HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Not all allowance races are created equal and knowing the subtle differences could help point out the winner of Thursday's $42,000 feature at Gulfstream Park, an optional claimer at about 1 1/8 miles on the turf.

Both Wertz and Monkey Puzzle ran against money conditioned allowance company in their previous starts. The two veteran grass performers are taking a significant drop in class into four-other-than optional claiming company on Thursday.

Churchill Downs Inc. is seeking a buyer for Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky., according to Tom Meeker, the president of Churchill, who acknowledged on Tuesday that the track has been a "drag on our earnings for several years."

Meeker said Churchill did not have a timetable for selling the track, which the company bought for $22 million in 1998 along with a training facility near Lexington, Ky. Meeker said Churchill will seek a deal that will allow it to retain the rights to Ellis's simulcast signal, a structure that is uncommon, if not unique, in the U.S. racing industry.

Handle through Philadelphia Park's Oregon-based international betting hub skyrocketed $8.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2002 to $42.9 million, while handle through Television Games Network's service for the quarter fell by $2.3 million, to $46.9 million, from the third quarter.

Philadelphia Park's hub, oneclickbetting.com, takes wagers in the United Kingdom on American races and commingles the bets into U.S. pools, according to Bill Hogwood, the head of the service.

NEW ORLEANS - After watching Saintly Look work a strong five furlongs early Sunday morning, trainer Dallas Stewart said he was "leaning toward running in the Risen Star" this Sunday at Fair Grounds.

NEW ORLEANS - Neil Howard likes to take things slowly, but Political Risk may have other ideas.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Weeks of dry weather has given way to the first rainstorm of the Southern California winter, and its duration throughout the six-day race week at Santa Anita will affect all that is four-legged.

Very little training was conducted Tuesday on a muddy track, the only turf race Wednesday was moved to dirt, and the complexion and distance of the Thursday feature will be unknown until race day.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Empire Maker, runner-up at odds of 2-5 in the Sham Stakes on Friday at Santa Anita, will add blinkers for his next start on March 15 in the Grade 1 Florida Derby. "He definitely needs blinkers, and I knew that going in," trainer Bobby Frankel said. "I haven't lost any confidence in him."

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Horseplayers who like to handicap route races may be tempted to skip out of work and come to Aqueduct on Thursday, because seven two-turn races are on the program.

The best among them is the featured eighth race, a $46,000 allowance at 1 3/16 miles for non-winners-of-three lifetime.

The field of eight is a mixed bag of older males, and can be approached from several different angles.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Heart of the Cat and Southern Alert, who chased Tulupai in separate stakes races in their last starts, meet Thursday in an entry-level allowance at Oaklawn Park.

The six-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies drew a field of seven, and has a purse of $31,000.

Heart of the Cat finished third to Tulupai, a three-time stakes winner, when the two met in the $30,000 Cimarron at Remington Park on Nov. 24. Heart of the Cat stalked the pace in sixth early, then rallied to lose by 2 1/4 lengths to Tulupai.

ALBANY, Calif. - Trainers love to have "now" horses in their barns.

Three possible now horses - horses who are sharp, ready to win, or ready to repeat - meet in Thursday's co-feature at Golden Gate Fields, a $50,000 optional claiming race for fillies and mares at six furlongs.

Now horse No. 1 is Broke in Blairsden, who moved to trainer Armando Lage's barn last year.