ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Front-runners have more than held their own at the current Woodbine meeting over the E.P. Taylor turf course, which is cut noticeably shorter than most North American grass courses.

Short turf, on top of hard ground, has helped to create ideal circumstances for speed horses, and such conditions could be made-to-order for Leading Role in the third race on Wednesday's card.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Following a familiar trend, business at the Churchill spring meet that ended Sunday was up from all wagering sources but down slightly ontrack.

A record of more than $553 million was bet at all sources during the 52-day meet, up 6 percent over corresponding dates in 2001. A large chunk of that increase is attributable to record wagering on the May 4 Kentucky Derby, which was up 11 percent over last year.

Meanwhile, daily ontrack attendance and handle averaged 13,036 and $1,772,571, decreases of 4 and 1 percent.

ALTOONA, Iowa - Prairie Meadows completed its 53-day Thoroughbred meeting with a 17 percent increase in daily all-sources handle, while ontrack handle slipped 4 percent from the corresponding meeting in 2001.

Ontrack handle averaged $81,609 per day compared with $84,633 last year, while total handle per day was $774,863 compared with $661,319 in 2001. The decrease in ontrack handle, as well as a portion of the increase in total handle, is a result of the track replacing Sunday afternoon racing with Wednesday evenings this year.

Jockey Mario Pino, top rider at Colonial Downs for the past three years but a distant second in the standings so far this meet, put a severe dent in his deficit by riding seven winners on Sunday's 10-race card.

Pino, who had six winners on one program at Colonial last July and again this spring at Pimlico, swept the second through the sixth races with Lady Grace ($6.80), Grey Gables ($5.80), Minnieprize ($8.60), Minoruego ($14.60), and Middleworth Bay ($7.60).

MIAMI - Xtra Heat worked a half mile in 49.20 seconds at Laurel on Monday in her final major prep for Saturday's $400,000 Princess Rooney Handicap at Calder. The Princess Rooney is one of four sprint stakes on the $1.4 million Summit of Speed card.

Harry Vega, who will ride Xtra Heat in the Princess Rooney, was aboard for Monday's work for trainer John Salzman Jr. Xtra Heat is scheduled to arrive at Calder on Thursday morning.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The odds are nearly incalculable on how all this could happen. Dale Romans tied for leading trainer at Churchill Downs for the third straight spring. That seems almost impossible in itself.

But the way it has happened each year seems to add exponentially to the equation.

In 2000, D. Wayne Lukas won the Bashford Manor Stakes on the second-to-last race of the meet to gain an 18-18 tie with Romans.

Last year, Bernie Flint won the last race of the meet to tie Romans at 22.

The soybeans in the infield, say Ellis Park general manager Paul Kuerzi, "have been a little slow to come around."

Fortunately for the thousands of horseplayers who will partake of Ellis Park this summer, it shouldn't take nearly as long for the brand of racing at the 2002 summer meet to be recognized as solid and competitive.

The 79th meet in Ellis history begins Wednesday with a 10-race card, led by a $28,280 allowance for 3-year-olds and up. The program is the first of 41 that will be run through closing day, Sept. 2.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Speed has been king lately on Belmont Park's hardened turf courses, but identifying which horse could grab the lead in Wednesday's feature at Belmont Park could be difficult.

A field of seven was entered for the second-level allowance run at 1 1/16 miles, though trainer Bobby Frankel said he is likely to run either Maita or Langoureuse, but probably not both.

Hear No Evil ($3.60) solidified his status as the top 2-year-old on the grounds with a half-length victory over a fast-closing Supah Blitz in the $100,000 Criterium Stakes at Calder.

Trainer James Hatchett said both Hear No Evil and stablemate Awesome of Course, who finished third after setting the pace, will be sent to Saratoga with trainer Tim Ritvo. The Sanford at Saratoga and Monmouth's Sapling Stakes are being considered for their next start.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - During the brief but highly successful time in which Ronny Werner has raced horses in Kentucky, his horses have become known primarily for one thing: speed.

So it was no wonder Werner had a big grin on his face after Awesome Humor ($17.20) rallied from off the pace to post an impressive two-length victory in the Grade 3, $109,500 Debutante Stakes at Churchill Downs.