CICERO, Ill. - WinStar Farm and trainer Elliott Walden, have set themselves up for a big weekend at Sportsman's Park, and they will have no shortage of support from bettors. The WinStar-owned, Walden-trained First Again is certain to be favored in Saturday's National Jockey Club Oaks, and they might have the favorite again Sunday in the Sixty Sails Handicap, in the Grade 1 winner Pompeii, who makes her first start since a poor race in the Breeders' Cup Distaff.

Chris McCarron was sitting on an airplane in Louisville late Tuesday morning, a plane that would take him to Cincinnati where he would then catch a connecting flight to his home in Southern California.

Judging by the enthusiasm in his voice over the phone, McCarron could have gotten home without the aid of a jet airliner.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - The days are dwindling, but not the talent. The penultimate program of the 16-day Keeneland spring meet includes a tough running of the $100,000 Bewitch Stakes, and also two allowance races that drew a couple of horses who were prominent early in the 2001 Kentucky Derby campaign.

The 41st running of the Grade 3 Bewitch, a 1 1/2-mile grass race for fillies and mares, could have Sweetest Thing as a slight favorite, even though she is winless in her last five starts.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - The Hollywood Park spring-summer meet is just getting off the ground, and trainer Cliff Sise could be off to a strong start. Sise entered three live contenders on Wednesday's opening day card and one more Thursday, and his top 3-year-olds are geared for successful campaigns.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Hollywood Park and the Thoroughbred Owners of California reached an agreement Tuesday on the division of revenue from telephone and Internet bets placed through Television Games Network and Youbet.com.

The Hollywood Park spring-summer meeting was to begin on Wednesday, and an agreement was needed for phone betting to start. The meeting is the first at Hollywood Park in which California residents will be allowed to place bets via telephone and Internet, following legislation passed last year.

Fair Grounds in New Orleans will not race Mondays in December this year as part of its 85-day calendar for 2002-2003 approved by the Louisiana Racing Commission at a meeting Monday. The season will begin as usual on Thanksgiving Day - this year on Nov. 28 - and run through March 31, 2003.

As it did last year, Fair Grounds will overlap with Delta Downs in Vinton, La., which was granted an 80-night Thoroughbred meet from Nov. 7, 2002 to March 23, 2003. Delta was also awarded 50 nights of Quarter Horse racing next year, from April 4 to June 29.

AUBURN, Wash. - A surfeit of speed characterizes Thursday's featured seventh race at Emerald Downs, a 5 1/2-furlong affair for older $16,000 claimers.

Of the seven entrants, five do their best running on the lead. That seems certain to ensure a hot pace for the two who come from off the pace, Rambling Pete and On El Bon.

Rambling Pete, a 4-year-old son of Petersburg who races for Tim and Sue Spooner, is a versatile sort who can be placed anywhere his rider desires. He came from second and sixth to post his two wins here last season.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Trainer Pico Perdomo and owner Gary Tanaka have found a potential replacement for retired Gourmet Girl, the California-bred who earned the 2001 Eclipse as champion older filly or mare. Terna, a Group 1 winner in Argentina, arrived at Hollywood Park two months ago and is expected to make her U.S. debut later this meet. The 4-year-old Terna won 3 of 6 in South America.

SAN MATEO, Calif. - It's often said that good things come to those who wait, and it's proven true for trainer Lonnie Arterburn.

Arterburn's patience with Monrow, a 6-year-old mare who looms the probable favorite in Thursday's feature race at Bay Meadows, has been rewarded with the mare's two victories, a second, and a third in five starts this year.

Monrow will try to improve her career record to 5 for 5 over the Bay Meadows Longden Turf Course, when she meets five rivals in a $50,000 optional claimer for older fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles.

AUBURN, Wash. - Fast, faster, and fastest.

That describes the first three days of racing action at the current Emerald Downs meet, at which track and state records were broken and a world record threatened.