SALEM, N.H. - Joseph E. Carney Jr., president and co-owner of Rockingham Park, died Sunday after a long illness. He was 70.

As a founder of Rockingham Venture Inc., Carney and his partners rebuilt Rockingham in 1984 after a fire destroyed the grandstand in 1980.

Cliff Goodrich, appointed president of Arlington Park in December, will officially assume his duties on March 11, according to a news release. At the same time, Arlington president Steve Sexton will move into his new post as president of Churchill Downs and Ellis Park. Goodrich has been working for Arlington under the title of interim executive vice president since he was named as Sexton's successor late last year.

Goodrich also will serve as senior vice president of Churchill Downs Inc., the parent company of both Churchill and Arlington.

ALBANY, Calif. - Midweek cards at Golden Gate Fields are often lackluster, but Wednesday's has an interesting batch of races.

The feature is a six-furlong allowance race for 3-year-old fillies.

Trainer Jeff Bonde appears to have the two fillies to beat in the race, Jaciro and recent maiden winner Hajji Babe.

"They're both good fillies," Bonde said. "I wish they didn't have to face one another, but sometimes you have to do this to make races fill."

Only three rivals are signed up to face Bonde's pair.

The All Along Breeders' Cup, a Grade 3 turf stakes race that's part of the biggest day of the year at Colonial Downs, has gotten a $50,000 purse boost to $200,000 this season.

Colonial, which will hold 14 stakes races during a six-week, 30-day program that runs from June 13 to July 22, also raised the purses for 11 other stakes races to $50,000 apiece.

The track's signature event, the sixth annual Virginia Derby, will remain a $500,000 race for the second straight year. The 1 1/4-mile turf race for 3-year-olds is scheduled for July 12.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Horses who rally from far back, especially in turf races, need to be both good and lucky to win.

Strizzi proved he was good when winning his grass debut by 4 1/2 lengths here Jan. 8, a performance that made him the 3-1 favorite when he returned three weeks later in the Dave Feldman Stakes. But Strizzi was unlucky in the Feldman, getting trapped behind a wall of horses before finishing only 2 1/2 lengths behind Hypnotist, who skimmed the rail.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - A week ago trainer Kathleen O'Connell and the connections of Ivanavinalot had all but decided to pass Friday's Grade 2 Bonnie Miss Stakes for what they figured to be a softer spot in Sunday's Grade 3 Florida Oaks.

But that changed once the nominations for the Bonnie Miss were released. Now it appears Ivanavinalot may forgo the trip to Tampa to compete in the Bonnie Miss, Gulfstream's premier race for 3-year-old fillies.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Ivory Tower and Paga arrived from South America in 2001 as Group 1 winners and were expected to make an impact in California's graded stakes.

Two years later, they have yet to duplicate their South American form. Paga has been plagued by illness, while Ivory Tower's career has been derailed because she bled from the lungs.

The two horses can rebound when they make their first starts of 2003 in Wednesday's $75,000 Winter Solstice Stakes for fillies and mares over about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course.

ARCADIA, Calif. - A minor share of the 3-year-old Atswhatimtalknbout, who will make his stakes debut in Sunday's $250,000 San Felipe Stakes, has been sold to a group of Hollywood movie producers that includes Gary Ross, the writer and director of the upcoming movie "Seabiscuit," and director Steven Spielberg.

Horse owner B. Wayne Hughes, who purchased Atswhatimtalknbout for $900,000 at a 2-year-olds in-training sale, will retain a majority share in the colt, one of the West Coast's leading contenders for the Kentucky Derby.

SALEM, NH - Joseph E. Carney, Jr., the man who helped rebuild and restore racing in New Hampshire as president and owner of Rockingham Park died Sunday after a long illness. He was 70.

As a founder of Rockingham Venture, Inc., Carney and his partners rebuilt the Rock in 1984 after a fire destroyed the grandstand in 1980. He led the track through 18 tumultuous years which saw some of New England's most historic racing events but also declines that have led to the abandonment of Thoroughbred racing and potential closing in two years.

Sunland Park, N.M. - Steve Asmussen is a force wherever he goes, and even though he is not stabled at Sunland Park he makes his presence felt here in a powerful way. After sending Cielo Girl out to take Sunday's $50,000-added Santa Teresa Handicap for older fillies and mares, Asmussen is 15 for 31 at the meet, good for fifth in the standings. More importantly, he has now won six of the thirteen non-restricted stakes run here.