MIAMI - Royal Lad, the undisputed leader of the 3-year-old sprint division here this spring, should have little trouble adding to his impressive resume, facing seven rivals in Sunday's $35,000 Marco Bay Stakes.

Royal Lad has won his last three starts, each at a different venue, beginning with the Ocala Breeders' Sprint Championship in Ocala on March 18. That victory was followed by a tough allowance win at Gulfstream Park 17 days later and a sensational 6 1/2-length triumph in the Silver Season Handicap here earlier this month.

SAN MATEO, Calif. - The common perception may be that A B Noodle is strictly the one to beat in the $55,000-added Bay Meadows Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles over the Longden Turf Course at Bay Meadows on Sunday.

That's fine with Jim Hilling, the trainer of Doc's Lil' Angel. Hilling likes to lie in the proverbial weeds and spring surprises.

Hilling has plenty of respect for A B Noodle, but he thinks highly of his filly as well.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - For its inaugural running, Sunday's $50,000 Frisk Me Now Stakes at Monmouth Park has clearly set the bar high for future fields by drawing a graded-stakes caliber cast.

The field is made up of nine horses, all of whom are 5- or

OCEANPORT, N.J. - It's 11 a.m. on a slow Wednesday and the rush of morning workouts and other training duties is winding down. The sun is beaming down on the Monmouth Park backside and the clear skies are a perfect backdrop to the quiet barn area.

Over at Barn 1, Jason Servis leans back in a small white plastic chair and takes it all in. Servis, 45, is enjoying every part of his first summer as a trainer.

"Things are going really well," Servis said. "It's been the best experience of my life."

STICKNEY, Ill. - Comeback horses, horses with no turf form, recent claimers - welcome to the wonderful melting-pot world of the first-level allowance at a mid-level racetrack.

It's Hawthorne's world on Sunday afternoon, when 12 one-other-than fillies tangle in a full field in the ninth race, a one-mile grass race. Various types of horses are represented, and the sum of their parts is - confusion.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - When Alec Fehr took over as private trainer for Knob Hill Stable this January, his horses included Thornfield, who was Canada's Horse of the Year in 1999.

Thornfield, owned and bred by Knob Hill principals Steve and Sally Stavro, had earned that title, plus Sovereign Award honors as champion turf horse, after winning the Grade 1 Canadian International.

FORT ERIE, Ontario - Jockey Martin Ramirez is back exactly where he was last year on June 9, the day a broken wrist ended his season.

He's at the top of the rider standings here at Fort Erie, and he is performing some of the same heroics he was performing back then.

On May 13, 2001, Ramirez won four races on the program. Last Sunday, he repeated that feat.

Counting his three other victories last week, Ramirez went into Saturday's card leading all riders with 14 winners, three more than Neil Poznansky in second place.

WINNIPEG, Manitoba - Timely Ruckus and Robnroy, the one-two finishers in last year's G. Sydney Halter Stakes, return to Assiniboia Downs on Sunday for the 2002 running of the $30,000 Halter at 5 1/2 furlongs.

Trained by Ernie Keller at Stampede Park, Timely Ruckus will be making his fourth start of the year. A 9-year-old son of Bold Executive, Timely Ruckus won an allowance race in his seasonal bow and finished second in the Stampede Park Sprint Championship in his most recent try, May 4.

Jacques DesAutels will be aboard Timely Ruckus, who breaks from post 2.

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Buddha is not the only good 3-year-old in trainer James Bond's care this season. The Bond-trained Legislator is undefeated on turf, and will attempt to remain that way Monday when he starts in the $200,000 Diamond "A" USA Stakes at Lone Star Park.

The 1 1/16-mile turf race is one of seven stakes that will make up Lone Star Million Day, which is the richest program of racing in Texas.

LINCOLN, Neb. - Sunday's $10,000 Speed Handicap at 4 1/2 furlongs should live up to its name with a full field of 10, plus one more on the also-eligible list, ready to flash their one-turn speed over this five-eighths-mile oval.

Delux Fantasy, a 4-year-old owned and trained by Herb Riecken, has been comfortable running one condition above his eligibility this year, winning both of his starts by daylight. A winner of three races in five career starts, Delux Fantasy defeated nonwinners-of-four allowance company in his last out here, on May 17.