WINNIPEG, Manitoba - Western Canadian superstar Taiaslew tops the largest Manitoba Derby field seen here in years as he tries for his fifth consecutive win on a stakes-filled card.

Also on tap at Assiniboia Downs on Monday will be the $40,000 Winnipeg Futurity, a six-furlong race for 2-year-olds; the $35,000 Wheat City, a one-mile race for 3-year-olds and upward; and the $35,000 Jack Hardy, a one-mile race for 3-year-old fillies.

Woodbine and its teletheaters will be among the outlets offering simulcast wagering on the Grade 3, $100,000 Manitoba Derby.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Seeking the Ring and Brattothecore dead-heated for the win in the Bison City Stakes at Fort Erie, but the result could be much different Monday at Woodbine, when they both try the turf for the first time in the $250,000 Wonder Where Stakes, final leg of the Canadian Triple Tiara.

The Wonder Where is joined on Monday's holiday program by the $131,125 Victoriana Stakes, a turf race for Ontario-sired fillies and mares.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The $131,125 Victoriana, the supporting stakes feature on Monday's holiday program at Woodbine, boils down to a two-horse race between Heyahohowdy and Inish Glora.

Heyahohowdy, a two-time stakes winner and Sovereign Award finalist in the turf filly and mare division last year, and Inish Glora, who is coming off a sharp score in the July 20 prep, will slug it out in the Victoriana, a 1 1/16-mile turf race for Ontario-sired horses.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Seven stakes restricted to British Columbia-breds, plus a starter handicap, are offered on Monday's B.C. Cup Day program at Hastings.

More than $400,000 in purses is up for grabs on the biggest day of racing in the province.

Thanks to California taking simulcasts of eight of the 10 races on the card, the handle should be one of the largest at Hastings since the early 1980's when Sweep Six fever was rampant here.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - The most intriguing race of the seven added-money events on the British Columbia Cup Day card is the B.C. Cup Distaff.

There is no clear leader in the older fillies and mares division at Hastings, and it is hard to predict which of the seven horses in the field will be sent off favored in the 1 1/8-mile race.

The $50,000 Distaff looks like it should set up for Jamaari Girl, who became a stakes winner for the first time when placed first via disqualification in the Senate Appointee on July 20.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Almost a year to the day after Roberta's Mango was claimed for $32,000, she became a stakes winner at Del Mar - and earned a brief vacation.

In Friday's $92,725 Daisycutter Handicap, Roberta's Mango rallied from fifth along the rail to take the lead in the final furlong. Ridden by Corey Nakatani for Julio Canani, Roberta's Mango held off a late rally from Swiss Lake to win by a half-length. Grant Marty a Wish, the 6-5 favorite who led to early stretch, finished third in the field of 10 fillies and mares.

Front Nine ($5.40) outgamed That Tat by three-quarters of a length to win the $35,000 J.R. Straus Memorial before an opening-night crowd of 5,186 at Retama Park.

Front Nine stalked the pace early, while Wild Pro and 3-5 favorite That Tat dueled through an opening quarter in 21.35 seconds. That Tat took over through a half-mile in 43.77 seconds, but in the stretch could not turn back Front Nine, who covered the six furlongs in 1:09.58.

SANTA ROSA, Calif. - After facing more early pressure than expected from Grandpa Chan, Allwood ($3.60) took command entering the stretch and scored an easy four-length victory in the $41,620 James F. Lyttle Memorial Handicap at the Sonoma County Fair.

Allwood led into the first turn of the 1 1/16-mile race and sat just outside Grandpa Chan, who took over the lead down the backstretch. Allwood opened a two-length lead in the upper stretch and finished in 1:41.96.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Funny Cide should get the type of stalking trip he craves. Peace Rules is fresh, just as he was for the best race of his career earlier this year. And Sky Mesa figures to improve off a deceptively fast comeback race four weeks ago in the Dwyer Stakes. But the possibility of rain for Sunday's $1 million at Monmouth Park throws a wicked curveball into the mix.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Rain was falling steadily over the Saratoga backstretch Friday morning, but the wet weather did not dampen the spirits of trainer Bobby Frankel, who will send out Empire Maker as the overwhelming favorite in Sunday's $500,000 .

"I'd rather have a wet racetrack with this horse," Frankel said. "He's already won on it twice."