PHOENIX, Ariz. - The only time R. Baggio set foot on the Turf Paradise turf course he won easily.

Surely owner Frank Lewkowitz and trainer Eric Kruljac are hoping for a little deja vu with the 4-year-old R. Baggio in Saturday's $50,000 Paradise Mile Handicap, a one-mile turf race that attracted eight runners.

In the Paradise Valley Handicap on turf here 13 months ago, R. Baggio stalked the pace and blasted home to win by four lengths. Left in second place was the very fast and tough Resolve.

OLDSMAR, Fla. - Tampa Bay Downs opens its gates Saturday for its 77th season of Thoroughbred racing. With a working contract between management and horsemen in place, and over 1,100 horses already on the grounds and 1,400 expected by the first of the year, fans shouldn't have to worry about the boycotts of the entry box by trainers and the small fields of last season.

MIAMI - Trust N Luck's only two victories have come after the speedy 2-year-old was able to shake loose on the lead. So there is little doubt what trainer Ralph Ziadie's strategy will be when he stretches Trust N Luck back out around two turns for Saturday's $100,000 What a Pleasure Stakes at Calder.

"If he gets the lead I don't think they'll beat him," Ziadie said shortly before a field of seven 2-year-old colts was drawn for the What a Pleasure.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Gary Contessa won't stick his neck out and predict that he will win back-to-back Aqueduct inner-track titles, but don't take that as a sign the trainer lacks confidence in his stable.

Contessa won the 2001-2002 inner-track title with 38 winners and is second in the standings at the current meet with four winners through Thursday's card. "I'm not predicting a title, but I think I can win a lot of races," Contessa said "I have a lot of good horses in the barn. Maybe I'm even stronger than last year."

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Say Florida Sandy's bid to reach $2 million in earnings came up 1 3/4 lengths short when he finished second behind Sing Me Back Home in Wednesday's featured eighth race at a rainy Aqueduct.

Sent off as the 7-5 favorite in a classified allowance with a $54,000 purse, Say Florida Sandy pressed Sing Me Back Home outside through fractions of 23.63 and 47.24 seconds on an inner-dirt track labeled good, and was outkicked in the stretch.

Doris Hebert has moved most of his stable to Delta Downs this winter, and his presence at Fair Grounds has diminished significantly, but that doesn't mean Hebert would miss the Champions Day Juvenile. After all, he basically owns the thing.

PORTLAND, Ore. - Handicappers who like full fields of evenly matched horses will relish Friday night's card at Portland Meadows, with 105 horses entered for the nine races.

And that includes a six-horse field of Quarter Horses in the evening's first race.

Quality takes a back seat to quantity on Friday, however, as racing secretary Jerry Kohls attempted to conserve most of his ammunition for Oregon-bred day on Saturday. As a result, the program lacks a true feature, and it is debatable which race should be considered the top offering.

Hawthorne's pick four and pick six will be reinstated on Friday, according to a track press release.

The bets were pulled from the track's wagering menu on Nov. 9 by the Illinois Racing Board in the wake of the Breeders' Cup pick six scandal.

The board's decision to reinstate the wagers is a result of totalizator companies Autotote and AmTote taking measures to provide increased security.

Friday's pick six will reflect a carryover of a little more than $11,000.

ALBANY, Calif. - Eleven fillies and mares meet in Friday's Golden Gate feature, a six-furlong allowance race.

It offers handicappers plenty of variables with which to test their handicapping skills.

There are 3-year-olds meeting older, claimers moving up, and runners who have been competing at this first allowance level while looking for a victory.

The sharpest member of the field is Courtster, who carries a five-race win streak into the race. She started her streak in a $4,000 claiming race and has run for a higher tag in each of her next four starts.

Record-breaking stakes purses are on tap at Los Alamitos this weekend.

Friday night, the Grade 1, $1,313,700 Los Alamitos Million will have the richest purse in the track's 52-year history.

Saturday night, the Grade 1, $500,000 Champion of Champions will offer Quarter Horse racing's largest purse for older horses.

Sunday night, the initial running of the Grade 1, $200,000 Marathon National will have the richest purse ever for an 870-yard race.

Los Alamitos Million