ALBANY, Calif. - When Plan A didn't work for Halo Cat this summer, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer went to Plan B and saw the gelding win his northern California debut.

Plan B will continue Saturday at Golden Gate Fields when Halo Cat will attempt to duplicate his Nov. 9 Albany Handicap victory in the $60,000-added Oakland Handicap at six furlongs.

John Franks purchased Halo Cat this summer after he won four straight races in Texas and Louisiana. The fourth, the Kings Court Handicap at Louisiana Downs by 4 1/4 lengths, earned Halo Cat a Beyer Speed Figure of 110.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Jason Servis on Wednesday was in the process of moving his stable from deserted Monmouth Park to Belmont Park. He hopes someday it will be a permanent change.

Servis will make his first full foray into New York this winter with a 19-horse string for the inner track meet. He got off to somewhat of a disappointing start Wednesday when Zacharov finished fourth as the favorite in the ninth race.

MIAMI - The 2002 Tropical at Calder meet kicks into high gear on Saturday with Grand Slam I, the first of two multiple stakes programs to be offered here during the final month of the session. Grand Slam II is scheduled for Dec. 28.

Grand Slam I consists of four stakes, each valued at $100,000. The 1 1/8-mile Tropical Turf Handicap and its filly counterpart, the My Charmer Handicap, highlight a program that also includes the Kenny Noe Jr. and Chaposa Springs handicaps, both of which will be run at seven furlongs. Of the four stakes, only the Kenny Noe doesn't have graded status.

PORTLAND, Ore. - So this is what all the fuss was about.

Stately Jack Flash was the talk of the local backstretch before this meet opened, when he outworked every other horse on the track. Although he ran well enough in his first two starts, winning his debut against maiden special weight company and finishing a close second in the Bill Wineberg Stakes, he hardly lived up to his billing.

Bettors at most of the offtrack betting parlors run by Fair Grounds could not wager for more than two hours on Nov. 29 after the track lost a communication link with its betting hub in Houston.

The link went down shortly after the third race and was restored after the eighth, according to Bryan Krantz, the president of Fair Grounds. During that time, bettors at eight OTB's run by the track in the New Orleans area could not bet on the track's races or any other races around the country.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Edward Mackie has been appointed director of mutuels at Gulfstream Park, the track's president, Scott Savin, announced Wednesday. Mackie will assume similar duties at Calder Race Course next April. He succeeds Pat Mohony, recently named director of mutuels for the New York Racing Association, at both Gulfstream and Calder.

Savin also announced the appointment of Kenneth Burruss as assistant to Mackie at Gulfstream. Mackie and Burruss are veterans of the Gulfstream mutuels department.

NEW ORLEANS - The similarities go way beyond their names. Last year Lake Lady won her maiden at Churchill Downs on the final weekend in October for trainer Steve Asmussen, and she came back to crush an allowance field there near the end of the meet. This year's model is Lady Tak, an Asmussen-trained filly who debuted at Churchill Oct. 29 with an 11 3/4-length maiden win. She returned last weekend at Churchill to win a tough allowance race by 3 1/4 lengths, running six furlongs in 1:09.40.

MIAMI - Sir Bear, whose form has tailed off during the second half of this season, is not done yet.

Trainer Ralph Ziadie said Wednesday he plans to point Sir Bear to another Gulfstream Park campaign, with his major goal the $1 million Sunshine Millions Classic on Jan. 25.

Sir Bear began the year by winning Gulfstream's Grade 3 Skip Away Handicap and finishing third in the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Handicap. But he was badly outrun in three of his four subsequent starts, including his last two races at Calder, finishing far back in the My Mac and Spend a Buck handicaps.

The Sunland Park stakes schedule this weekend emphasizes 2-year-olds. Grade 1 Remington Park Futurity winner Outdashing tops the trials to the Grade 2, $152,306 Sunland Fall Futurity, and A Medley of Chicks is the horse to beat in the Grade 2, $199,380 Shue Fly Stakes.

The five trials to the Sunland Fall Futurity will be held at 400 yards on Friday afternoon. The 10 horses with the fastest times will quality for the finals on Dec. 21.

The 400-yard Shue Fly Stakes for New Mexico-bred juveniles will be held on Saturday.

HOUSTON - Industry officials will be watching carefully Saturday when the Great State Challenge makes its debut at Sam Houston Race Park. The $1.65 million series will feature stars like Take Charge Lady, Forbidden Apple, and Continental Red who will compete in six divisional races for both prize money and bragging rights among 11 states that will be represented.

If the innovative competition is to win a place on the racing calendar next year, much depends on how the program is received Saturday.