SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Trainer Allen Jerkens, who has made a career out of upsetting heavy favorites in graded stakes, had the tables turned on him last month when Shine Again, the 7-10 favorite, was upset by Shawklit Mint in the Grade 2 Vagrancy Handicap at Belmont Park.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - And you thought the Lone Star Park meet had already ended this year.

Well, it has, but Lone Star fans can get a taste of their regular medicine in Arlington's feature race Friday. Here we find jockey Corey Lanerie riding for trainer Steve Asmussen, an ubiquitous combination at Lone Star the last two seasons.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Grant Marty a Wish can continue trainer Doug O'Neill's dominance of turf sprints at Del Mar in Friday's $75,000 Daisy Cutter Handicap over five furlongs.

O'Neill won the first two five-furlong turf sprints of the meeting, scoring with FJ's Pace last week and with Maria's Mirage on Monday.

Grant Marty a Wish has excelled in turf sprints at Hollywood Park in recent months and will be favored against a full field of fillies and mares.

EDMONTON, Alberta - Last week, fans at Northlands Park were treated to their first look at the top 2-year-old colts and geldings in Alberta in the Edmonton Juvenile, and this week the top 2-year-old fillies and mares will take to the track in the 24th running of the Princess Margaret.

While there is little to work with in terms of past performances, one of the favorites will be Greg Tracy's entrant, Another Lovelysong.

AUBURN, Wash. - Friday's second leg of the Harley Hoppe and Associates Marathon Series at 1 1/4 miles will have the look of a rematch, with the top three finishers from the initial nine-furlong leg returning. Five others join the fray at Emerald Downs for the race run under $10,000 starter allowance conditions.

SANTA ROSA, Calif. - A small but interesting field has signed up for Friday's $40,000-added James F. Lyttle Memorial Handicap at the Sonoma County Fair.

Only five 3-year-olds were nominated for the 1 1/16-mile race, and all five entered, the same number as ran in the Pleasanton Stakes on July 2 at Pleasanton.

Allwood, second the in Pleasanton, looms the one to beat, but two sprinters making their first starts around two turns make the race interesting from a wagering perspective.

SASKATOON, Saskatchewan - Brite Steel has won her last three races at Marquis Downs and should be favored in Friday's $6,500 James Leakos Sophomore.

The race is restricted to Saskatchewan-bred 3-year-old fillies and is contested at one mile, which may provide some hope for Brite Steel's foes.

It took Brite Steel three starts this year to get past her nonwinners-of-two condition before she stepped up to face the top fillies on the grounds.

The Indiana Racing Commission on Tuesday denied a formal petition by Indiana Downs, the new racing entity located in the Indianapolis suburb of Shelbyville, to ban all Kentucky simulcasts in the state. The ruling upheld the status quo at Indiana tracks and wagering outlets in regard to imported simulcasts of Kentucky racing.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Trainer Shug McGaughey is looking forward to the opportunity of running Congrats, a lightly raced 3-year-old colt, in the $500,000 Jim Dandy on Sunday at Saratoga despite the presence of seasoned horses like Empire Maker.

Congrats, a homebred son of A.P. Indy, has won 3 of 5 starts and is coming off his best effort yet - a 5 1/4-length second-level allowance victory while racing with Lasix for the first time. He was bred and is owned by Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Azeri, the reigning Horse of the Year, has been confirmed as on schedule for the $300,000 Clement Hirsch Handicap at Del Mar on Aug. 10, where she will try for her 11th consecutive win.

Owner Michael Paulson and trainer Laura de Seroux had considered two races against males - Saturday's Whitney Handicap at Saratoga and Sunday's $250,000 San Diego Handicap - but opted to stay within the filly and mare division.

"As Mike said, it's the unknown of the weather and the travel," de Seroux said of the Whitney. "We're not afraid of the competition."