LOUISVILLE, Ky. - This has been a spring of breakthrough performances for Honor in War.

After impressing trainer Paul McGee with a victory in an allowance race at Keeneland on April 17, Honor in War followed with an upset win in Saturday's $445,300 at Churchill Downs.

Making his first start in a Grade 1 stakes, the 4-year-old Honor in War rallied from a stalking position on the final turn to win by 1 1/4 lengths over Requete. Patrol, who set the pace, finished third.

Ridden by David Flores, Honor in War ($50.60) ran 1 1/8 miles on turf in 1:46.47.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Ten minutes before the start of the $222,400 , trainer Bobby Frankel stood in the Churchill Downs paddock and wondered aloud, "I can't win another one, can I?"

Eleven minutes and 22 seconds later, Frankel was again in the winner's circle after Sightseek split horses in upper stretch and drew off to a 4 1/2-length victory in the Grade 1 Humana Distaff. It was the second straight and third graded stakes win on the day for Frankel.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Allen Jerkens has been known to dominate during the spring at Aqueduct. This year has been no exception. "The Chief" put an exclamation point on a torrid hot streak, and widened his lead atop the trainer standings, when Spite the Devil upset Saturday's $150,000, Grade 3 Withers under a relentless ride from Luis Chavez.

Spite the Devil won his first stakes race following seven previous attempts, three of which had come with New York-breds.

STICKNEY, Ill. - Following three consecutive losing races, Attico finally got things right Saturday at Hawthorne, winning the $43,200 Nicole Stakes using a strong stretch kick.

Owned by the Wertheimer Farm LLC and Alan Wertheimer, and trained by Mike Stidham, Attico came from the back of the pack under jockey Rene Douglas and outfinished Spice Island by a half-length. Attico paid $6.40 to win as the favorite and covered 1 1/16 miles over yielding turf in 1:40.39. Spice Island clearly was second, with pacesetter I Can Fan Fan holding on for third.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Mobil kicked in through the stretch and held off the favored Quiet Dare to win Saturday's $160,500 Queenston Stakes, a prep for the June 22 Queen's Plate at Woodbine.

Mobil had an ideal three-wide stalking trip under Todd Kabel in the seven-furlong race for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds. Shipman led the way through fractions of 23.29 seconds for a quarter-mile and 46.86 for a half-mile, while Quiet Dare trailed in the five-horse field.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Trainer Nick Zito is always disappointed when he is without a starter for the Kentucky Derby. But Zito was philosophical during Derby week about missing the race, saying he still could get a thrill by running two fillies in the Derby's sister race, the .

Friday, before an ontrack crowd of 100,523 at Churchill Downs, Zito got his first Oaks win to go with his two Derby victories when Bird Town, ridden by Edgar Prado, charged from well behind to upset 11 other 3-year-old fillies at 18-1 in the 129th running of the Grade 1 Oaks.

CALGARY, Alberta - Sunday's 18th running of the $40,000 M.R. Jenkins Memorial promises to be one of the strongest renewals in recent years, with seven stakes winners among the nine fillies and mares entered.

Galaxy and Tantoo, the one-two finishers in the major prep here April 20, are the only non-stakes winners in the lineup for this six-furlong handicap.

Alberta's champion older mare of 2001, Northern Neechitoo, drew post 3, and jockey Quincy Welch, in his first day back after serving a 30-day suspension, should be able to take advantage of the favorable draw.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Discernment, a 3-year-old gelding who won a $32,000 claiming race at Santa Anita April 18, may go favored over nine older runners in the Sunday feature at Hastings, a six-furlong $35,000 optional race for nonwinners of two. Included in the field is last year's B.C. Derby runner-up, Blowin in the Wind.

AUBURN, Wash. - Defending champion Neon Queen will attempt to repeat in Sunday's Hastings Park Handicap, but it won't be easy.

Though she won last year's renewal in a highly creditable 1:15.60 for 6 1/2 furlongs, Neon Queen figures to be no better than the fourth choice in a field of seven in Sunday's Hastings Park, for older fillies and mares.

Neon Queen, a 5-year-old daughter of Petersburg trained by Bud Klokstad, enjoyed a successful campaign last winter at Golden Gate, where she won an optional $50,000 claiming race at a mile on turf.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Brattothecore will put her unbeaten record on the line against five other 3-year-old fillies Sunday at Woodbine in the $162,750 Fury Stakes.

The seven-furlong race for Canadian-breds is an important prep for the June 8 Woodbine Oaks. In fact, four of the last six Fury winners have gone on to capture the Oaks.