Could the move to statebred ranks mean more to a horse?

Lights on Broadway, who last year swept the two richest dirt races offered for horses bred in Texas, will get back to racing with statebreds Saturday when he defends his title in the $125,000 Assault, the richest of six restricted stakes at Lone Star Park that make up the Stars of Texas Day.

Together, the races are worth close to $600,000, and offer a preview of some of the Texas horses most likely to qualify for the inaugural NTRA Great State Challenge at Sam Houston Race Park on Dec. 7.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Since racing in this country revolves around dirt, campaigning a 3-year-old with talent revolves around dirt racing. You shoot for the Kentucky Derby, and if you miss there are countless other dirt stakes out there.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - A small field seemed probable for the $164,700 Clarendon Stakes for Canadian-bred 2-year-olds Saturday at Woodbine, mainly because of the expected presence of Goldies Legacy, an impressive winner of his lone start.

But when word got out that Goldies Legacy would be a no-show for the 5 1/2-furlong dash because he had popped a puss pocket in his foot, the field size swelled to eight, with only two winners in the lineup.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Many would have thought that by the end of June Belterra would have already established herself as one of the top 3-year-old fillies in the country. Instead, Saturday's $250,000 Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont Park offers Belterra a chance to play catch-up in a division with no clear-cut leader.

In her brief career, 3-year-old filly Alternate has passed every test, barely breaking a sweat. After running third in her career debut, Alternate won her next three starts by a combined margin of more than 20 lengths.

The final exam is still almost a month away, but first Alternate must show she can step up to the next level of competition in Saturday's $175,000 Susan's Girl Breeders' Cup at Delaware Park. The 1 1/16-mile Susan's Girl is the final local prep for the Grade 3 Delaware Oaks on July 20.

EDMONTON, Alberta - Dark Fuse will be the 119-pound topweight and should rule as the favorite as he returns to sprinting in Saturday's Western Canada for 3-year-olds at Northlands Park.

Owned by George and Rosemarie Hominuik, Dark Fuse heads a field of nine in the 6 1/2-furlong Western Canada and will break from post 7 under Orlando Martinez.

After winning an allowance following a nose defeat at the same level, Dark Fuse won the President's Handicap in his first stakes try, at Stampede Park this spring.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Ten 3-year-olds are entered for the $75,000 Burnaby Stakes Saturday, and with many of them trying three turns for the first time it looks like a wide-open race.

Likely favorite Commodore Craig has never been worse than second, but has never gone this far, and will face early pressure from Test Drive and Silver Donn.

AUBURN, Wash. - Anazeha heads an intriguing cast of seven fillies in Saturday's top offering at Emerald Downs, a $50,000 optional claiming race at six furlongs.

Though all of the entrants have the potential to make a splash in stakes, a win Saturday would almost certainly propel Anazeha into the added-money ranks. The

6-year-old Anazeha boasts a career record of 6 wins from 15 starts, including two wins over handicap runners in her native Chile and is coming off an ultra-game victory at the $40,000 optional claiming level in her local debut on May 27.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Arlington Park and horsemen agreed this week that purses during the second portion of the Arlington meet, the Summer Festival of Racing, would be raised by only $20,000 a day, to $260,000, instead of by $40,000 a day.

Also, Arlington will not raise overnight purses during the three racing days preceding the Breeders' Cup, as had been planned.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Street Cry, whose authoritative victory in the Stephen Foster Handicap put him atop the handicap division, will skip next Saturday's $500,000 Suburban Handicap and instead point to the $750,000 Whitney Handicap on Aug. 3 at Saratoga, his connections said Thursday.

The Suburban also lost Grade 1 winner Include, who is also being pointed to the Whitney, according to trainer Bud Delp.