HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Assessing the chances of graded stakes winners when they return from extended vacations and face allowance competition can prove a tough challenge for any handicapper. Such will be the case when Gander and Wiseman's Ferry make their 2003 debuts in Friday's $46,000 allowance feature at Gulfstream Park.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trainer Joseph Catanese III was hoping he would be able to work his turf specialist Just Listen an easy half-mile over the grass here Wednesday morning in preparation for Saturday's $200,000 Pan American Handicap. The plan was to follow the same basic training schedule that produced a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Mac Diarmida Handicap and a second-place effort in the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Breeders' Cup Handicap.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - John Servis is one of the few trainers in the Northeast who is sad to see the winter come to an end.

From Jan. 1 though Tuesday, the Philadelphia Park-based trainer won 18 races from 60 starters (.30 winning percentage), including five stakes. His stable has earned $446,391.

NEW ORLEANS - At age 8, Redattore isn't just hanging onto his racing career, he's thriving in it.

Redattore won more than $300,000 last year, but he has been even better this year: In his two starts, Redattore won an allowance race by five lengths and scored a one-length victory over the top-class Good Journey in the Grade 2 Frank Kilroe Handicap.

"He seems even better now than before," said trainer Richard Mandella. "I don't known what it is, really, but he's been in fabulous shape this year."

PORTLAND, Ore. - Carlyn Road, who has won three of six sprint tries at the Portland Meadows meeting, including the Jane Driggers Debutante Stakes in December, showed another aspect of her talent in Sunday's Mary Goldblatt Stakes for Oregon-bred 3-year-old fillies at a mile.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Azeri, the 2002 Horse of the Year, has done enough for trainer Laura de Seroux to pronounce her fit and on schedule for her seasonal debut in the $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park on April 5.

The 5-year-old Azeri had her third recorded workout of the year on Tuesday at the San Luis Rey Downs training center. She worked five furlongs in 58 seconds, and galloped out six furlongs in 1:10.80 and seven furlongs in 1:24.80, de Seroux said.

"I'm well on schedule," de Seroux said. "She's incredible."

ALBANY, Calif. - Friday's feature race at Golden Gate Fields could end up being a prep for next month's California Derby.

Five 3-year-olds are entered in the one-mile allowance race.

Always Remember, who missed by a head to Spensive in the Gold Rush Stakes in December, will make his first start since a fifth-place finish behind Ministers Wild Cat in the Golden State Mile Feb. 9.

Each of the other four runners enters the race coming off a victory.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Two weeks from Friday everyone involved in Kentucky racing will be acutely aware that spring has finally arrived. On that day, April 4, Keeneland begins its spring meet.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Trainer Darrin Miller had considered passing Saturday's $125,000 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park with Great Notion, but after the colt trained sharply Wednesday, he will be entered in the race, the final local prep for the Grade 2, $500,000 Arkansas Derby.

SUNLAND PARK, N.M. - A solid field is shaping up for the richest race in Sunland Park history, the $500,000 WinStar Derby March 30. Formerly known as the Riley Allison Derby, the race is being sponsored by WinStar Farm this year. WinStar partner Bill Casner worked as an exercise rider at Sunland while attending the University of Texas, El Paso.