NEW ORLEANS - Steve Asmussen brightened this week when asked how Mountain General had been training over the Fair Grounds surface. By late Thursday afternoon, it was obvious why. Racing several lengths behind a torrid pace, Mountain General split horses in midstretch and sped to a 6 1/2-length win on opening day at Fair Grounds.

Racing on a very quick surface, Mountain General's time of 1:08.03 for six furlongs set a track record, eclipsing Hallowed Dreams's old mark of 1:08.34 set two seasons ago. He returned $5.60 to win.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - After making no impression in her first three starts in the United States, Viernes pulled a 24-1 upset in the $72,900 Waya Handicap at Hollywood Park.

Ridden by Victor Espinoza, Viernes ($51.60) ran the 1 1/2 miles on turf in a stakes record 2:26.38.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Ben Cecil admits that if Golden Apples had won the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Arlington Park last month she would not be starting in Sunday's $500,000 Matriarch Stakes at Hollywood Park.

"It would have been doubtful," Cecil said.

Consider Golden Apples's loss to be a gain for the Matriarch Stakes.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Not all Bob Baffert-trained 2-year-olds are geared toward the Triple Crown.

On Saturday at Hollywood Park, Victory Song will make his stakes debut in the $200,000 Generous Stakes at one mile on turf. Baffert won the race last year with Mountain Rage.

Victory Song, a son of Spinning World, has 1 win in 3 starts, a one-mile maiden race on turf at Santa Anita on Oct. 31. It was a turnaround from a seventh-place finish in his debut at Del Mar on dirt Sept. 9 and a seventh in a one-mile maiden race on turf at Santa Anita on Oct. 6.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Wake at Noon, winner of four stakes and $447,886 at Woodbine this year, heads the list of Sovereign Award finalists released by the Jockey Club of Canada on Thursday.

The finalists were chosen by 59 voters across Canada, who listed their top three choices in each category with points being awarded on a 4-2-1 scale.

The winners, along with Canada's Horse of the Year, will be revealed at the 28th annual Sovereign Awards ceremony at Toronto's Royal York Hotel on Dec. 7.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Woodbine will be offering a mandatory pick six payout on Saturday, in order to disperse the $7,066 that had accumulated in the pool prior to the wager's suspension.

The Canadian Pari-Mutuel Agency had ordered a halt to all pick six, Win 4, and superfecta wagering on Nov. 12 in order to review parimutuel procedures in the wake of the Breeders' Cup pick six scandal.

Superfecta wagering was reinstated on Nov. 18 following discussions between the CPMA, racing industry officials, and the tote companies.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - True, the cream of the 2-year-old crop was in Chicago five weeks ago for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. But, that doesn't mean a few colts and geldings in catch-up mode can't make strides by Kentucky Derby time next year - a fact that gives a race such as the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes its greatest meaning.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Good Journey has come full circle in the last year. After Good Journey won the Citation Handicap in November 2001, trainer Wally Dollase said the horse's 2002 campaign would be focused on the Breeders' Cup Mile at Arlington Park. He finished a game third in that race, three-quarters of a length behind the winner, Domedriver.

On Saturday, Good Journey returns to defend his title in the $500,000 Citation Handicap at Hollywood Park, a race that helped establish his reputation.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Roar Emotion raised some eyebrows when she won her maiden by 10 1/2 lengths in September at Belmont. A month later, she sunk some hearts and shrunk some wallets when beaten at 1-10 in allowance company.

Saturday, Roar Emotion will have a shot at redemption when she runs back in the Grade 2, $200,000 Demoiselle Stakes for juvenile fillies at Aqueduct. Jose Martin, the trainer of Roar Emotion, has enjoyed success in the Demoiselle. Martin won the race in 1984 with Diplomette and in 1987 with Goodbye Halo, a 37-1 shot who upset 3-5 favorite Tap Your Toes.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - The amazing Smugglers Cove will try to win her 10th race of the Hastings meet in a $32,000 optional sprint for fillies and mares Saturday. There should be plenty of pace to set up her good late move, and she figures to be a prohibitive favorite.