ELMONT, N.Y. - Trainer Bobby Frankel said Thursday "it's a longshot'' for Empire Maker to be ready for the Breeders' Cup Classic, and he believes the horse will be retired without running again.

Empire Maker suffered a bruised left front foot this week, knocking him out of Saturday's $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont. Empire Maker has not run since finishing second in the Jim Dandy Stakes on Aug. 3 at Saratoga. Although there was no official word on Empire Maker's future from his owner, Juddmonte Farms, Frankel said he thinks his career is over.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Steve Asmussen was at the Ocala Breeders' Sale last March. Asmussen's amazing memory had no trouble bringing forth a colt named Cactus Ridge.

"He was a runner," Asmussen recalled.

Indeed, Cactus Ridge enters Saturday's Grade 3, $150,000 Arlington-Washington Futurity unbeaten and untested in three starts. He will be an odds-on favorite to make it four straight and earn a trip to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

SAN MATEO, Calif. - There is one sure thing about Saturday's Grade 3, $200,000 Bay Meadows Breeders' Cup Handicap, the richest race of the Bay Meadows fall meet: Ninebanks is the horse for the course.

In the past 13 months, Ninebanks has run eight times in northern California, with five wins and three seconds for $401,360 in earnings. During the same period, he has run four times in Southern California, finishing fifth once and earning $3,000.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - It's hard to take a strong stand in the Saturday feature at Hastings, a $50,000 optional sprint that drew nine 3-year-olds. There's plenty of quality, but no standouts, and it appears to be anyone's race.

Orchids Spirit, who is owned by Shannon Farms, will certainly attract some betting. A homebred son of Cryptoclearance, Orchids Spirit has won his last two starts, both at this level, and his trainer, Rick Kamps is hoping for a good trip from his rail slot.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - One Only Knows should be favored when she makes her stakes debut Saturday in the $132,375 La Lorgnette at Woodbine.

Two stakes winners who were being pointed for the 1 1/16-mile race - Seeking the Ring and Kissed by a Prince - failed to make the race because of injuries. As a result, only One Only Knows and four other 3-year-old fillies were entered - Olympic Advice, Pheisty Phoebe, Curiosity, and Willow Bunch.

EDMONTON, Alberta - Rail Hunter aims for his second straight Northlands Marathon score here Saturday afternoon.

Rail Hunter is coming off a wire-to-wire victory by 3 3/4 lengths in the 1 3/8-mile leg of the Marathon starter handicap series Sept. 7, his fourth win of the year.

A 4-year-old Alberta-bred, Rail Hunter is a versatile sort who won his maiden by nine lengths in a six-furlong sprint April 13. Desmond Bryan is expected to send Rail Hunter to the front end again in this 1 5/8-mile race.

MIAMI - French Village, who will seek to become just the second filly to sweep all three legs of the Florida Stallion Stakes when she runs in the $400,000 My Dear Girl Stakes on Oct. 11, worked six furlongs in 1:15 over a fast track on Thursday morning.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - The $1 million Florida Derby and the second annual Sunshine Millions will highlight the 2004 Gulfstream Park stakes schedule, which has more than $8.5 million in purses and 41 stakes, 32 of which are graded. The Gulfstream meeting opens on Jan. 3.

Blue Ribbon Downs in Sallisaw, Okla., averted a possible suspension of its racing license on Thursday when it presented the Oklahoma Racing Commission with proof of workers' compensation. Instead, the track was given preliminary approval for 45 dates of racing in 2004.

Remington Park in Oklahoma City and Fair Meadows in Tulsa also had their dates requests on the agenda, and both received final approval for their 2004 schedules.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Congaree may only have finished second in the Kentucky Cup Classic at Turfway Park earlier this month, but trainer Bob Baffert is certain that his star older horse will be ready for a top effort in the $4 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita on Oct. 25.

Thursday, Congaree, 5, had his first workout since his one-length loss to Perfect Drift in the Kentucky Cup Classic, breezing a half-mile in 45.80 seconds. The time was the fastest of 29 recorded workouts at the distance.

"He's ready," Baffert said. "He was pretty fresh. He went pretty strong."