COLLINSVILLE, Ill. - Saturday's $25,000-added Shecky Greene Handicap could be a turning point in the career of Tic N Tin, the horse of the meet here in 2000 and 2001. In last year's Shecky Greene, Tic N Tin carried 124 pounds to an easy romp at 3-5. But Tic N Tin, now 8, is winless in six starts this year for owner-trainer Ron Brandenburg and has been assigned only 117 pounds, his lightest impost in recent memory. Ramsey Zimmerman has the call.

ALTOONA, Iowa - At 11:30 a.m., with only two entries in the box, it didn't look as if the $100,000 Saylorville Stakes would attract enough starters. But after several hours and many phone calls by the Prairie Meadows racing office, a field of five was assembled for Saturday night's six-furlong race at Prairie Meadows.

Multiple-stakes-winner See How She Runs figures as a solid favorite in the Saylorville. A 4-year-old daughter of Maria's Mon, she began her career with five straight victories, including last spring's Grade 2 Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn.

The two worst races of Ladyecho's career came in stakes races beyond one mile. Conversely, Ladyecho has been first or second in six of the seven races she has run at six furlongs or less.

Logic might dictate that trainer John Servis stick to sprints with Ladyecho, but the Philadelphia Park-based trainer said he believes his 3-year-old filly may yet prove capable of going long.

Trainer Jamie Woodington tries to capture a second New Jersey-bred stakes race in less than a week when she saddles American Freedom in Saturday's $50,000 Lincroft Handicap on the Molly Pitcher undercard at Monmouth Park.

Woodington won the $50,000 Santa Lalomia Handicap with Willie's Luv Sunday.

Like Willie's Luv, American Freedom will be looking for a repeat in a state bred stakes race.

American Freedom will be the one to beat in the one-mile race on turf. Jose Velez Jr. will ride.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Last year, Lord Shogun had a pretty easy time rolling up wins in the Canadian Prairies. He faced pretty soft opposition in both the Alberta and Manitoba derbies and was never really threatened as he cruised to front-running wins in both races.

WINNIPEG, Manitoba - Alberta shipper Fancy Bru will be heavily favored to win the restricted $35,000 Manitoba Stakes going a mile Saturday at Assiniboia.

An overflow field of 13 Manitoba-bred 3-year-olds, including six maidens, has been entered.

Fancy Bru, a gelding by Buie, is a half-brother to the best Manitoba-bred of all time, Fancy As, and he's certainly rounding into form nicely.

Trained by Gary Danelson for both himself and partners Ed and Jim Pawluk, Fancy Bru comes into the Manitoba Stakes following a one-mile allowance win at Stampede Park June 4.

SASKATOON, Saskatchewan - Bedford Road and Extended Credit will be the 118-pound co-highweights and the probable favorites at Marquis Downs in Saturday's $5,000 Saskatoon Handicap, a six-furlong race for 3-year-olds.

Bedford Road and Extended Credit both made their last starts three weeks ago in the Golden Boy at Assiniboia Downs and finished last and second-to-last in a field of eight against much tougher competition.

BOSSIER CITY, La. - The wait is over.

For seven years, people have been eager to see horses and slot machines under one roof at Louisiana Downs. It will happen Friday, when the track opens for an 80-day meet that runs through Nov. 9.

The public, as well as horsemen, have been awaiting slot machines at Louisiana Downs since the fall of 1997, when a local referendum allowing gaming at the track passed with 70 percent of the vote. No one expected it would take six more years before the first machines were up and running, on May 21, 2003.

ELMONT, N.Y. - It's not for a lack of trying that Willa on the Move fits the conditions for the $65,000 Xtra Heat Stakes on Friday at Belmont Park.

The Xtra Heat is a six-furlong overnight stakes for older fillies and mares who have not won an open stakes. Willa on the Move has spent most of her brief career chasing top horses in stakes races, but she hasn't been able to win one, and the Xtra Heat represents a major class drop for the 4-year-old filly.

ELMONT, N.Y. - For the third straight day in New York, no rain fell on Wednesday, and for the second straight day at Belmont Park, trainers took the opportunity to work their horses.

With the exception of horses entered to run on Wednesday or Thursday, and the ones who ran on Sunday, nearly every horse on the backstretch trained on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. On Wednesday alone, 227 horses worked, one day after 425 horses posted recorded workouts.