearls won a maiden race by 7 1/2 lengths on Aug. 2, finished fourth in an allowance on Aug. 15, and was second in a similar race on Aug. 29.

She returns on Friday as a top contender in a $45,000 allowance race for fillies and mares at Santa Anita.

EDMONTON, Alberta - During the Alberta Fall Classic at Northlands Park in 1997, jockey Quincy Welch was prepared to ride. He waited patiently, but the call never came.

Fast forward to 2003, and Welch is the most sought-after jockey in Alberta, rarely finding time to sit around the jocks' room and wait for his next mount.

Besides his unquestioned ability, Welch is a favorite of trainers because of his good nature off the track and intensity during a race.

SAN MATEO, Calif. - For jockey Frank Alvarado, a working vacation this summer worked wonders.

Alvarado has returned to riding full-time at Bay Meadows after spending the summer at Hollywood Park and Del Mar.

"You have to ride horses at 100 percent," said Alvarado, a 34-year-old native of Panama. "When I left here in June, my head was not 100 percent right. Now, I'm ready to ride seven days a week."

Alvarado has more than 2,000 victories in a career that began in 1984.

ANDERSON, Ind. - Wagering on last Saturday's Indiana Derby card set a record with $2,162,212 bet on the 12-race card. That easily eclipsed both the previous Derby night high of $1,632,474 in 2000 and Hoosier's all-time high of $2,107,487 set Nov. 9, 2001. The Derby itself brought $346,528 in handle.

Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., has rebuilt the base of its track in preparation for its upcoming meet that opens Jan. 23. Officials are also laying down new cushion material on the racing surface as part of its annual maintenance procedures. Horses will begin training on the Oaklawn surface on Dec. 1.

A new base, which should ensure a uniform racing surface, requires several thousand tons of material. It was trucked to Oaklawn, then screened and mixed on site. The life of the base of a track can be several seasons to 15 years, depending on the weather, said officials.

Dick Clark, the winningest trainer in Prairie Meadows history, is one of several Iowa-based trainers expected to use Retama Park near San Antonio as a training facility base this winter. The track, which closes out its fall Thoroughbred meet on Oct. 19, will open as a training center five days later, said Bob Pollock, general manager of Retama.

Los Alamitos' newcomers Get Solid and Tiny Chris La Jolla challenge local stalwart Available Credit in the Grade 3, $37,800 Pat Hyland Handicap over 870 yards at Los Alamitos on Friday night.

These three veteran geldings know how to compete, combining for 14 wins and five seconds in their last combined 20 starts.

Get Solid has six wins and two seconds in his last eight starts, including a win in the Governor's Cup Handicap at Sam Houston Race Park on Aug. 30, his most recent start.

King Rick Rack will have to overcome highweight of 126 pounds and the outside post position in the eight-horse $17,500 Red River Handicap over 870 yards at Lone Star Park on Friday night.

A 6-year-old gelding from the Pat Swan stable, King Rick Rack has maintained his career-long consistency - 28 top-three finishes from 39 starts - with three wins and three seconds in six 2003 starts. He comes off a win in the Covered Bridges Stakes at Prairie Meadows.

The two Challenge regional races at Turf Paradise on Sunday afternoon, the Grade 2, $66,870 MBNA America West/Southwest Challenge and the Grade 3, $40,050 American Airlines West Southwest Challenge, are the final opportunities for horses to qualify for the Challenge Championships at Los Alamitos on Nov. 1.

The winners of each race will qualify for their respective races in the Challenge Championships.