OLDSMAR, Fla. - Tampa Bay Downs, which had its scheduled opening weekend washed out, finally began its 2002-2003 racing season under blue skies Tuesday.

A crowd of 2,449 was on hand for the 11-race opening-day program, wagering $251,692 at the track. The all-sources handle on the card totaled $2,507,874.

The crowd saw Awesome of Course, making his first start since finishing fourth in the Saratoga Special last summer, survive a long stretch duel and claim of foul to post a length victory in the $50,000 Inaugural Stakes.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - They're coming from across town, across the country, and off the bench for Thursday's featured seventh race at Hollywood Park. The question is whether it will come off the turf.

NEW ORLEANS - With more than $600,000 in earnings, Warren's Whistle already has fashioned an outstanding career, but on Thursday it begins anew. In the Fair Grounds feature, Warren's Whistle makes her first start outside California and first since being sold at auction last month. But this new face in New Orleans has a New Orleans regular to beat in the high-end allowance race.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - When trainer Gary Contessa had an uncharacteristically slow Aqueduct fall meet, he knew that something was up.

Contessa found that a number of horses in his stable were battling a virus, which he believes accounted for his 4-for-56 meet record.

"During the month of November, every horse I ran looked like a winner until the top of the stretch," Contessa said.

ALBANY, Calif. - Frances Henderson is probably not the only trainer who wishes Thursday's first race, a one-mile race for maiden 2-year-old fillies, was being run on the turf. Her horse, Cycle of Life, is one of four horses in the field coming out of a Nov. 27 grass race.

Thursday's card will likely be run on a wet main track.

Cycle of Life is an interesting prospect. Despite blue-blood breeding, Cycle of Life began her career in the $12,500 maiden ranks. Henderson claimed Cycle of Life for herself in the filly's second start.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - There is so much depth to the field for Wednesday's $56,000 allowance feature at Aqueduct that trainer Richard Violette, who has entered graded stakes winner Free of Love, joked, "They should put up another $40,000 and call it a $100,000 overnight race."

Free of Love, making his first start since late July, is one of 10 runners entered in the classified allowance at a mile and 70 yards on the inner track. Beknown to Me is an also-eligible.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Shawklit Mint had shown consistency, but hadn't done anything flashy until last Thursday.

A 3-year-old New York-bred who is owned by Flatbird Stable, Shawklit Mint won an open-company allowance at Aqueduct by nine lengths and earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 108. Her time in the third-level allowance was a quick 1:09.93 for six furlongs. Her previous career-high Beyer was a 96.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Kafwain will be trainer Bob Baffert's lone starter in Saturday's $380,000 Hollywood Futurity as Baffert attempts to win the race for the fourth time in the last six years.

Baffert had considered starting Domestic Dispute, the runner-up in the Sunny Slope Stakes at Santa Anita in October, but said that colt will not start until the upcoming Santa Anita meeting.

On Sunday, Domestic Dispute worked six furlongs in 1:11 at Santa Anita, the fastest of 14 recorded works at the distance.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Sentimental Value tries to extend her winning streak to three on Wednesday in a $58,000 allowance race for 3-year-olds over a mile on turf.

Sentimental Value was being considered for the El Encino Stakes on Jan. 19, but her owner, The Thoroughbred Corp., will start Habibti in that race, leaving Sentimental Value to Wednesday's lesser prize.

With strong recent form, Sentimental Value has every chance to win for trainer Kristin Mulhall.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Gary Contessa trained the winner and runner-up, Grey Comet and Unswept, in the $82,625 Damon Runyon Stakes.

Grey Comet beat his stablemate by 3 3/4 lengths in the Damon Runyon, for 2-year-old New York-breds. They ran as separate betting interests.

Under Aaron Gryder, Grey Comet took the lead from Unswept, the unchallenged pacesetter, early in the stretch and drew off in the final furlong of the 1 1/16-mile race. Go Rockin' Robin finished third, a half-length behind Unswept, the 4-5 favorite.