Cherokee's Boy ($2.80) returned to sprinting to score a 3 1/4-length victory in the $60,000 Goss L. Stryker Stakes at Laurel Park, but later this season trainer Gary Capuano intends to give his 3-year-old colt some opportunities to go long.

"I'm planning on giving him a little rest after this, maybe 30 days in Florida," Capuano said of Cherokee's Boy, whose four wins in nine lifetime starts have all come at distances of seven furlongs or less. Under leading rider Ryan Fogelsonger, Cherokee's Boy covered seven furlongs in 1:23.59.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Jack Murphy Sr. has spent much of his life building big things, having run one of the largest structured-steel companies in North America from his hometown of Boston.

But now that he is mostly retired, Murphy spends much of his time maintaining a racing stable.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Super Bowl XXXVII will not be the only sporting event to feature a confrontation between teams from Florida and California this weekend. Twenty-four hours before the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders square off in San Diego, teams comprised of Florida-breds and California-breds will battle Saturday at Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita Park in Magna Entertainment Corp's inaugural Sunshine Millions, a series of eight races offering $3.85 million in purses.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trainer Ken McPeek has to be wondering what he's got to do to win the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes.

McPeek was on the short end of a tough beat in the Holy Bull for the second straight year after Powerful Touch dropped a head decision to Offlee Wild on Saturday. A year ago he suffered a similar fate when Harlan's Holiday was beaten three-quarters of a length by Booklet in the Holy Bull, the first major Kentucky Derby prep of the local season.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - If Juan Serey wants to return to training horses, he must first serve a 90-day suspension for two medication positives dating back more than three years.

The New York State Racing and Wagering Board notified Serey last week that it has denied his appeal of a pair of 90-day suspensions to be served concurrently. The suspensions were due to the presence of the banned substance Ergonovine, found in two of his horses during December of 1999. The board also denied a request by Serey's attorney, Karen Murphy, to start serving that ban immediately.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Elloluv went from a 30-1 outsider in the Hollywood Starlet last month to a 9-5 contender in Monday's Grade 2, $150,000 at Santa Anita.

The role reversal made owner Paul Reddam anxious, but the result was the same. Elloluv scored a convincing victory to stake a claim as one of the top 3-year-old fillies in California.

She won the Starlet Stakes by four lengths on Dec. 14, and scored a commanding 2 1/2-length win in the Santa Ynez.

"I was nervous about this race," Reddam said. "At 30-1, you don't have to worry about it."

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Alysweep broke sluggishly but finished strongly as he rallied past 3-5 favorite Philadelphia Jim in deep stretch to win Monday's $79,800 Fred "Cappy'' Capossela Stakes by 1 1/2 lengths before a crowd of 5,022.

It was the third consecutive victory for Alysweep and second straight since being claimed by trainer Pat Reynolds and owner Michael Dubb for $75,000 last month. Alysweep, a 3-year-old Florida-bred son of End Sweep, has now earned $73,680 for his new connections.

Shake the Dice continues to handle every rise in class he has taken for trainer Scott Lake.

Claimed by Lake for $50,000 in August at Delaware Park, Shake the Dice collected his fifth straight win and first career stakes victory in the $51,700 Hoover Stakes at Laurel Park.

Shake the Dice ($7.80), ridden by Clinton Potts, sat close behind a duel between 3-5 favorite Sassy Hound and Sky Commander during the first half-mile of the six-furlong Hoover. Potts found room along the rail and Shake the Dice drew off to win by three lengths over Griffinite.

There are numerous purse reductions in the Prairie Meadows stakes schedule for this year's Thoroughbred meeting, and the Iowa Festival of Racing has been dismantled.

The 53-day meet is scheduled to begin April 18 and run through June 28.

Under a new five-year contract with horsemen, total purses for both the track's Thoroughbred and mixed meetings this year will be approximately $15 million, down from nearly $20 million in 2002.

Revenue from slot machines at the racetrack has fallen short of expectations.

ARCADIA, Calif. - There is no doubt about Got Koko's ability in route races after her convincing win in Sunday's $150,000 at Santa Anita.

Despite a wide trip throughout the 1 1-16 miles, Got Koko rallied through the stretch to beat seven other 4-year-old fillies and score her second consecutive win in a graded stakes.