CICERO, Ill. - Jockey Jorge Chavez, unfamiliar with Sportsman's Park, looked around in confusion for the winner's circle as he came back toward the stands with Hail the Chief after Saturday's National Jockey Club Handicap. It was the only misstep Chavez and Hail the Chief made.

Taking an early lead with a powerful burst of speed from the gate, Hail the Chief set a fast pace on a dull racetrack, but still had plenty left for the stretch, running away from a solid field to win the Grade 3, $200,000 NJC Handicap by 11 1/4 lengths.

JAMAICA, N.Y. - Raging Fever overcame a sloppy track and a surprising early pace challenge from Atelier to win Saturday's Grade 3, $158,300 Bed o' Roses Breeders' Cup Handicap by three-quarters of a length before 5,648 at Aqueduct.

Atelier finished second, 5 3/4 lengths ahead of Shiny Band. Critical Eye, Belle Artiste, and Senora Claudia completed the order of finish.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Gygistar turned in one of the most dominating performances of the Gulfstream Park meet, drawing off to a 10 1/2-length decision over five other 3-year-olds in Saturday's $75,000 Hallandale Beach Handicap. The win gave owner-breeder Edward P. Evans and trainer Mark Hennig their second stakes victory of the afternoon, coming less than an hour after their Raging Fever captured the Bed o' Roses Handicap at Aqueduct.

In his first start in five months, Include outclassed his six rivals in the $100,000 Jennings Handicap Saturday at Pimlico, strolling to a nine-length score under Mario Pino. Lightning Paces finished second in the Maryland-bred stakes, followed by First Amendment, who was two lengths farther back in third.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Wild Whiskey outsprinted favored Rare Friends for the early lead and made all the running in an 8 3/4-length score in Saturday's $136,750 Woodstock Stakes at Woodbine.

Wild Whiskey set fractions of 22.05 and 44.91 seconds in the six-furlong dash for 3-year-olds. With Ray Sabourin aboard, Wild Whiskey opened up a six-length cushion at the eighth pole, and coasted home on top in 1:10.62.

"He broke well, as usual, and just went on with it," said Sabourin. "I was basically just hanging on. I kept him busy down the lane, and he had lots left."

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - In her first start in nearly five months, Miss Ritz rallied from off a hot pace to win the $75,000 Wafare Farm Stakes at Lone Star Park by 1 3/4 lengths over 1-5 favorite Gilded Wings. It was another 1 1/2 lengths back in third to Truly Sunlit.

Murray Johnson has been doing his homework. The trainer is bringing , the winner of the Spiral Stakes, into the Kentucky Derby following a six-week break. Asked on Friday if he knew when the last Derby winner had done that, Johnson rattled off the information as though he was auditioning for a job as a researcher on ESPN's racing coverage.

"Needles," Johnson correctly said. "He won a couple of Triple Crown races, so if we can do as well as him, we'll be fine."

JAMAICA, N.Y. - In two weeks, trainer James Bond takes his first swing at racing's ultimate prize when he runs Buddha in the Kentucky Derby. Sunday, Bond returns to his roots when he saddles Princess Dixie and Bo Bo's Thunder in the Park Avenue Division of the New York Stallion Stakes at Aqueduct.

The Park Avenue, run for 3-year-old fillies, and the Times Square Division, for 3-year-old colts and geldings, are restricted to progeny of New York-based stallions. Both races, run at one mile, are worth $100,000.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Considering the mere $100,000 pot and its Grade 3 ranking, the Ben Ali Stakes sure came up a rough one.

The Ben Ali, to be run for the 72nd time Sunday at Keeneland, attracted just five starters, but two of them have credentials that go well beyond everyday Grade 3 fare: Invisible Ink, who finished second in the 2001 Kentucky Derby and is gearing up for what his connections believe will be an outstanding 4-year-old campaign, and Parade Leader, who in his last start captured the Grade 2, $500,000 New Orleans Handicap by 5 1/4 lengths.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Closing day of the Santa Anita winter meet seemed a long way off when the season began back on Dec. 26. Jockey Pat Valenzuela had not ridden in nearly two years; trainer Richard Mandella was in the middle of a 3-for-51 slump that lasted through January.