OCEANPORT, N.J. - The connections of Clearly a Queen decided to pass on the Grade 2 Diana Handicap at Saratoga July 27 and await the Grade 3 Eatontown Handicap at Monmouth Sunday, and the decision clearly paid dividends as she nosed out Laurica to win her second consecutive Grade 3 on the turf.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - War Emblem reared up in the gate before the start of the Grade 1 at Monmouth Sunday, but erased any memory of his stumbled start in the Belmont Stakes when he broke sharply to the front and never relinquished the lead to win the $1 million Haskell by 3 1/2 lengths over Magic Weisner.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Medaglia d'Oro used his speed and class to overwhelm eight rivals Sunday as he romped to a front-running, 13 3-4-length victory in the $500,000 before an announced record crowd of 69,523 at Saratoga.

SANTA ROSA, Calif. - World champion mule Black Ruby ($2.40) won her ninth straight race and avenged her only loss of 2001, defeating archrival Taz by three-quarters of a length Sunday in the Santa Rose Mule Championship at the Sonoma County Fair.

Black Ruby, who has won 59 of 77 starts, covered 440 yards in 25.657 seconds and combined with Taz for the 33rd exacta in their 40 meetings.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Up to 30 horses were either dead or unaccounted for as of noon Sunday after a early-morning fire of yet-to-be determined origin raged through two barns on the Woodbine backstretch.

"At this stage, we don't know how many horses are dead," said David Willmot, president and CEO of the Woodbine Entertainment Group.

"Some horses are missing, and some have gone to Guelph (the veterinary clinic at the nearby University of Guelph, Ont.)."

The blaze totally demolished Barns 7 and 7A, which housed a total of 126 horses.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Little Treasure launched her U.S. career with a hard-fought win in Saturday's $150,000 San Clemente Handicap at Del Mar, surviving a stretch-long challenge.

Ridden by Kent Desormeaux, Little Treasure won by a nose over 23-1 Pina Colada who rallied along the rail to miss by a nose. Little Treasure finished a mile on turf in 1:33.97.

Second early behind the pacesetter Super High, Little Treasure took the lead in early stretch, but was pressured through the stretch by Arabic Song and Pina Colada. "We were smoking in the last eighth," Desormeaux said.

SANTA ROSA, Calif. - Trainer Gil Matos got what may have been the sweetest win of his career when Takin It Deep won the $100,990 Joseph T. Grace Handicap on Saturday at the Sonoma County Fair.

Takin It Deep, the 2001 California Derby winner, beat Hoovergetthekeys by 1_ (three-quarters) lengths in the 1 1/16-mile race. The winning time was 1:42.80.

"This was a sweet win for us," said Matos, who saw Takin It Deep lose by a nose to Hoovergetthekeys in the Alamedan Handicap on July 7 at Pleasanton. "That's only fair. He beat me, now I beat him.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Left Bank left no doubt about his ability to get a distance of ground by whipping the best field of handicap horses assembled this year in Saturday's $750,000, Grade 1 at Saratoga.

Taking over from pacesetting Saint Verre turning for home, Left Bank rolled to a 1 1/4-length victory over even-money favorite Street Cry, who nosed out defending Whitney winner Lido Palace for second. Macho Uno, Unshaded, and Saint Verre completed the order of finish.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Hours after he watches former pupil Cigar get inducted into racing's Hall of Fame, trainer Bill Mott figures to be in the winner's circle with his latest star student.

Mott will send out Patrol in Monday's $150,000, Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Handicap as Saratoga wraps up week two. A field of eight was entered for the nine-furlong turf race, but two were put in for main-track only and another, Chiselling, may not run.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Dance Dreamer gave jockey Kent Desormeaux a win to remember in an allowance race at Hollywood Park on July 6. After squeaking through along the rail to win by a neck, Dance Dreamer unseated Desormeaux during the gallop-out.

"He had me chewing on the grass," Desormeaux said. "I think the birds jumped up in front of him. I trusted him to gallop out like an old champ, but he was full of himself."

On Monday, Desormeaux and Dance Dreamer are reunited in a $65,000 optional claimer over 1 1/16 miles on turf at Del Mar.