Unrestrained benefited from a fast early pace and went from last to first to score a 3 1/4-length victory in the $75,000 Open Fire Stakes at Delaware Park.

Ridden by Eddie Martin Jr., the 4-year-old Unrestrained ($8.60) covered 1 1/8 miles in 1:53.27 over a fast main track.

"My instructions were not to let her get too far back," Martin said. "But they were going so fast the first quarter and half I fell back about 15 lengths. I was really comfortable where we were at. By the end of the backstretch they came right back her, too."

The $125,000 Straight Deal Breeders' Cup turned out to be little more than a public workout for Xtra Heat.

Last year's champion 3-year-old filly, Xtra Heat was hand ridden to a 2 1/2-length victory over four outclassed opponents in the seven-furlong Straight Deal at Laurel Park.

Xtra Heat ($2.10), who spotted her rivals 16 to 17 pounds while carrying 126 pounds, got some brief pressure from Winter Leaf through the first half-mile of 45.21 seconds, but shook off her closest pursuer entering the turn and won as rider Harry Vega pleased, covering the distance in 1:23.08.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Portcullis overcame traffic problems at the head of the stretch to defeat El Soprano by a neck in the $500,000 Breeders' Stakes, the third leg of the Canadian Triple Crown at Woodbine.

Winning rider Slade Callaghan said Portcullis ($3.80) showed tremendous grit in overcoming adversity in the 1 1/2-mile turf race.

"Questing Knight bolted on the apex of the turn," Callaghan said. "He shut me off, and my horse clipped heels and bobbled, and almost went down. For a horse to regain his momentum the way he did, is a feat in itself."

MIAMI - Tommy Heard won his first stakes race with Be Blue in 1938. He won his most recent stakes 64 years later when Lawbook ran down the previously undefeated Trust N Luck to post a three-quarters of a length decision in the $75,000 Dr. Fager Stakes at Calder.

In the co-featured $75,000 Desert Vixen Stakes, the filly division of the Florida Stallion Stakes series, Fortunate Card outgamed Heavenly Miss by a head following a stirring stretch duel.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - After Valid Video won his maiden June 14, earning a 95 Beyer Speed Figure, trainer Dennis Manning said he would rest him until the Grade 3 Sapling at Monmouth Park. Each time he was asked about his standout 2-year-old leading up to the race, Manning would knock on the closest piece of wood and say that everything was going according to plan.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - The Grade 3 Singapore Plate Handicap revisited the Iowa Oaks and six previous Arlington graded stakes this summer. Just like in the Iowa Oaks, Lost at Sea surprised See How She Runs. And just like in six other Arlington graded stakes, Rene Douglas rode the winner.

Douglas's win came for his best client at Arlington, Jerry Hollendorfer, who trains Lost at Sea for owners Peter Abruzzo and John Franks. And while her 22-1 win in Iowa seemed fluky, it turns out Lost at Sea is a little better than See How She Runs right now.

HENDERSON, Ky. - Minister's Baby, with Craig Perret in from Saratoga to ride, pulled away turning for home en route to a 1 3/4-length victory Saturday in the $200,000 Gardenia Handicap at Ellis Park.

Minister's Baby, owned by the Lucky Seven Stable, was not seriously threatened down the stretch by runner-up Lakenheath, whose entrymate, Softly, finished another 3 3/4 lengths back in third in a field of eight fillies and mares.

FORT ERIE, Ontario - Callendars, the lone 3-year-old in a field of seven, is the horse to beat in the $60,000 Golden Horseshoe Stakes on Tuesday at Fort Erie. The seven-furlong turf race is for Canadian-foaled fillies and mares who have started at least twice at the current meeting.

Owned by Laura and Eugene Melnyk, and trained by Phil England, Callendars has shipped here from Woodbine three times. Each time she has gone back a winner. In all three wins she went wire to wire.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Arbiter, who set a course record for 1 3/8 miles on turf in an allowance race on July 25, will make his stakes debut against California's top older horses in the

$1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Aug. 25.

Trainer Craig Lewis had considered the Del Mar Handicap on turf on Sept. 1 for Arbiter, but has opted for the richest race of this meeting. The Pacific Classic is expected to draw top 3-year-olds War Emblem and Came Home, as well as older horses Bonus Pack, Euchre, Grey Memo, Kela, Momentum, and Sky Jack.

SAN MATEO, Calif. - There are some who would suggest this is not a good time for an assistant trainer to go out on his own, but those people do not know Sergio Ledezma well.

Horse inventory is down. Worker's comp costs are skyrocketing. More owners seem to be getting out of the game than into it.

Ledezma weighed those factors into his decision late last year to go out on his own after working as Len Shoemaker's assistant for 18 years.