EAST BOSTON, Mass. - In the latest skirmish between New England's Thoroughbred horsemen and Rockingham Park over the track's decision to discontinue Thoroughbred racing, the regional HBPA is preventing the Suffolk Downs simulcast signal from being exported to New Hampshire parimutuel facilities as of Jan. 1.

In a show of support, the Kentucky HBPA is not allowing Turfway Park's races to be simulcast to New Hampshire.

Rockingham has sued both the New England and Kentucky HBPA's. A hearing is scheduled to be held in January in New Hampshire superior court.

ALBANY, Calif. - Northern California runners emerged from last week's invasion of Santa Anita with no victories.

D's Bertrando, northern California's top hope, was favored in the California Breeders' Champion Stakes for 2-year-olds at seven furlongs but ran a disappointing seventh.

"He didn't like the track at all," said jockey Russell Baze, who had a rare winless stretch over the last week. "He must have changed leads four times just coming out of the chute."

NEW ORLEANS - Learned's career has dipped precipitously before, but his latest setback will cost him days, not months, of training. Even so, an upper respiratory infection that struck Learned late last week will cause him to miss his scheduled stakes debut Thursday in the Louisiana Handicap.

A year ago, jockey Terry Stanton could not walk. This year, he is leading the standings at Sam Houston Race Park.

It's a remarkable turnaround for Stanton, 35, who has fought his way back from a string of serious riding injuries since 1998.

"This is the first time I've been healthy in four years," said Stanton.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Kona Gold, the nation's champion sprinter of 2000, turns 9 on Wednesday, but trainer Bruce Headley doesn't think that the horse's best days are behind him.

"They say he's a couple of steps slower, but he's 20 steps faster than the rest," Headley said.

Headley's assessment will be tested when Kona Gold starts as the 123-pound highweight in the $100,000 El Conejo Handicap Wednesday at Santa Anita.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Congaree, whose career was revived by a flashy victory in the Cigar Mile at Aqueduct on Nov. 30, will run in Saturday's $150,000 San Pasqual Handicap at Santa Anita.

Trainer Bob Baffert has the $500,000 Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 22 as a target and said he did not want to wait more than two months between starts.

"If I want to go to the Donn Handicap, I need to get him a race," Baffert said.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Oak Tree Racing Association officials are considering asking the California Horse Racing Board to allow them to open the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meet several days early, which would result in an overlap with the Los Angeles County Fair meeting.

Oak Tree officials would like to start their meeting on Saturday, Sept. 27, one day before the Fairplex meeting in Pomona is scheduled to end. Oak Tree is scheduled to open on Wednesday, Oct. 1, and host the Breeders' Cup on Oct. 25.

Wildcat Annie led from start to finish in the $50,000 Gowell Stakes, holding off the rallying Golden Marlin by a half-length. It is Wildcat Annie's first stakes win. Her record is 6-3-1-1. Jenny's Prospector finished two lengths behind Golden Marlin in third.

Svea Dahl has turned out to be an exceptional acquisition for owner Roddy Valente and trainer Bruce Levine.

Claimed for $62,500 in June, Svea Dahl has won 4 of 6 starts for her new connections, including the $50,000 Carousel Stakes at Laurel Park. Svea Dahl ($3), ridden by Ramon Dominguez, set a controlled pace and led wire to wire in the 1 1/16-mile Carousel for fillies and mares.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Multiple Choice ($11.40), who hadn't won a six-furlong race in 18 months, blew past pacesetting Sing Me Back Home inside the 70-yard marker en route to a three-quarter-length victory in the $109,200 Gravesend Handicap at Aqueduct.

It was the second consecutive Grade 3 stakes victory for Multiple Choice, who in October won the seven-furlong Sport Page Handicap. Sing Me Back Home, third to Multiple Choice in the Sport Page, held second by 1 1/4 lengths over Gold I.D.