FRESNO, Calif. - The Big Fresno Fair will have a new look when its 11-day meeting opens Wednesday.

A new paddock has been constructed, which will allow fair patrons strolling the midway to see horses and allow easy access to the track. A new cantina has been built by the paddock.

"Anyone walking down the center of the fairgrounds will walk past the horses," director of racing operations Dan White said. "We tore out two buildings and opened up the whole south end. It will provide easy access to watch races."

SAN MATEO, Calif. - Trainer Donna Elordi was being more than a good Samaritan when she entered Vallarta in Wednesday's Bay Meadows feature, a $50,000 optional claimer at six furlongs.

Despite the presence of stakes-placed Trickey Trevor and stakes winners Sempai and Rio's Chase, Elordi believes her 5-year-old Vallarta has a chance to record his third straight victory.

"I think he's a very nice horse," she said. "He's very talented. He's proved it already."

POMONA, Calif. - Strategies designed to minimize the effect of the shrinking horse population in Southern California proved successful for racing officials at Fairplex Park, where the 17-day Los Angeles County Fair meet ended Sunday.

Fairplex increased the number of mixed-breed races and subsidized transportation costs for out-of-town racing stables, hoping to increase both field size and wagering handle. It worked. Field size increased an average of 0.5 starters per race and generated total handle of $105,533,521 - a record daily average of more than $6.2 million.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Sunday's Sky Classic Handicap at Woodbine was widely billed as a two-horse show, featuring Strut the Stage, the 5-year-old turf warrior who was making a pit stop on his way to the Canadian International, and Mobil, the 3-year-old colt who was facing his toughest test to date against older rivals.

The Sky Classic, conducted over 1 3/8 miles on soft turf, did conclude with a thrilling battle. The protagonists, however, were Bowman Mill, the lone invader in the field of six, and Lenny the Lender, an erstwhile claimer who appeared to be far out of his element.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Halfbridled stamped herself as perhaps the shortest-priced Breeders' Cup favorite with another flawless performance, this time in Sunday's Grade 2, $250,000 at Santa Anita's Oak Tree meeting.

Halfbridled toyed with her six rivals for the first six furlongs on the 1 1/16-mile race, then drew clear when asked by jockey Julie Krone and checked in 4 1/2 lengths in front of Tarlow. Hollywood Story, like Tarlow trained by John Shirreffs, was another half-length back in third.

ARCADIA, Calif. - In the 1960's and 1970's, it was trainer Allen Jerkens who deservedly earned the nickname "The Giant Killer." In the 1990's and into this century, it has been passed to jockey Alex Solis.

Solis, who stopped Cigar's 16-race win streak the 1996 Pacific Classic at Del Mar, ended Azeri's 11-race win streak on Sunday when guiding Got Koko to victory in the Grade 2, $300,000 at Santa Anita's Oak Tree meeting.

Cigar was owned by Allen Paulson, and Azeri is owned by the late Paulson's estate.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Tates Creek on Sunday showed that she is as comfortable over 1 1/4 miles as she is over shorter distances.

A winner of seven stakes from a mile to 1 1/8 miles on turf, Tates Creek won the longest race of her career in the $500,000 at Santa Anita. Sent off as a strong favorite, Tates Creek, 5, held off a late challenge from French invader Musical Chimes to win by three-quarters of a length.

Tates Creek and Musical Chimes used the Yellow Ribbon as a prep race for the $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf over 1 1/4 miles at Santa Anita on Oct. 25.

STICKNEY, Ill. - There is no stopping Perfect Drift right now. Two weeks after gliding past Congaree in the Kentucky Cup Classic, Perfect Drift won the by a length and three-quarters over Tenpins, his fourth win in four dirt races this season.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Bowman Mill ($15.80) barely held off 24-1 shot Lenny the Lender to capture Sunday's $271,750 at Woodbine, in which 1-2 favorite Strut the Stage finished a flat fourth over the soft going.

Bowman Mill had a perfect stalking trip under jockey Brice Blanc in the Grade 2, mile and three-eighth event. Mobil and Destiny Red dueled through honest fractions, with the former gaining command on the far turn.

SAN MATEO, Calif. - Hajji's Honor ($6) unleashed a strong kick in the lane to nip Razen Hazen by a nose in the $65,400 at Bay Meadows on Sunday.

Hajji's Honor was bumped by Razen Hazen and Gibford at the start. He settled nicely off the pace set by Hot Weekend, the lone filly in the six-furlong stakes for 2-year-olds.

He moved four wide around the turn and finished strongly while wide down the stretch to win the race in 1:10.89. Razen Hazen finished one length in front of Hot Weekend, with Trish's Diamond, who nearly fell leaving the gate, fourth.