AUBURN, Wash.- Lasting Code, the top 3-year-old filly in the Northwest, with four stakes victories from five career starts, arrived in the barn of her new trainer, Bob McMeans, on Thursday after being purchased by Jerre Paxton's Northwest Farms for an undisclosed sum.

Lasting Code, a daughter of Lost Code and Cajun Nite who was purchased for $24,000 at the 2000 Washington Thoroughbred Breeders Association summer yearling sale, raced for the British Columbia-based partnership of Ole Nielsen and Lola McCarthy through her first five starts, which netted $96,065 in earnings.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - The first 2-year-old stakes for fillies is more than seven weeks away, but trainer Dana Smith has the July 13 date of the Timber Music Stakes highlighted on her calendar. Smith is the trainer of Alittlebitgrumpy, who won a maiden special weight race in 39.99 seconds Wednesday evening.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - It may be only Memorial Day weekend, but Azeri already has a firm grip on the nation's older filly and mare division.

This year, Azeri has won two Grade 1 races, both on dirt: the Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap at Santa Anita in March and the Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park on April 6. She makes her first start since the Apple Blossom on Saturday in the $200,000 Milady Breeders' Cup Handicap at Hollywood Park against five other older fillies and mares.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Last year was just the second time since 1975 that the Peter Pan did not produce at least one starter for the Belmont Stakes. Saturday's 49th renewal of the Peter Pan, which drew a field of eight, is expected to have a bigger impact on the third leg of the Triple Crown.

Two - and perhaps as many as four - horses entered in the nine-furlong Peter Pan could use the $200,000 race as a prep for the Belmont on June 8. Since being reinstated in 1975, the Peter Pan has produced five Belmont winners, most recently Lemon Drop Kid in 1999.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Key Lory and Pyrus come into Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Red Bank Handicap, the first graded stakes of Monmouth Park's season, with three-race winning streaks on the turf.

Both horses have not lost a turf race in this country. Both achieved their greatest success in a Grade 3 race. And both have won each of their turf starts wire to wire. Something is going to have to give.

"I don't anticipate him being anywhere but on the lead," said trainer Elliott Walden of Pyrus. "He's a very nice horse and we're looking forward to running him in the Red Bank."

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Sometimes the Dogwood Stakes attracts the kind of field to match its Grade 3 rating.

But occasionally a genuine standout from the 3-year-old filly division finds her way into the Dogwood, a horse who, for one reason or another, is between starts in more prestigious events.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Quiet Resolve, Canada's Horse of the Year and grass champion in 2000, returns to Woodbine in Saturday's Grade 3 Connaught Cup, the first turf stakes of the meeting.

The 15-horse field also includes Dr. Kashnikow, who ships in from Maryland with solid credentials. The 68th running of the 1 1/16-mile Connaught is worth a record $178,500.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Like a Hero remains a candidate for the Belmont Stakes following his first stakes win in Thursday's $77,200 at Hollywood Park.

Scoring his third consecutive win, Like a Hero prevailed by 1 1/2 lengths over the maiden World Light, finishing 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.37. Trainer Beau Greely emphasized that a final decision on the Belmont Stakes will not be made until next week.

"He won and that's what I wanted to see," Greely said. "He's by Pleasant Colony and he should get 1 1/2 miles. I wasn't looking farther than today.

AUBURN, Wash. - Trainer Bill Tollett has done a marvelous job of placing Maid in the Moon throughout her career, finding one spot after another in which she was the clear speed of her field. The result has been eight wins from just 17 starts for Maid in the Moon, including wire-to-wire scores in her last three outings.

It remains to be seen whether Tollett's luck will hold through Saturday's Emerald Downs feature, in which Maid in the Moon will take on five other fillies and mares, all eligible to be claimed for $32,000, at 6 1/2 furlongs.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Blowin in the Wind earned an average Beyer Speed Figure and beat a weak field when he debuted in a straight maiden race for

3-year-olds and up on May 1. But the way he won indicates he could be a lot better than just average.