JAMAICA, N.Y. - Trainer Bob Hess Jr. has shipped the occasional horse to New York, as he is doing with Spring Meadow for Sunday's $100,000-added Comely. But until this year, Hess, who is based in Southern California, never maintained a division in New York.

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - The first turf stakes race at Lone Star Park for older male route horses doesn't take place until June 15, when the $250,000 Dallas Turf Cup is run.

The void in the stakes calendar doesn't translate to a void in quality turf racing. On Sunday a talented field of eight turf runners goes in the ninth race, a $40,000 allowance at a 1 1/16 miles on grass.

Although an allowance, it might as well be a stakes. Run under open allowance conditions, it offers the quality a stakes normally would - minus a rich purse and black type.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Budroyale, the gelding who went from a $50,000 claimer to the runner-up in the 1999 Breeders' Cup Classic, has been retired due to a minor injury, trainer Ted H. West said.

Earlier this week, the 9-year-old Budroyale was shipped to a farm in British Columbia, near the home of owner Jeffrey Sengara. Budroyale retires with 17 wins in 52 starts and earnings of $2,840,810. He made his final start last September, finishing fourth in the Pomona Invitational at Fairplex Park.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Last weekend, trainer Bob Baffert briefly considered starting his turf star, Mountain Rage, in the Santa Anita Derby.

Eventually, common sense prevailed. Baffert kept Mountain Rage out of the Santa Anita Derby and has pointed the three-time stakes winner to Sunday's $75,000 La Puente Stakes.

SAN MATEO, Calif. - In a bizarre race at Bay Meadows Thursday, the apparent sure winner was eased late and finished second because, rider Jason Lumpkins said, he was concerned about two horses who had fallen going into the first turn.

Despite the strange circumstances, the result stood.

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. - Six of the nine starters in Saturday's male division of the $30,000 Fonner Park Special Stakes for 3-year-old Nebraska-breds were stakes winners or stakes-placed last year. The three horses who started their careers this year, however, appear to be the strongest contenders.

Many of the runners who had local stakes success in their juvenile campaigns have yet to regain their good form this season, which opens the door for three relative newcomers, a group headed by Strawberry Kid.

CHICAGO - War Emblem is gone from trainer Bobby Springer's barn now, but his big sister, Pretty Gale, can win Springer and owner Russell Reineman another Sportsman's Park Stakes race Sunday. Pretty Gale faces eight rivals in the $100,000 Lady Hallie Handicap eight days after War Emblem won the Illinois Derby for Reineman and Springer.

Reineman sold a majority of War Emblem to The Thoroughbred Corp. this week, and the colt was transferred to the Kentucky Derby-focused barn of Bob Baffert, leaving a sizable hole in Springer's short string.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - No Cheating, a runaway winner in her only 2002 start, should be favored in Sunday's Woodbine eighth-race headliner, a $62,500 optional claimer.

A field of 11 fillies and mares was drawn for the seven-furlong race, which carries a purse of $62,900.

No Cheating earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 82 in her March 30 victory against preliminary allowance runners. She vied for the early lead before drawing off for a 4 1/2-length score.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - In only 10 weeks, on June 23, the 1 1/4-mile Queen's Plate will be run at Woodbine.

And while the connections of many candidates for Canada's $1 million showpiece may be starting to feel the pinch, that does not appear to be the case with trainer Jim Day, who has one of the prime Plate prospects, Streakin Rob.

"We're not in a big rush," Day said. "He has a comfortable foundation from his 2-year-old campaign."

CALGARY, Alberta - When 13 entries were received for an allowance/optional claimer at Stampede Park, track officials decided to split the race. The resulting co-features run as Sunday's sixth and seventh races, going six furlongs for purses of $18,800.

One of the enticements was the allowance condition "nonwinners of $15,000 once since Jan. 1, 2001," which writes out stakes winners from last year, giving allowance and upper-level claimers a legitimate shot.

Such races have consistently filled in the past and produced excellent betting races, as is the case Sunday.