HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Both Private Emblem, winner of a division of the $75,000 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn on March 2, and Descapate, third as the favorite in the Grade 3, $200,000 Oaklawn Breeders' Cup last Saturday, will bypass the next logical races for them on the Oaklawn stakes calendar, according to trainer Steve Asmussen.

Private Emblem, who has done his best running when his races are spaced well apart, will pass this Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Rebel Stakes and instead go straight to the Grade 2, $500,000 Arkansas Derby on April 13.

NEW ORLEANS - Hap is neither a true miler nor a true stayer. That makes the nine-furlong distance of Sunday's Explosive Bid, to say nothing of the race's $700,000 purse, a good spot for Hap's first start of the season. And if Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott's assessment of Hap's condition is correct - and there's no reason to think it's not - Hap is in the Explosive Bid to win, not just to get his year started.

"He's got as much in him now as he did when he made his first start last year," Mott said.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trainer Dave Donk is looking for big things from his grass specialist Sharp Performance this season. But Donk is not quite ready to throw his latest turf star in against the wolves in Saturday's $250,000 Pan American Handicap.

ALBANY, Calif. - An argument could be made that the horse of this Golden Gate meeting will be on display in Friday's feature race.

If Miz Kool isn't the horse of the meet, she's at least the leading claimer, with five wins in five, starting with a win for a $6,250 claiming tag on Nov. 9. On Friday, she will have a tough test in a field of seven older fillies and mares going six furlongs in an allowance race.

Trainer Bill Delia hopes the combination of her sharpness and love for the Golden Gate main track will lead to a victory.

Trainer Chris Block said his undefeated 3-year-old colt Cashel Castle is in good shape following his allowance win over older horses last Sunday at Sportsman's Park and is on schedule for the Lafayette Stakes at Keeneland on April 7.

As of Wednesday morning, Block had not seen the videotape of Cashel Castle's race. Block was at Tampa Bay Downs last Sunday, but Sportsman's does not send its simulcast signal to Tampa.

A pair of Thoroughbred senior citizens helped generate a $4,691 superfecta in Monday's fifth race at Mountaineer Park.

Victory Tower ($20), a 12-year-old gelding trained by octogenarian Elmer Damron, led wire to wire to win the six-furlong sprint for $4,000 claimers by 3 1/4 lengths. It was Victory Tower's 30th lifetime victory in 165 starts and his 24th win at Mountaineer.

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. - Rider Ken Shino closed out last weekend's action at Fonner Park by winning four races both Saturday and Sunday. He has now accomplished the feat three times during the meet.

VINTON, La. - Delta Downs's second leading jockey, Guy Smith, will have to put his quest for the track's riding title on hold this week.

Smith has the call on Triple Five, a 5-year-old Arabian mare entered in the $250,000 Dubai Kahayla Classic, the world's richest race for Arabians and part of Saturday's Dubai World Cup card at Nad Al Sheba.

Smith left for Dubai on Wednesday and will not return until March 28.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Since she arrived in this country last August, Golden Apples has never had an easy race. The $150,000 Santa Ana Handicap on Saturday at Santa Anita will continue that trend.

Trained by Ben Cecil for Gary Tanaka, was one of the nation's top 3-year-old turf fillies last summer and fall, winning the Del Mar Oaks and Las Palmas Handicap, finishing second in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup, and third in the Matriarch Stakes. She was competitive against her own age group and older fillies and mares.

JAMAICA, N.Y. - After making it through the entire winter without scrapping a single card, Aqueduct canceled its final eight races Wednesday - the first day of spring - because of unsafe track conditions. Following an eventful first race, the jockeys told management they would not ride the remainder of the card.