SAN MATEO, Calif. - Keep an eye on trainer Dennis Patterson at Bay Meadows on Thursday.

He starts Lethal Grande in the seventh race, a $32,000 claimer at six furlongs, and El Tirador, a winner in his debut, in the second race, a $16,000 claimer for 2-year-olds at 5 1/2 furlongs.

Lethal Grande will be a longshot against five rivals, but he is a stakes winner at the distance and has hit the board in 15 of 27 starts.

It's just that he finds himself in one of the deepest, most well-matched group of runners on the grounds.

AUBURN, Wash. - Skookum Pass figures to be favored over five rivals in Thursday's feature at Emerald Downs, a one-mile race for 3-year-olds eligible to be claimed for $16,000.

The Illinois Racing Board awarded 2004 Thoroughbred dates on Tuesday without the usual turmoil and dissent at its annual dates hearing. Rather than fighting things out at the hearing, Chicago's Thoroughbred tracks worked out a schedule in the days leading up to the board meeting.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Somewhat lost in the excitement surrounding last Sunday's Atto Mile was the strong performance of Inish Glora in the Grade 2 Canadian Handicap.

An Ontario-bred 5-year-old owned by Bob Costigan and trained here by Mac Benson, Inish Glora ran the race of her career in the $309,000 Canadian, turning back the talented shipper Volga to take the 1 1/8-mile turf race for fillies and mares.

PORTLAND, Ore. - The $40,000-guaranteed Portland Meadows Mile heads a list of 28 stakes with a value of $345,775 to be run at the upcoming Portland Meadows meeting, which runs 80 days, from Oct. 18 through April 24, 2004.

The purse for the Portland Meadows Mile, which will be run April 10, has been raised $5,000 over last year's.

Among other highlights on the schedule are the $20,000 Oregon Derby at 1 1/8 miles on April 3 and the $28,345 Os West Oregon Futurity at a mile on Dec. 13. The Futurity is one of five stakes for statebreds on Oregon-bred Day on Dec. 13.

AUBURN, Wash. - A great deal of thought went into the planning for Sunday's inaugural Washington Cup Day, but the best idea of all was to pay purse money through eighth place in each of the seven stakes races that are restricted to Washington-breds.

None of the stakes attracted less than a dozen nominations and one, the $40,000 Trooper Seven Stakes for 3-year-old colts and geldings at one mile, drew 24.

When you can win a minimum of $800 for running eighth, why not take a shot?

ELMONT, N.Y. - Empire Maker, who has been fighting an illness or allergies on and off for the last month, on Monday may have worked himself back into the picture for the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup by drilling six furlongs in 1:11.51 at Belmont Park.

Empire Maker, with Edgar Prado up, broke off about four lengths behind stablemate El Gran Papa, with Angel Cordero Jr. up, and finished a head in front at the wire. The final time was the best of five works at the distance. El Gran Papa was credited with a time of 1:12.01.

FLORENCE, Ky. - Even after his stable star turned in yet another scintillating performance on dirt, Murray Johnson was still reluctant to forget about turf racing options for Perfect Drift.

Johnson said after Perfect Drift defeated heavily favored Congaree by a measured length in the Kentucky Cup Classic that racing on turf has proven highly useful - if only for the turf-to-dirt angle - and that he would not hesitate to run Perfect Drift on grass again.

"It's been really amazing how he runs coming off those turf races," Johnson said.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - While the shipper Touch of the Blues took the biggest share of the Atto Mile purse, the four remaining checks will stay right here at Woodbine.

Soaring Free, Perfect Soul, Wando, and Chopinina all acquitted themselves respectably, and there's a very good chance that at least a couple of them could be taking another run at Touch of the Blues in the Oct. 25 Breeders' Cup Mile.

Although he came up short in his bid to give Sam-Son Farm and trainer Mark Frostad a second Atto Mile winner, Soaring Free still ran the race of his career as the clear runner-up.

Ten Most Wanted and Soto, who have developed into two of the most exciting 3-year-olds in the country over the summer, will meet for the first time Saturday in the Grade 2, $500,000 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs in Bossier City, La.

A field of six horses was probable for the 1 1/8-mile race as of Monday, with entries to be taken on Wednesday. Also expected are Kool Humor, Zydeco Affair, Crowned King, and Taxicat, the first four finishers in the $50,000 Prelude at Louisiana Downs.