OCEANPORT, N.J. - Even trainer Ben Perkins Jr. had lost hope in Max Forever.

"I thought he was going to spit it out," Perkins said when his colt appeared to fade on the final turn.

There was no quit in Max Forever, however, as he battled back Saturday afternoon to win the Grade 3, $100,000 at Monmouth Park.

The Long Branch is the local prep for the Grade 1, $1 million Haskell Invitational on Aug. 3. Monmouth traditionally extends Haskell invitations to the top Long Branch finishers, and Max Forever may have earned a spot in the biggest race of the meet.

A day before the $500,000 , jockey Pat Day, the rider of odds-on favorite Senor Swinger, was asked if there was any downside to being so overwhelming a choice. "The only sure thing about horseracing is there isn't a sure thing," Day told the Richmond Times Dispatch.

Yes, indeed. Hammered to 1-5 in the Virginia Derby for 3-year-olds Saturday at Colonial Downs in New Kent, Va., Senor Swinger - a two-time graded stakes winner on turf and by far the class of the field - never fired.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Favored Mobil got away with a pedestrian pace and turned back challenges from Strizzi and Moonshine Hall in the stretch to capture the Grade 3 Toronto Cup Handicap for 3-year-olds at Woodbine.

With a strong wind at his back and Todd Kabel riding, Mobil set fractions of 24.41 seconds and 48.20 in the nine-furlong turf race. Moonshine Hall and Strizzi both rallied wide, and Moonshine Hall poked his head in front briefly approaching the eighth pole before Mobil kicked in through the final furlong and prevailed by a length.

Spin Control made her turf debut a success, rallying from far back and overcoming trafffic trouble to win the $55,000 Julie Snellings for 3-year-old fillies at Delaware Park.

Ridden by Oliver Castillo, Spin Control was second-last in the field of nine at the six-furlong marker and boxed between rivals on the far turn. But she weaved her way to running room, and then edged away to win by a length. Little Miss Pamela, the 3-1 second choice, was second, a head in front of 39-1 Fiesty Bull in third.

ALTOONA, Iowa - Missing Miss took the lead entering the stretch and drew off from pacesetter So Much More late to score a 3 3/4-length victory in the $125,000 Iowa Distaff at Prairie Meadows on Friday night.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Congaree left California for New York in early spring as the leader of the California handicap division. He's back on the West Coast now, and in the time he was gone no horse emerged to take his place.

Three different horses won the three major route stakes races on dirt. Two of them - Kudos and Western Pride - are among the six challengers facing Congaree in Sunday's $750,000 at Hollywood Park.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Hall of Fame jockey Julie Krone launched a comeback at Hollywood Park on Thursday with a second-place finish in a maiden race on turf, her first mount since suffering a back injury at Santa Anita in March.

After having her lone mount on Wednesday and her first mount on Thursday scratch, Krone returned aboard Musical Review, who was sent off at 7-1.

EDMONTON, Alberta - A field of five fillies and mares run in Sunday's feature race, a $20,3000 allowance, on the last card before Northlands swings into Klondike Days Thursday.

Kitscoty Klipper, trained by Rick Hedge, should find this

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Terry Clyde said she thinks she has a good chance to win her first stakes race as a trainer at Hastings with Perfect Illusion in Sunday's Timber Music Stakes.

The Timber Music is the first stakes race at the meet for 2-year-old fillies. Also Sunday is the initial stakes for 2-year-old colts and geldings, the Ladnesian. Each race will be contested over 6 1/2 furlongs and is worth $35,000.

AUBURN, Wash. - Knightsbridge Road will concede from one to 11 pounds to nine rivals when he shoulders high weight of

121 pounds in Sunday's $40,000 Tacoma Handicap at 1 1/16 miles at Emerald Downs.