JAMAICA, N.Y. ? The Gotham field gained two starters on Tuesday when the connections of Heir D' Twine and Two Shakes said their 3-year-olds would run in Sunday's Grade 3 at Aqueduct.

But the status of one of the previously confirmed starters, Whirlaway winner Saratoga Blues, changed on Tuesday. An Aqueduct press release, quoting Saratoga Blues's trainer, Tony Dutrow, said the colt is also under consideration for the $500,000 Spiral Stakes at Turfway Park on March 23.

Dutrow told the press office he planned to work Saratoga Blues on Wednesday at Laurel.

ALBANY, Calif. - For a filly who won her maiden on her 16th try, Milicia has had unusual success against winners.

She will be looking for her second straight win for trainer Chuck Jenda in Thursday's co-feature, a 1 1/16-mile starter allowance turf race for older fillies and mares who have run for a $32,000 claiming tag.

NEW ORLEANS - Bettors deemed Mr. O'brien a standout in his career debut, sending him off as the favorite, but trainer Michael Dickinson is taking a more cautious approach.

"There's the old saying that they all look good breaking their maiden," Dickinson said. "But you can get good maidens and bad maidens."

The public will get another chance to hammer Mr. O'brien at the windows Thursday, and Dickinson can further assess the colt's quality when Mr. O'brien faces winners for the first time in a first-level turf allowance race at about one mile.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - This could be a memorable week for jockey James Lopez. Not only does he have a chance to sweep two major stakes at Oaklawn Park on Saturday, but Lopez could also take back the lead in the rider standings over the sidelined Terry Thompson, who led the colony by three wins coming into Wednesday's card.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Mountain Rage may yet be a derby horse. It just won't be the one in Kentucky.

A 3-year-old who is strictly a turf specialist, Mountain Rage will forsake the Kentucky Derby meat grinder and focus instead on becoming a top 3-year-old on grass. Good move. Races such as the Del Mar and Hollywood derbies beckon, but not before Mountain Rage starts favored Thursday at Santa Anita in the $75,000 Academy Road Stakes.

ARCADIA, Calif. - The rapidly improving 3-year-old Sunday Break chose the wrong week for a growth spurt. He worked six furlongs in 1:15.80 Tuesday at Hollywood Park, but trainer Neil Drysdale said later that he is not a definite starter in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes on Sunday at Santa Anita.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Less than two months ago, Nokoma was laboring over the Gulfstream Park racetrack during training hours. On Monday, he flew over the same ground, working five furlongs in 58.20 seconds in his final drill for Saturday's $1 million Florida Derby.

JAMAICA, N.Y. - Monday's 30-degree temperatures and Wednesday's unappealing nine-race card notwithstanding, spring has arrived for New York horseplayers. After 14 weeks and 69 cards over the inner track, Aqueduct's main track opens Wednesday for its 38-day spring meeting.

The opening of the main track also brings a return to a 1 p.m. post.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Turf racing resumed as scheduled at Gulfstream Park on Monday, the day after a last-minute decision to take the 11th race off the grass created an uproar among fans and horsemen.

Penn National's infield tote board was leveled on Sunday afternoon, a dark day at the track, when extremely high winds ripped through Pennsylvania.

Wind gusts of nearly 60 mph blew through Grantville, where the track is located. The 200-foot long tote board, made primarily of wood and cinder block, fell front to back, collapsing the entire structure. The tote board, with more than 8,000 bulbs to display odds and wagering pools during evening racing, also housed the track's race-timing system.