OZONE PARK, N.Y. - For a few fleeting moments last fall, trainer Richard Schosberg thought it was over. After six years on the track, and 23 top-three finishes in 31 stakes attempts, Affirmed Success appeared to have lost his desire to race.

So, for the second time in three months, Affirmed Success was sent to owner Al Fried's Buttonwood Farm in upstate New York for a vacation.

"If he came back and still didn't show the same enthusiasm that he had at the beginning of the year, we were all prepared to say that's it," Schosberg said.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - With Ability was part of a highly successful 2000 juvenile filly class for owner-breeder Edward Evans and trainer Mark Hennig. Though she may not have accomplished as much as classmates Gold Mover and Raging Fever, With Ability will retire next month with a distinguished career.

ARCADIA, Calif. - It has been a while since their glory days. Neither National Saint nor High Wire Act, both of whom have placed in graded stakes, has won a race in nearly two years. Now age 7, and out of nonwinners allowance conditions, they are caught in no-man's land. Their options include running in graded stakes, which appears beyond their scope these days, or dipping into a claiming race, an option not yet pursued by their trainers.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Whenever Nick Zito has found an allowance race for American Style, the colt has tended to run well. Zito seriously considered the Hal's Hope on Saturday as the next race for American Style, but instead will run him Friday in a fourth-level allowance at Gulfstream Park.

That leaves Najran as the Hal's Hope starter for Zito and owner Buckram Oak Farm, under whose green-and-red silks both 4-year-old colts compete. Zito said he originally sought a classified allowance race for Najran, but "when nothing came up, we kind of switched them around," he said.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Request for Parole, making just his second start since finishing fifth in the Kentucky Derby last May, rallied from far behind under Edgar Prado to win an allowance-optional claimer at 1 1/16 miles Wednesday at Gulfstream in his turf debut.

Now trained by Stan Hough for owners Sam and Jeri Knighton, Request for Parole drew off from the 9-5 favorite, Boastful, in the final yards, winning by a half-length in 1:46.33 over a firm course. He paid $10.

ARCADIA, Calif. - There are two distinct paths to the Santa Anita Handicap, and they converge on March 1.

Older horses run in races such as the San Pasqual Handicap, which Congaree won last weekend, and the San Antonio Handicap. Four-year-olds, though, can compete against their own age group in a pair of two-turn races this meet before being forced to take on their elders.

ALBANY, Calif. - A full field seems in the making for Saturday's Grade 3 $100,000 Golden Gate Derby.

One day before Thursday's draw, 11 3-year-olds were committed to run in the 1 1/16-mile race, and a 12th was likely.

Trainer Jeff Bonde will be represented by Standard Setter and said last weekend that he would run either Mr. Technique or D's Bertrando in the race. Now Mr. Technique is out.

"Mr. Technique won't run," Bonde said Wednesday. "I worked him seven-eighths today [1:26.60 at Bay Meadows]. He wasn't quite ready for a race."

NEW ORLEANS - All Chop Chop ever wanted was to be left alone. All this pulling on his reins, holding him back during races when he was ready to go - what was that all about?

No, Chop Chop never took to route racing, where energy must be conserved in the race's early stages for a stretch run. Chop Chop ran okay several times in routes, but he did as much wrestling with his rider as he did productive running.

GROVE CITY, Ohio - Beulah Park begins its 70-day winter-spring meeting Friday in what figures to be a pivotal year for Ohio's oldest track, which first opened in 1923.

The minimum purse at the meet is $3,800, down 24 percent from the corresponding meeting last year. Purses have been cut $200 per race since the conclusion of the fall meeting Dec. 22.

SUNLAND PARK, N.M. - With Sunland Park's 750 slot machines going full-tilt, Purses have been increased 15 percent, which will bring the daily purse distribution to $230,000. The increase means that $4,000 claimers will be running for a purse of $9,300, maiden specials will compete for $17,400, and open allowance races will offer purses of $33,100.