COLLINSVILLE, Ill. - Thursday's $25,000-added Roman Colonel Stakes for 3-year-old colts and geldings at six furlongs boils down to one thing: How good is Bulldog George?

Trainer Jimmy Wiser knew he had a good one a year ago, but each time Bulldog George got close to a race, an injury - he shin-bucked twice - would halt his progress. A full brother and stablemate to the stakes-placed filly Shania's Code, Bulldog George finally made it to the races June 16 and destroyed a maiden special field by more than 18 lengths.

NORTH RANDALL, Ohio - Truth Matters, Dinkers Millennium, and All Out Springs will likely be the favorites Thursday in the $100,000 Cleveland Gold Cup. Ten Ohio-bred 3-year-olds will run nine furlongs in the Gold Cup.

Truth Matters tuned up for the race with a second in a six-furlong allowance dash here June 19. Prior to that he defeated All Out Springs by a neck in the 1 1/16-mile Green Carpet stakes at River Downs. An Is It True gelding, Truth Matters likes to run on or near the lead, and is capable of wiring this field under Jeffrey Skerrett.

LAFAYETTE, La. - The $100,000 D. S. "Shine" Young Futurity, first leg of the Evangeline triple crown for 2-year-olds, highlights a special holiday program Thursday night.

The fastest qualifier for the Shine Young is One Tough Raiser. After winning his maiden with ease on May 30, the son of I'ma Hell Raiser won his five-furlong qualifying trial for Saturday's finals by six lengths in 58.80 seconds, considerably faster than the other two trial times of 59.80 and 1:01. The likely favorite, One Tough Raiser, is trained by Kearney Segura and will be ridden by Steve Bourque.

AUBURN, Wash. - Trainer Sharon Ross has had a stranglehold on the handicap division this meet, winning the Seattle and the Fox Sports Net with Crowning Meeting and the Budweiser Emerald with Secret Launch, who narrowly held off Crowning Meeting after a mile in a near-track-record 1:33.40.

An intriguing trial matchup between Golden State Futurity winner Tres Seis and Heritage Place Derby winner A Real Man takes place in the second of four 440-yard trials to the Grade 1, $199,344 Rainbow Derby on the Fourth of July at Ruidoso Downs.

The 10 fastest qualifiers return for the finals on July 20.

Tres Seis makes his seasonal debut while A Real Man is in sharp form after his Heritage Place Derby win.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - When Blazing Fury left Monmouth Park last June after running seventh in a maiden turf race, trainer Jimmy Toner said he was disappointed and dumbfounded. When Blazing Fury returns to Monmouth this Saturday under much different circumstances, Toner will be excited.

Why?

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - No games. No fooling around. No waiting or rating.

No, the strategy for Morluc in the Firecracker Handicap will be as straightforward as it appears on paper: Go to the front and never look back.

"If they want to go with us," said trainer Randy Morse, "they're going to be going too fast."

ALTOONA, Iowa - The Iowa Festival of Racing was created with the intention of luring some of the sports best horses, jockeys, and trainers to Prairie Meadows, which has prospered since adding slot machines in 1995. While that is not an easy goal, each of the first three festivals has proved a success, and this week's races are again expected to offer both quality and depth.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Longshot Cavalier Billie overhauled 1-2 favorite Fleet of Foot in deep stretch to take the $166,950 Ontario Damsel Stakes for Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies at Woodbine.

It was the stakes debut for Cavalier Billie, who rallied four wide from four lengths back to win the 6 1/2-furlong turf sprint by two lengths.

"I was fortunate enough to be able to sit off [the leaders]", said Robert Landry, who rode Cavalier Billie. "She kicked on when I asked her."

Cavalier Billie ($36.90) earned $100,170 for owner George Ledson and trainer Sergio Greco.

ELMONT, N.Y. - New Jersey shipper Mike's Wildcat ($30.40) assumed the lead soon after the start and was never seriously challenged en route to an eight-length victory in the $109,700 Astoria Stakes for juvenile fillies at Belmont Park.

"They told me she was fast and they were right,'' said Jose Santos, who rode Mike's Wildcat for owner Dennis Narlinger and Monmouth Park-based trainer Jeff Bonde. "She was just cruising along out there, with her ears up. I knew it was over at the three-eighths pole.''