INGLEWOOD, Calif. - By the time she made her ninth start of the year, last fall at Keeneland, Reine de Romance was a tired filly.

"She'd gone pretty hard all year," said trainer Jenine Sahadi. Reine de Romance made her United States debut in January, did not win until May, but by late July was a graded stakes winner. It was a long year, one in which she won three of nine races and emerged as one of the top turf fillies of California. After finishing sixth in a Grade 1 at Keeneland, it was time for her to unwind.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Trainers Neil Drysdale and Bobby Frankel hope New York is a little kinder than Kentucky was to their 3-year-old fillies, Bella Bellucci and You, when they meet in Friday's Grade 1 Acorn at Belmont Park.

Both horses were entered in the May 3 Kentucky Oaks, but Bella Bellucci was scratched two days before because of a low blood count. You went off the 2-1 second choice in the Oaks, but she found the distance a half-furlong too far, and finished fourth.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Holiday Runner appears to hold a significant edge in speed, seasoning, and class over her six rivals entered in Thursday's $100,000 Fashion Stakes for juvenile fillies at Belmont Park.

ELMONT, N.Y. - When Mcdynamo and Anofferucantrefuse last raced at Belmont Park they were losers in flat races. On Thursday, they return as Grade 1 winners over jumps and are the main contenders in the $100,000-added Meadowbrook.

The Grade 1 Meadowbrook is the final leg of the steeplechase triple crown for novice jumpers. The series began with the Grade 1 Hard Scuffle at Churchill on May 2 and was followed by the Grade 1 Joe Aitcheson at Pimlico on May 17.

A partnership of five racetracks in Nebraska has stopped taking bets through an account-wagering system after the Nebraska Supreme Court ruled that telephone betting is illegal.

The partnership included Atokad Park, Columbus Races, Fonner Park, Horsemen's Park and Nebraska State Fair Park. The tracks opened the account-wagering service seven months ago.

MUSKEGON, Mich. - Jockey Terry Houghton won the 3,000th race of his career Monday aboard Blossom Hill in the first race at Great Lakes Downs. According to Daily Racing Form statistics, Houghton is the 100th rider in history to win 3,000 races.

ELMONT, N.Y. - In the days leading up to the Kentucky Derby, Essence of Dubai was one of the buzz horses on the Churchill Downs backstretch. So much so, that he went off the seventh choice at 10-1 in the 18-horse field.

Essence of Dubai failed to fire in the Derby, finishing ninth, 13 lengths behind War Emblem.

In the days leading up to Saturday's Belmont Stakes, Essence of Dubai appears to be the forgotten horse. Tom Albertrani, the assistant trainer for Saeed bin Suroor, has not been besieged with reporters like he was in Louisville.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Reade Baker will be shooting for the most important victory of his training career on Saturday when Gonetofarr starts in the $500,000 Labatt Woodbine Oaks.

Just over two weeks later, Baker hopes to be hunting even bigger game when he sends out both Classic Mike and Wolverine in the $1 million Queen's Plate.

Gonetofarr, owned by George Farr, will be making her first start in five weeks in the Oaks after a smashing score over Canada's 2-year-old filly champion Ginger Gold in the seven-furlong Fury.

AUBURN, Wash. - The news last week was about Eric Nelson's plans to return racing to Playfair and Andy Stronach's hopes to bring racing to Point Roberts.

This week, there is renewed interest in resurrecting racing at Yakima Meadows, which has been dark since its last operator called it quits after just 10 days of a scheduled 40-day meet in 1998.

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Gerard Melancon is making a three-horse race of the jockey standings at Lone Star Park.

Last year, Melancon finished sixth in the standings with 34 wins, but this season he has already equaled his win total from last meet to rank third in the standings, three wins behind leader Corey Lanerie and one behind runner-up Anthony Lovato.

"I've had a lot of live horses in the right races," said Melancon, who is in his second season at Lone Star.