INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Azeri gave her backers quite a scare when she needed the entire stretch to catch Take Charge Lady in the Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park on April 5.

After trailing by 1 1/2 lengths in midstretch, Azeri rallied to win her first start of 2003 by a head, extending her winning streak to eight and providing another example of why she was named the 2002 Horse of the Year.

Trainer Laura de Seroux insists the same drama will not occur when Azeri returns in Saturday's $200,000 Milady Breeders' Cup Handicap at Hollywood Park.

ELMONT, N.Y. - The stars and other supporting characters appear already to be in place for the 135th running of the Belmont Stakes, to be run on June 7. Saturday's $200,000 Peter Pan Stakes may serve only to provide some minor players to the cast of the last leg of the Triple Crown.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Zavata, who at one time last summer was considered the leading juvenile in the country, kicks off his 3-year-old campaign Saturday in a $56,000 stakes-caliber allowance race at Belmont Park.

The six-furlong allowance race also marks the seasonal debut of True Direction, who hasn't been out since winning last November's Grade 3 Fall Highweight Handicap at Aqueduct.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - When Special Ring walked off the track after winning the Wickerr Handicap at Del Mar last August, it was easy to think trainer Julio Canani had found another candidate for the Breeders' Cup Mile.

Canani won the BC Mile with Silic (1999) and Val Royal (2001), and Special Ring appeared to be a contender for the 2002 Mile. That didn't happen after Special Ring was diagnosed with a cracked bone in an ankle last summer.

AUBURN, Wash. - Perfect Plan and It's Stevie's Time, both recent winners at the $25,000 claiming level at six furlongs, will seek to repeat when stretching out to 6 1/2 furlongs and stepping up into $32,000 company in Saturday's featured race for fillies and mares at Emerald Downs.

Perfect Plan and It's Stevie's Time shared identical clockings of 1:09.40 in their recent scores, which came May 11 for the former and on May 4 for the latter.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Horses who were running at Santa Anita last winter look like the ones to beat in Saturday's feature race at Hastings Park, a $25,000 claiming sprint that drew nine runners. It goes as the second race.

The one they will have to catch is Slew's Carousel, and if he runs back to his races in March and April they probably won't.

CALGARY, Alberta - Sunny Mulligan, from leading trainer Red Smith's stable, and Bet the Breeze, second in the Alberta Premier's Futurity last Sept. 21 at Northlands Park, are among a field of seven in a $15,100 maiden special weight sprint for 3-year-olds here Saturday afternoon.

Sunny Mulligan, a closing third on April 30 over a speed-biased surface rated as "good," runs on Lasix for the first time and breaks from post 5 under Richard Hamel.

Sunny Mulligan drilled a solid five furlongs in 1:02.20 last Saturday and appears set to earn his diploma.

SAN MATEO, Calif. - Strategy could play a key role in Saturday's $150,000 Yerba Buena Breeders' Cup Handicap, a 1 1/8-mile turf race that lacks a bona fide front-runner.

The field of eight fillies and mares is filled with stalkers, one of whom will have to take the lead.

A possible favorite is Turtle Bow, a Group 2 winner in her native France who lost by a neck in the Grade 1 Flower Bowl last fall at Belmont in her U.S. debut.

MIAMI - The sun was shining brightly and Calder's turf course was in perfect condition on Tuesday afternoon when entries were drawn for Saturday's $75,000 Simply Majestic Stakes. But that all changed within 48 hours as heavy rains softened the course so much it seemed unlikely as of Thursday that the Simply Majestic would go on the grass as scheduled.

A change in surface would have a profound effect on the outcome of the Simply Majestic, a 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-olds.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Horseplayers are always hoping for an overlay, and if they were paying attention last weekend at Hastings Park, horses ridden by newcomer Cayetano Chaparro gave them just what they wanted.

The juiciest one was Sovereign Won, a first-time starter trained by Mel Snow who was 5-1 on the morning line but paid a generous $36.90 when he won a maiden race Sunday. Part of the reason for the liberal price was that Snow's barn rider, Nicola Wright, was on the 7-5 favorite, Stratoplan, but it also was because local fans aren't yet familiar with Chaparro.