ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - In late March, the Fair Grounds season was winding down to its last big event, the Explosive Bid. Fourteen turf horses were entered, good ones too. But there was Beat Hollow, with just a third-level allowance win in this country, opening up at odds of 6-5.

CHICAGO - For all the talented 3-year-old grass horses Bill Mott has trained, he has won the premier 3-year-old grass race in this country, the Grade 1 Secretariat, only once. The win came 17 years ago with Derby Wish, and since then talented colts like King Cugat, Glok, Trail City, and even Paradise Creek came up short in the Secretariat.

DEL MAR, Calif. - When Hot War scored a front-running victory in Monday's $100,000 Real Good Deal Stakes for California-bred 3-year-olds, he gave jockey Eddie Delahoussaye his 15th win of the meet, tying him for second with Laffit Pincay Jr., just three behind the leader, Patrick Valenzuela. Considering that Delahoussaye rides far fewer horses than anyone else in the top five this meet, his position in the standings is remarkable.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - A gelding who raced six times in Ontario last year as Northern Olympian was in fact a horse who now is known as Zubat.

Zubat and Northern Olympian, both bay geldings with similar markings, were bred in Ontario by The Bell Farm and somehow became mixed up before being offered at auction here.

The horse who would erroneously be known as Northern Olympian went through the open yearling sale in 1999, where he was bought back for $8,000, and later became the property of owners Teri Vella and Michael Cooke.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Bella Bellucci, who has missed major 3-year-old filly events such as the Kentucky Oaks and Mother Goose because of various infirmities, appears all set to run in Saturday's Grade 1 Alabama Stakes, trainer Neil Drysdale said.

Bella Bellucci last ran on July 19, when she romped to a 11 3/4-length victory in a nine-furlong classified allowance race at Belmont Park. She earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 105 for the effort.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, whose runners have been hot at the meet, has a horse for the course in Aslaaf for Thursday's $52,000 allowance feature at Saratoga.

Aslaaf has a win and two seconds in three turf starts at Saratoga. A 4-year-old son of Quiet American, Aslaaf is coming off a second-place effort as the favorite in a third-level allowance race run here on July 31.

Thursday's race carries the same allowance conditions and will be run at one mile on the inner turf.

DEL MAR, Calif. - An old friend has returned to the barn of John Shirreffs, and the trainer could not be happier. David Copperfield has had a star-crossed career, the highlights including defeating Fusaichi Pegasus in a maiden race and winning the Cinema Handicap, the lowlights including never quite living up to the $2 million The Thoroughbred Corporation spent for him at the Marshall Naify dispersal two years ago.

AUBURN, Wash. - Just Outrageous appears to be the one to catch in Thursday's feature at Emerald Downs, a six-furlong race for $20,000 3-year-olds that has drawn a field of eight.

Just Outrageous, a Pennsylvania-bred son of Press Card who races for Frank and Phyllis Gaunt, is coming off a front-running score over $16,000 rivals on Aug. 1, when he blistered a half-mile in 44.20 seconds and hung on to score by a neck over the fast-finishing Predominator in 1:16.80 for 6 1/2 furlongs.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - In the paddock between the second and third races on Sunday, trainer Phil Oliver watched intently as his barn's star, 5-year-old First Lieutenant, went through a routine schooling session, calmly walking through the ring and then up toward the paddock stalls.

Prized Amberpro, a former $10,000 claimer who over the past few months has developed into one of this region's top female sprinters, has been good for trainer John Gelner's health. The mare, who is set to race at Louisiana Downs on Aug. 24 in the $50,000 Monique Rene Handicap, has lifted Gelner's spirits following his minor stroke last year, and subsequent heart problems.

"She has been a tremendous boost," said Gelner, who trains Prized Amberpro for Linda Patch and Joseph Thomas. "She keeps me going."