LEXINGTON, Ky. - For a horse who has bankrolled nearly $765,000 and earned a glowing reputation in the process, it may come as a major surprise even to knowledgeable racing fans that Crafty C.T. owns a grand total of one lifetime stakes win.

Granted, except for the occasional dip into the allowance ranks, Crafty C.T. has kept extremely tough company, having campaigned primarily in Southern California for trainer Howie Zucker. In fact, Crafty C.T. was good enough to finish third, beaten just one length, in the Breeders' Cup Sprint last October.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Saarland, making only his second start since last year's Kentucky Derby, splashed home a 2 1/4-length winner in an allowance race Friday at Aqueduct.

The day wasn't fit for man or beast. Soaking rain on top of an already mucky track left the surface a sea of slop.

Under John Velazquez, Saarland, the 7-5 favorite in the five-horse field, raced close to the early leaders and drew off with a sixteenth remaining in the mile race.

Saarland covered the distance in 1:36.48.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Trainer Tom Amoss was not there Friday, sending assistant Chris Richard instead to Keeneland because Amoss had a horse in the next day's Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park. But jockey Robby Albarado was there, and in the case of Royal Spy, that seems to be the key.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Ruby's Reception rallied from last to first to overtake Harbor Blues and win the Grade 2, $200,000 Fantasy Stakes for 3-year-old fillies by 2 1/4 lengths at Oaklawn Park.

It was another length back in third to Go for Glamour

Ruby's Reception ($11.40) settled several lengths off the pace set by Harbor Blues, who led the field through fractions of 22.80 seconds for the opening quarter and 45.94 seconds for the half-mile. Harbor Blues was pushed along by Go for Glamour and My Trusty Cat.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Rare Friends shook clear on the lead and never looked back in the $134,875 Jacques Cartier Stakes at Woodbine, winning the six-furlong race by 3 1/2 lengths.

Rare Friends set fractions of 21.80 seconds and 44.71 over a track favoring inside speed, and completed the distance in 1:11.22 with Patrick Husbands aboard.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Higher purses usually attract tougher competition. But in the turf division for 3-year-old fillies, the song remains the same. A field of six entered the $150,000 Providencia Stakes on Sunday at Santa Anita, where Major Idea finds herself in a familiar role as overwhelming favorite.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - There are two things that are for certain whenever Flying Birdie runs these days. She will be the horse to catch, and if she gets caught Petrina Above will be the one to run her down.

Flying Birdie and Petrina Above will meet for the seventh time since mid-August when they head a full field of 12 fillies and mares going five furlongs on the grass in Sunday's $75,000 Bob Slater Stakes. The race is named in honor of the longtime handicapper and turf writer who died last year.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Three horseplayers who cashed last Sunday for $661,283 on the Santa Anita pick six - a day the gross pool exceeded $2.9 million - employed a combination of good handicapping and good-sized bankrolls to score. Bettors wagering through Thistledown and Los Alamitos won their pick six bets with plays of $576 and $768, respectively, while a New York Racing Association bettor invested two tickets that cost a total of $10,944 in order to make the score.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - For trainer Tom Proctor, the time to find out about Consistency is now.

Proctor has earmarked Gulfstream Park's Grade 3 Skip Away Handicap on Easter Sunday, April 20, for Consistency's next appearance and stakes debut, even though he could have opted for an easier spot the previous afternoon.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - The subtleties of pace can expose the flaws of even the most impressive of racehorses. Party Queen, who looked so overpowering in winning a third-level allowance race over the Gulfstream Park grass course in January, looked equally helpless when she finished ninth nearly seven weeks later in the Suwannee River Handicap there.