VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Trainer David Milburn is looking forward to running two 2-year-olds this weekend. He entered Caledonia Road in a 3 1/2-furlong maiden special weight race Saturday, and on Sunday he will saddle Iza's Turn to Star in the first stakes of the meet for 2-year-old fillies, the 6 1/2-furlong $35,000 Timber Music.

VALLEJO, Calif. - Saturday's $50,000 Vacaville Handicap at the Solano County Fair has the makings of being one of northern California's top filly-and-mare sprints of the year.

The six-furlong race brings out northern California's best female sprinter, Lacie Girl, as well as a Southern California speedster, Jetinto Houston.

While they appear the two standouts, there is plenty of depth in the field of nine.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Bayou the Moon will be pointed to the $75,000 Wickerr Handicap at Del Mar on Aug. 2 after winning a $60,088 optional claimer on turf at Hollywood Park on Thursday.

Bayou the Moon finished a mile in 1:34.38, rallying from last in the five-horse field to finish a head in front of Soud. Native Desert, the millionaire 10-year-old gelding, finished a game third in his 70th career start.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - With just 15 nominations, next Saturday's Washington Park Handicap seems fated to have a short field, and as of Thursday, Arlington racing officials were forecasting no more than six or seven horses for the race. But they are coming from all corners.

The star is Perfect Drift, who upset the mighty Mineshaft last month in the Stephen Foster Handicap, a win that makes him the hunted instead of the hunter in the $400,000 Washington Park.

Mandy's Gold and Devon Rose, the top two locally based prospects for the July 20 Delaware Handicap, have the advantage of familiarity with the sometimes quirky dirt surface at Delaware Park. Whether that's enough to overcome such top-class older females as Take Charge Lady and Summer Colony going 1 1/4 miles, however, remains to be seen.

But at this point, trainers Mike Gorham and Allen Iwinski will take any little edge they can get in the Grade 2 race, worth $750,000.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Dennis Manning was as downbeat as the rainy weather at Monmouth Park on Thursday morning.

Manning, with a barnful of turf runners, faced another day without grass racing here.

"I'm getting killed," he said.

Manning's mood brightened when the topic shifted to Grand Hombre, the unbeaten but inexperienced 3-year-old who has been the most talked-about horse on the grounds.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - The more trainer Phil Oliver thought about the Grade 3, $100,000 Long Branch Stakes, the more sense it made to enter In Hand.

On one hand, it seems like a major leap to take a horse who has made only three starts and enter him in the traditional prep for the $1 million Haskell Invitational, to be run Aug. 3.

On the other, the lineup for Saturday's 1 1/16-mile stakes for 3-year-olds was not shaping up as deep or challenging.

In Hand, owning only a maiden special weight win, does not look badly outclassed by most of the runners in the race.

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt, who are enjoying a big year with Grade 2 winners Posse and Lady Tak, are hoping for success close to home Saturday with Bluegrass Sara and Queen Trigger in the $75,000 Silver Spur Breeders' Cup at Lone Star Park.

The fillies will be coupled in the six-furlong race for 2-year-olds, which also drew Churchill Downs maiden winner Crypto's Best, and the promising Royal Pet.

Jockey Don Simington, who swept both stakes last weekend at Louisiana Downs, tries for another Saturday when he rides Distinctive Code at the Bossier City, La., track in the $50,000 Suthern Accent.

The six-furlong race for fillies and mares has drawn a field of eight, including stakes winners Southern Tour, Princess Jen, Cauy, and Taylor's Queen.

OMAHA, Neb. - A well-matched field of six older fillies and mares will meet in Saturday's $30,000 Queen's Handicap as Horsemen's Park moves to day three of its summer racing festival.

Miss Guts won this race a year ago when it was contested at six furlongs and will have her work cut out to repeat Saturday, when it is run at a mile. Trained by Ray Tracy, Miss Guts is winless in seven starts this year while campaigning in California and Iowa. Her last race came June 28, when she finished third to See How She Runs in the Saylorville Stakes at Prairie Meadows.