SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Summer Colony and Dancethruthedawn, who waged an epic duel through the Pimlico stretch in May, will renew acquaintances Friday when they headline a six-horse field entered in the $400,000, Grade 1 Personal Ensign Handicap at Saratoga.

Summer Colony and Dancethruthedawn are considered the two best handicap fillies in the East, and rank only behind California-based Azeri in the overall divisional standings. They put on quite a show in the Pimlico Distaff Breeders' Cup Handicap when Summer Colony outlasted Dancethruthedawn by a nose.

EDMONTON, Alberta - When the horses line up in the starting gate for Saturday's 73rd running of the Grade 3 Canadian Derby, no one will be more proud than Rae Johnson, the trainer of Alberta-bred Topwynson.

Following in the footsteps of his grandfather and father, both trainers, Johnson is the first person in his family to participate in Alberta's biggest Thoroughbred race, which goes over 1 3/8 miles and has a $150,000 purse.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - In his first riding stint at Monmouth, Abdiel Toribio has his sights set on a top-five finish in the jockey standings. The meet already has been a success for Toribio, who has found a new summer spot for years to come.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Trainer Todd Pletcher was dealt another blow when Warners, suffering from laminitis, was euthanized on Tuesday evening.

It was the second horse from Pletcher's stable to die in the last nine days. Freedom's Daughter, who won the Grade 2 Schuylerville on opening day, died suddenly on Aug. 12 from what was believed to be colitis X, a disease that wreaks havoc with a horse's lower intestinal tract.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Allen Jerkens has always believed Puzzlement to be a good horse. He figured by now he would know for sure if he were right.

Jerkens and the rest of us will find out how good Puzzlement is when he faces heavy favorite Medaglia d'Oro, one-time Kentucky Derby future-book favorite Repent, and six others in Saturday's $1 million Travers Stakes at Saratoga.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Bayou the Moon flirted with joining the top 3-year-olds last summer before a tendon injury put an end to that campaign. Two races into his 4-year-old season, Bayou the Moon faces an important test in Friday's $75,000 Harry F. Brubaker Handicap at Del Mar, his first start in a stakes since a fifth-place finish in the 2001 Swaps Stakes at Hollywood Park.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Garrett Gomez has a streak to protect when he rides Momentum in Sunday's $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar.

In the last two years, Gomez made winning the Pacific Classic look easy, guiding the front-runner Skimming to wins in 2000 and 2001.

With Momentum, Gomez has found a logical contender for a third consecutive win in a race expected to have a 14-runner field led by Kentucky Derby winner War Emblem.

Gomez's opinion of his mount strengthened on Wednesday when Momentum worked three furlongs in 35.40 seconds.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - New York Racing Association linemaker Don LaPlace made several strong statements in establishing and defending his morning line for Saturday's $1 million Travers Stakes. LaPlace installed Medaglia d'Oro as the 2-5 favorite, the strongest morning-line he said he has made in this race in his 30 years on the job.

"The way he won in front of everybody here the other day,'' LaPlace said, referring to Medaglia d'Oro's 13 3/4-length Jim Dandy victory. "He got a 120 Beyer Speed Figure; what are you going to do with that? He was just 3-5 and won by 13 lengths.''

AUBURN, Wash. - Road Afleet, who was defeated by only a nose by Colterkind in the 6 1/2-furlong Governor's Handicap on Aug. 4, will take the 11th of 12 available spots in Sunday's 67th renewal of the Grade 3, $250,000 Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs. Road Afleet's inclusion leaves three horses - Prodigious, Sabertooth, and Sullivanitis - to draw for the final starting berth in the race.

Trainer Dan Markle said he would rather have saved the Washington-bred Road Afleet for the Washington Championship and run Winitall in the Mile, but the weights dictated his choice.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - From the beginning of the Arlington Park meet in June through the International Festival of Racing, one type of race is notably absent from the daily fare: turf sprints.

But with the Festival over, Arlington racing secretary David Bailey now can give himself a little extra leeway in regard to using the grass course. The first turf sprint of the season, a $45,000 allowance for fillies and mares, highlights the Friday card, with a twilight first post of 3 p.m.