PLEASANTON, Calif. - To her jockey, she's the Secretariat of mules. To her owners, she's the Tiger Woods of mules, helping her breed the way Woods has helped golf. To California racing officials, she's an icon on the state fair circuit.

But is Black Ruby, the world's greatest racing mule, simply too good for her own good?

Black Ruby dominates mule racing the way Man o' War or Personal Ensign did Thoroughbred racing. She has won 20 of her last 21 races, and at 10 years old is just hitting her mule racing prime.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - A three-month drought in stakes ended for trainer Richard Mandella when The Tin Man won Thursday's $150,000 American Handicap at Hollywood Park.

Before the losing streak was officially over, Mandella had to sweat through a steward's inquiry regarding a bumping incident in the final furlong.

In the end, the judges ruled that The Tin Man ($10.40) did not interfere with Devine Wind even though the two made contact.

"During the race, I didn't think I had anything to worry about," Mandella said.

Maysville Slew edged 6-5 favorite Candid Glen by a nose at the wire to win the $100,000 Independence Breeders' Cup at Louisiana Downs on Thursday. It was a head back in third to Rebridled.

Maysville Slew($14.60) raced near the back of the pack early in the mile and a sixteenth turf race, while Price of Champagne set fractions of 24.66 seconds for the opening quarter, and 48.70 for the half while under pressure from Rebridled.

ELMONT, N.Y. - The headliners remained the same, but the complexion of Saturday's $500,000 Suburban Handicap changed drastically at entry time.

While 119-pound co-highweights and probable favorites Macho Uno and Lido Palace were entered, Brooklyn Handicap winner Seeking Daylight was knocked out of the race with an injury. That prompted the connections of E Dubai and Pleasant Breeze to enter, tentatively providing the pace the race sorely needed.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Behind Beat Hollow, the top grass horse in the country, the handicap turf division is wide open. The divisional picture will become much clearer when three of the top grass horses in the West square off against two of the best in the East in the Grade 1, $500,000 United Nations Handicap at Monmouth Saturday,

The 11-furlong United Nations, the first Grade 1 of the Monmouth meet, drew an outstanding field of eight older horses.

ALTOONA, Iowa - Euchre looks to restore his reputation as one of the nation's leading handicap horses when he heads a field of 10 in Saturday's Grade 3, $400,000 Cornhusker Breeders' Cup Handicap at Prairie Meadows.

The card also includes the $125,000 Iowa Distaff for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - The inaugural running of the $500,000 American Oaks at Hollywood Park on Saturday features top-class fillies from throughout the United States and Europe.

None will have the same support as an ex-claimer who is stabled adjacent to the racetrack.

Megahertz, trained by Bobby Frankel for Michael Bello, is unbeaten in four stakes this year, a turnaround from her spotty record against claimers last year in France.

Megahertz will be favored in the American Oaks, which is run over

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Dancethruthedawn and Sweetest Thing, both Sovereign Award winners as 3-year-olds in 2001, will face off in an intriguing matchup Saturday at Woodbine in the $165,600 Dance Smartly Handicap.

Dancethruthedawn, a daughter of 1991 Canadian horse of the year Dance Smartly, will try the grass for the first time in the 1 1/8-mile event. She captured the 2001 Queen's Plate and Labatt Woodbine Oaks, and was voted champion 3-year-old filly honors at year's end.

EDMONTON, Alberta - Rancour will take a major step toward retaining his crown as Alberta's top older horse when he heads a field of seven in the $40,000 Spangled Jimmy Handicap at Northlands Park on Saturday.

Trained by Ernie Keller, Rancour will carry top weight of 121 pounds, including regular rider Quincy Welch, in this one-mile event.

A 5-year-old, Rancour is coming off a one-length victory over They Call Me Cody, who is one year his junior, in the 1 1/16-mile Herald Gold Plate at Stampede Park.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - "It could be a real weird race," said Kathy Bremner, who trains Inish Glora, one of the favorites in Saturday's 1 1/8-mile Brighouse Belles. She could be right.

All five of the horses entered do their best running late, and it's a crap shoot as to which one will be in front early.

Inish Glora forced the pace when she finished second to Collect Call in the Grade 3 B.C. Breeders' Cup Oaks, and Bremner thinks Inish Glora won't be too far back Saturday.