EAST BOSTON, Mass. - Eight Massachusetts-bred 3-year-old colts and fillies run Saturday in the $35,000 Great Mystery Stakes at Suffolk Downs.

The top male in the field figures to be Mr. Meso, back after five months of rest. Mr. Meso surprised many last fall by winning the DeSpirito Stakes - the top open juvenile race in New England. Mr. Meso, trained by Lori Lockhart, won against open company to begin his 3-year-old season, but he was beaten in the Collegian Stakes in January. His two most recent workouts have been bullets.

A pair of 5-year-olds who have done quite well when they have traveled to Mountaineer Park for stakes races will try to repeat that formula for success in Saturday's $75,000 Slipton Fell Handicap.

Docent, who won the Mountaineer Mile in his last visit to West Virginia, and X Country, who has been chasing such heavyweights as Lido Palace and Mineshaft since he won last year's Fall Handicap at Mountaineer, head a field of seven older horses in the mile and 70-yard Slipton Fell.

It may pale in comparison to Lou Gehrig replacing Wally Pipp in the New York Yankees' lineup some 80 years ago, but multiple injuries sustained by jockey Clinton Potts in a training accident have opened up a golden window of opportunity for Rodrigo Madrigal Jr.

MIAMI - If at first you don't succeed . . .

Racing secretary Bobby Umphrey, frustrated in his first attempt to card the $75,000 Ponche Handicap as originally scheduled last weekend, had little trouble making the race go Saturday, putting together a field of seven older horses led by Built Up and Lord Abounding.

The six-furlong Ponche will top a 14-race program at Calder that also includes the $40,000 Dartsum Handicap and simulcast wagering on the Belmont Stakes.

The heading "been there, done that" is quite appropriate for veteran turf sprint specialists Rudirudy and Manofglory, both of whom are quite familiar with the Wolf Hill Stakes at Monmouth Park.

If he starts on Saturday, the 8-year-old Rudirudy will be making his fourth straight appearance in the $50,000 Wolf Hill. The 6-year-old gelding Manofglory is a relative newcomer - this will be just his second start in the five-furlong race.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - A jockey could be pretty happy winning 21 races and over $500,000 during the first month of a race meet, but seen in context, Rene Douglas is off to a ho-hum start at Arlington. So thoroughly did Douglas dominate the riding colony here last summer that his solid beginning this season pales in comparison.

In fact, through Wednesday's races Douglas wasn't even Arlington's leading rider. Curt Bourque, who rode three winners Sunday, held that position, with 24 winners to Douglas's 21. Each won once Wednesday.

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Iron Expectations, untested in two career starts, and Next Bandit, an impressive debut winner, will meet for the first time Saturday in the $142,930 colts and geldings division of the Texas Thoroughbred Association Sales Futurity.

The five-furlong race for 2-year-olds is one of two stakes on the card at Lone Star Park. The other is the $138,200 fillies division of the TTA Sales Futurity.

Before he ever even raced, Iron Expectations caught the attention of his trainer, Steve Asmussen, because of how much he looks like his sire, Valid Expectations.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Too Late Now, perfect in three starts and coming off a smashing performance in the Grade 1 Selene Stakes, is the horse to beat in Sunday's $500,000 Labatt Woodbine Oaks.

At a ceremonial draw here Thursday, with top Canadian female athletes Hayley Wickenheiser and Jennifer Robinson the guests of honor, a field of 11 Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies was announced for the 1 1/8-mile Oaks.

WINNIPEG, Manitoba - Alberta shippers will try to assert their dominance once again here in a stakes Saturday when three of them take on four locals and a Saskatchewan invader in the $35,000 Golden Boy for 3-year-olds going six furlongs.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Saturday's $139,375 Ontario Matron Handicap at Woodbine could be a coming out for Winning Chance, an improving Stronach Stable runner who is unbeaten in two starts this year.

Winning Chance, a daughter of Alphabet Soup, has never won a stakes, but was a close second in two stakes in 2002. She finished a neck behind Mulrainy after blowing a clear lead in the stretch in the La Lorgnette in September, and was beaten a nose by Jealous Forum in the July 13 Wilderness Song.