NEW ORLEANS - The precious metal of the week at Fair Grounds is silver. Six days after Badge of Silver won the Risen Star Stakes by

10 lengths, Ifyouprefersilver won Saturday's $150,000 Chou Croute Handicap here by lengths.

NEW ORLEANS - Badge of Silver remains on target to make his next start in the March 8 Louisiana Derby, trainer Ronny Werner said Saturday.

Werner's comments came a day after Ken Ramsey - who co-owns Badge of Silver with his wife, Sarah - said Badge of Silver might skip the Louisiana Derby and head straight to the Illinois Derby on April 5 at Hawthorne Race Course. Ramsey, speaking after a stakes win at Gulfstream Park, cited extra time between starts as a reason for considering the move.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - My Boston Gal is undefeated after three starts, but her perfect record could be in serious jeopardy when she takes on the more seasoned pair of Ivanavinalot and Perfect Story in Sunday's $200,000 Davona Dale Stakes at Gulfstream Park. The 1 1/16-mile Davona Dale is the highlight of a 10-race program that also includes the $75,000 Georgia Stakes and $65,000 Charon Stakes.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Apalachian Thunder will forsake the Derby chase for now, and focus instead on the realistic goal of becoming a graded stakes winner in a $100,000 sprint race. Rather than join the bounty of front-runners pointing for the Grade 2, one-mile San Rafael Stakes next weekend, Apalachian Thunder instead will cut back to one turn and return to grass in the Grade 3 Baldwin Stakes on Sunday at Santa Anita.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Owner Ken Ramsey had just won the $100,000 Palm Beach Stakes with his 3-year-old Nothing to Lose, but he made more news Friday when he discussed a possible change in plans for his undefeated Kentucky Derby candidate Badge of Silver.

Ramsey said he is considering skipping the Louisiana Derby with Badge of Silver - the dominant winner of last week's Risen Star Stakes - and point to the $500,000 Illinois Derby on April 5 as the colt's final Kentucky Derby prep.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Cellars Shiraz will be a strong favorite in Sunday's $75,000 Georgia Stakes at Gulfstream Park, but her presence in the one-mile turf race did not scare anyone away.

Cellars Shiraz, a multiple stakes winner over this turf course as a 3-year-old, will face 10 rivals in the Allen Paulson division of the Georgia Stakes, open to the progeny of stallions who had a breeding right donated to the Georgia Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association annual auction.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Weekend workouts by Congaree and Medaglia d'Oro will determine whether the two handicap stars will start in the $1 million Santa Anita Handicap on March 1.

Medaglia d'Oro, the winner of the Strub Stakes on Feb. 1, was scheduled to work on Saturday at Hollywood Park. Trainer Bobby Frankel is also considering sending Medaglia d'Oro to the Middle East for the $6 million Dubai World Cup on March 29.

Congaree, the winner of the San Pasqual and San Antonio handicaps at this meeting, will work Sunday, according to trainer Bob Baffert.

Until the cold and snow and rain began blanketing the Cincinnati area, Jason Lumpkins was cruising atop the North American jockey standings. Through Feb. 12, Lumpkins had ridden 67 winners, a total that had him a few ahead of his former northern California rival Russell Baze.

But when the nasty weather hit Turfway Park, Lumpkins was idled, and Baze surged past him. Through Thursday, Baze had ridden 76 winners to lead all North American riders, while Lumpkins was still stuck on 67.

ARCADIA, Calif. - The California Horse Racing Board on Friday endorsed a plan to allow the Oak Tree Racing Association to add a day of racing to its fall meeting at Santa Anita on Sunday, Sept. 28, to conduct four prep races for the Breeders' Cup.

The board could not formally approve the request, because it requires legislative approval to allow for an expansion of the state's racing calendar. According to Sherwood Chillingworth, an Oak Tree executive, the necessary legislation was introduced earlier this week in Sacramento, but has yet to reach the committee level.

PORTLAND, Ore. - The popular Marathon Series will kick off Sunday at Portland Meadows with two fields of 10 set to clash under $4,000 starter allowance conditions at nine furlongs.

The series will continue with a 10-furlong leg on March 16 and a 12-furlong leg on April 6, then will conclude with a two-mile race on April 27.