LOUISVILLE, Ky. - What looked like a run-of-the-mill allowance race in the Churchill Downs condition book assumed far greater significance when entries were taken Tuesday morning for what should easily be the highlight of the Thursday card.

Not only did Bob Baffert enter the promising Argentine filly Netherland, but Carl Nafzger decided it was about time to run Belterra. So when the overnight was released for the 10-race Thursday card, there they were in the same race, the ninth: Netherland in post 10 with Pat Day to ride, and Belterra in post 6 with regular rider Jon Court.

LOUISVILLE - With Bob Baffert watching from the Churchill grandstand, War Emblem breezed five furlongs in 1:01 under exercise rider Dana Barnes. Baffert caught the the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner galopping out six furlongs in 1:14.60. "Perfect," said Baffert. "He wants to get it on."

ELMONT, N.Y. - Sunday Break and Puzzlement, the first two finishers in the Peter Pan Stakes, Preakness runner-up Magic Weisner, and Artax Too, who figures to be the race's longest shot, all turned in their final workouts on Monday morning for Saturday's 134th Belmont Stakes, in which Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner War Emblem will attempt to become racing's 12th Triple Crown winner.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Wednesday's opening of Arlington Park's marathon 107-day meet is welcome enough, but it's the end that has everybody excited. Arlington hosts the Breeders' Cup for the first time this year. That itself is a coup for the track, but officials also hope the Breeders' Cup will galvanize its position both locally and nationally, positions weakened when the track closed for economic reasons in 1998 and 1999.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - It's too bad that Mighty Quinn, the likely favorite in Wednesday's Bold Ruckus Stakes, a six-furlong turf dash for Ontario-sired 3-year-olds at Woodbine, is off the Queen's Plate trail.

Pat Quinn, coach of the National Hockey League's Toronto Maple Leafs, is scheduled to be the honorary drawmaster for the June 23 Plate, and Mighty Quinn would have garnered lots of media attention on draw day, simply because of his name.

Co-owner Jeff Begg has resigned himself to the notion that Mighty Quinn, a son of Tethra, is a dyed-in-the-wool sprinter.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - There is no doubt regarding the tactics that Hot Market will use in Wednesday's second race at Hollywood Park.

The 4-year-old Hot Market will be on the lead in a $55,000 allowance race over 1 1/16 miles under jockey Jose Valdivia Jr.

"If anyone wants to take us on, they're welcome to try," trainer Craig Lewis said.

CALGARY, Alberta - Richard Hamel took the safe route home aboard Sweet Monarch Saturday at Stampede Park in the $40,000, one-mile Lilac Handicap for 3-year-old fillies - and romped to an easy 7 1/2-length win.

"I went around this time," said Hamel, referring to his ride on Sweet Monarch in the Mount Royal on May 12 when he tried to slip through along the rail and was stopped cold, losing all chance.

"I wasn't taking any chances today," Hamel said after the Lilac.

In each of his last three starts, 4-year-old colt Rusty Spur has had severe problems breaking from the gate. He got away much cleaner in Monday's $59,100 Appointment Stakes at Delaware Park and the result was a convincing 2 1/4-length victory over five other sprinters.

Rusty Spur ($5.20), part of an entry owned by Mike Gill and trained by John Robb, gave jockey Ramon Dominguez the third of his four wins on the program, covering six furlongs in 1:10.48.

AUBURN, Wash. - Kris Prather, the fourth-leading rider at Emerald Downs through Sunday's 28th day of racing at the 91-day meet, will shift her tack to Churchill Downs.

Prather, who rode 19 winners from 128 mounts at Emerald, said she was disappointed by both the number and the quality of her mounts there.

"People just didn't use me on their better horses here," she said. "I'm better off to go where people know me. It will be tough going to Churchill in the middle of the meet, but I still think I'll do better there than I'm doing here."

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - John Velazquez and Corey Lanerie locked up the final two berths in the National Thoroughbred All-Star Jockey Championship at Lone Star Park on June 21 over the weekend. Velazquez won an online poll to get into the four-race competition, while Lanerie earned a place by topping the standings at Lone Star at the close of racing Sunday.