ELMONT, N.Y. - Running a horse in a Grade 1 stakes at 1 1/2 miles in her third start might not be the most conventional thing to do, but trainer Terry Knight thinks Sister Girl Blues can handle it.

Sister Girl Blues arrived at Belmont Park from Bay Meadows on Tuesday for Saturday's $350,000 Coaching Club American Oaks, the final leg of New York's triple for 3-year-old fillies.

"If you're going to do something unorthodox, she's the kind of horse that is mentally comfortable with most things," Knight said. "She's always laid back."

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Every time she looks behind her in the starting gate, Victory at Sea sees some new guy on her back. Friday, Rene Douglas takes his turn on Victory at Sea, who clearly is the horse to beat in Arlington's $45,000 feature.

There was rider continuity early in Victory at Sea's career. Larry Melancon rode her the first two times she raced, and Pat Day was up in her next three starts. But in seven races since then Victory at Sea has had a different pilot each time.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Bonapaw has traveled from Dubai to Des Moines this year, but his longest trip may come Saturday, when he will be asked to stretch his speed one mile in the $100,000 Hanshin Cup.

Bonapaw, the pride of New Orleans, has lost two races in a row for the first time since last summer. A trip to Dubai in late March produced a sixth-place finish in the Dubai Golden Shaheen, and Bonapaw most recently was fourth in the July 4 Iowa Sprint Handicap at Prairie Meadows.

MIAMI - The excitement of Saturday's $1.4 million Summit of Speed program was tempered earlier that morning with the sobering news that Hal's Hope had died the previous day because of complications from intestinal surgery.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - It was last April at the Ocala Breeders' 2-year-old in-training sale. Amy Tarrant was just getting into the Thoroughbred business and finding that buying horses was tougher than she had thought.

At the sale, Tarrant was outbid on many horses before finally coming to Hip No. 382, a daughter of Fortunate Prospect out of Worldly Bold. The filly was named Bold World and Tarrant was determined to walk out of the sales ring with her.

FORT ERIE, Ontario - No Queen's Plate winner has gone off at more than 2-1 in the modern era of the Prince of Wales Stakes, which began in 1988 when the race was moved from to turf and shortened to 1 3/16 miles.

But that will change at Fort Erie Sunday when T J's Lucky Moon, winner of Woodbine's 1 1/4-mile Queen's Plate at 82-1, runs in Sunday's 67th running of the Prince of Wales, which will offer a record purse of $500,000.

DEL MAR, Calif. - The horses and people are starting to trickle in to Del Mar in anticipation of next Wednesday's opening day, and their attitude, like the weather here, is sunny and mild.

The weekend stakes action will begin early with the $40,000 Tah Dah Stakes scheduled as the sixth race on Friday's program. The 5 1/2-furlong Tah Dah is restricted to Ohio-bred 2-year-old fillies.

COLLINSVILLE, Ill. - Friday night's $25,000-added Shecky Greene Handicap has brought together Fairmount's top sprinters in what shapes up as the best race of the meet so far. Although each horse has credentials, the six-furlong sprint features a grudge match between Too Many Bucks and Tic N Tin, who finished one-two, separated by just a nose, in Arlington's White Oak Handicap last month.

SHAKOPEE, Minn. - Jockey Scott Stevens returns to ride at Canterbury Park this weekend. Stevens will be making his first appearance at Canterbury Park since the mid-1990's. Stevens led the jockey standings in three consecutive seasons here, from 1990 through 1992, while also riding each winter at Turf Paradise. Among Stevens's mounts this weekend is Minor Wisdom, one of the top choices in Saturday's John Bullit Stakes.