LAFAYETTE, La. - Evangeline Downs on Saturday begins its 82-day season - almost certainly one of its last without slot machines.

Peninsula Gaming Corporation purchased 50 percent of Evangeline Downs over the winter, and along with co-owner Billy Trotter has formally begun the licensing process for slot machines. When that process is complete, the track plans to move to St. Landry Parish, which allows slot machines. The parish in which the track currently sits, Lafayette Parish, does not allow slots.

A sense of pride and anticipation is being felt among the patrons of River Downs, the Cincinnati course that begins a 119-day meet on Saturday.

While the early part of the meet is traditionally quiet, in part because of the racing across the border in Kentucky, this year's Kentucky Derby has added significance for local fans, who watched one of their own progress from River Downs star to possible Kentucky Derby favorite.

EAST BOSTON, Mass. - Three of the region's best horses made it to the winner's circle last week and a fourth was nearly sold for a large sum - sure signs that the best time of the New England racing calendar is here.

The cavalcade began last Saturday with Jini's Jet's too-close-for-comfort victory in the $30,000 Rise Jim Stakes. The two-time New England award winner needed all six furlongs to shake off the rust in his first start as a 4-year-old for Krystyna Stable, Anthony Spadea, and trainer Karl Grusmark.

PHOENIX, Ariz. - How competitive is Saturday's $22,000 Ocean Bay at a mile on a turf?

Of the nine entrants, five come off wins. One who doesn't was facing tougher in Southern California previously. Another one was good enough to get a shot against other Southern California shippers in the $50,000 Glendale Handicap here Feb. 9. One of those who did win her last start, did so sprinting on dirt; she's never won on turf and never won going this far.

CALGARY, Alberta - Hoist Anchor and Turtle Ridge head a field of nine fillies and mares in Saturday's feature over six furlongs here at Stampede Park. An optional claimer, the feature offers a purse of $18,800.

Hoist Anchor and Turtle Ridge are the only members of the field older than 4.

Hoist Anchor, 7, hasn't been a threat in stakes company lately, but she won two stakes here in 1999. An Arkansas-bred, Hoist Anchor hasn't run since August, but has always run well fresh for trainer Don Gilkyson.

Hoist Anchor breaks from post 4 with Perry Winters up.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - El Prado Essence didn't attract much attention in her 2002 debut here in the La Voyageuse, finishing fourth behind the invader Madame Roar.

But Audre Cappuccitti, who trains El Prado Essence, believes that race served its purpose, and she expects El Prado Essence to make her presence felt in Saturday's featured Whimsical Stakes.

El Prado Essence, a 5-year-old mare who had her best year in 2001, had spent a non-eventful winter at Addison-Hall Farms in nearby Aurora.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The connections of the nine fillies and mares in Saturday's $138,125 Whimsical Stakes at Woodbine had to be relieved that Madame Roar wasn't nominated to that six-furlong race.

Madame Roar rolled into town from her Maryland base two weeks ago and startled the locals with an easy front-running win in the La Voyageuse Handicap, in which she ran five furlongs in a snappy 57 seconds.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Trainer Bobby Frankel has decided to run Megahertz in Saturday's $75,000 Providencia Stakes at Santa Anita after all.

Last weekend, Frankel said that Megahertz, who has won two stakes this year, would pass the Providencia Stakes in favor of stakes at the upcoming Hollywood Park meeting.

But when the entries were drawn on Thursday, Megahertz was one of seven entrants for the Providencia, a restricted race for 3-year-old fillies run over 1 1/8 miles on turf.

SAN MATEO, Calif. - The key phrase heard in racing this weekend will be "Kentucky Derby prep."

The term will be applied to the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, and Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn.

But it can also be applied to Saturday's $150,000 California Derby at Bay Meadows. The connections of three colts in the field of eight for the 1 1/8-mile race have said they will consider going to Kentucky with a victory Saturday.

Florida Derby winner Harlan's Holiday leads a field six horses drawn Thursday for the 78th running of the Blue Grass Stakes to be run at Keeneland on Saturday. The Blue Grass, a $750,000 Grade 1 event for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles, will be run as the ninth race on Keeneland's live race card.

Harlan's Holiday drew the No. 3 post in the Blue Grass, which will serve as his final prep race for the Kentucky Derby. Harlan's Holiday, trained by Ken McPeek and ridden by jockey Edgar Prado, is listed as the 6-5 favorite in Keeneland's morning line odds.