From the moment he first frolicked in a paddock at Gus Schickedanz's Schonberg Farm just north of Toronto, Ontario, Wando was viewed as something special.

A Schickedanz homebred 3-year-old by Langfuhr out of Kathie's Colleen, Wando is just one win away, Saturday's Breeders' Stakes at Woodbine, from becoming the first Canadian Triple Crown winner since Peteski in 1993.

There have been only six winners of the series since its inception in 1959.

When he was only a few months old, Wando caught the eye of a visitor to the farm, the artist Richard Stone Reeves.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - At 6 years old, Lord Nelson appears to be better than ever. At least that was the assessment of his usual rider, Frank Fuentes, following his emphatic win in the British Columbia Cup Classic on Monday.

Lord Nelson lost his first two starts this year. But he wore bar shoes in those races, and Fuentes thinks the switch to regular shoes for the B.C. Cup Classic was of benefit to Lord Nelson.

NORTH RANDALL, Ohio - Ohio-bred 3-year-olds will be burning some oil in the $40,000 North Randall Stakes here Saturday. Six of the seven starters in the six-furlong race are speed merchants, and it looks as if Cat Singer will be able to finish the strongest and make it back-to-back stakes wins.

MUSKEGON, Mich. - Akatsakat, the top 3-year-old at this meet, will try to win his third consecutive stakes race Saturday in the $45,000 Dowling Stakes at Great Lakes Downs. The one-mile race drew a field of eight Michigan-bred 3-year-old colts and geldings.

Owned by Mast Thoroughbreds, Akatsakat was second in his local bow opening weekend against older runners. He has been unbeatable since, winning the Lansing and Spartan Stakes against his contemporaries. His other stakes win came in last fall's Michigan Futurity.

A win by Storybook Kid in the Barksdale would bode well for Krishavingfunnow in the Retama Park Turf. He has faced the horse in his last two starts, finishing a close third to him in an allowance two races ago and running fifth in the Dallas Turf Cup last time out.

The Retama Park Turf will be Krishavingfunnow's first start since that June 21 stakes. He is co-highweighted at 120 pounds with April's Lucky Boy.

Storybook Kid might be the answer to two turf races Saturday. He is one of the top contenders in the $50,000 Barksdale Handicap at Louisiana Downs, while one of the horses he defeated in a recent allowance, Krishavingfunnow, will run later the same night in San Antonio in the $50,000 Retama Park Turf Breeders' Cup Handicap.

Storybook Kid has risen in the ranks from $7,500 claimer to $75,000 stakes winner over the past few years. His biggest victory came in his last start, when he won the $75,000 Independence Handicap at Louisiana Downs.

ALTOONA, Iowa - Sand Ridge takes on six rivals when he defends his title in Saturday's $50,000 Prairie Meadows Sprint.

An 8-year-old son of Known Fact, Sand Ridge is a multiple stakes winner over this track. Although Sand Ridge has won only one of his eight starts this year, he is in good form, having finished on the board six times. He has been facing tougher rivals than he'll meet in Saturday's six-furlong sprint.

Jockey Remi Gunn suffered severe spinal damage in a Wednesday spill at Ellis Park and is paralyzed from the waist down, according to several friends who visited her Thursday in Henderson Methodist Hospital.

Gunn, 43, was riding Betty Sue in the fourth race when the filly fell at the quarter pole after appearing to clip heels. After the filly appeared to roll over Gunn, a trailing rival also appeared to step on Gunn.

DEL MAR, Calif. - After losing five times by a neck or less in his career, Bonus Pack finally won a close race on Wednesday, rallying from off the pace to score his first stakes win on turf in the $81,625 Escondido Handicap at Del Mar.

Ridden by Kent Desormeaux, Bonus Pack ($11.60) stalked the pace to the final turn, took the lead in the final furlong and fought off a stern challenge from Mont Saint Michel to win the marathon by a half-length. Asong For Billy, the 5-2 favorite, finished third in the field of nine.

Bonus Pack finished 1 3/8 miles on turf in 2:12.50.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The Canadian Triple Crown, unlike its American cousin, includes a wild card.

The distances of the three races that make up the Canadian and U.S. series are identical, with the Queen's Plate going here at Woodbine over 1 1/4 miles, Fort Erie's Prince of Wales at 1 3/16 miles, and the Breeders' Stakes here at 1 1/2 miles.