JAMAICA, N.Y. - Although an American Airlines flight crashed Monday in a Queens residential neighborhood that was less than 10 miles from Aqueduct, the nine-race Veterans Day card went on as scheduled.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Guided Tour, who would have been no worse than second choice in the Nov. 23 Clark Handicap, is out of the race after having departed Churchill Downs for his new home in Saudi Arabia.

Trainer Niall O'Callaghan had hoped to be able to run Guided Tour in the $400,000 Clark, but the new owners of the 5-year-old gelding, Buckram Oak Farm, instead want to start getting him ready for his next scheduled start in the Jan. 11 King's Cup in Saudi Arabia. Tom Albertrani will train Guided Tour in his new homeland.

The Meadowlands Racetrack, closed for a week after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, posted surprisingly strong attendance and handle numbers during its recently concluded meet.

Average all-sources handle for the 44-day meet was $2,255,622, up 25 percent from last year's meet and a record for the track. Average ontrack handle increased 14 percent to $604,662.

Louisiana Downs in Bossier City, La., reported declines in average daily handle and attendance during its 89-day Thoroughbred meet, which ended Sunday.

Handle this meet averaged $2,109,657, down 11 percent from last year's average of $2,375,220. Daily attendance was 3,355, down 17 percent from last year's 4,087.

Purses averaged approximately $133,000 a card for the summer meet and $85,000 for the fall meet, which started following the Grade 1 Super Derby on Sept. 23.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - John R.S. "Doc" Fisher certainly knows his way around a racehorse, having been a veterinarian and trainer for more than 30 years.

But until Sunday, the Fair Hill, Md.-based Fisher had never run a horse at Churchill Downs. So in the frantic seconds after the Dr. Kashnikow, trained by Fisher, won the $177,300 River City Handicap, Fisher suddenly realized he had no idea where to go.

"How do you get to the winner's circle?" he asked.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - It was a year full of highlights for Win City, who recorded his sixth stakes victory of the season at Woodbine in Saturday's Autumn Handicap.

But owner Frank DiGiulio, while savoring every morsel of Win City's successes, allowed that the latest victory was particularly satisfying.

"It was nice to end the year on a high note, and prove he can run with older horses," said DiGiulio.

Win City had finished third behind A Fleets Dancer and Kiss a Native in the Oct. 7 Durham Cup, which marked his first try against older rivals.

MIAMI - The much-anticipated return of Unite's Big Red ended in disappointment on Monday when he did not beat a horse in his first start in 21 months.

Unite's Big Red, whose career has been plagued by foot problems, had been idle since finishing fifth in the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Breeders' Cup Handicap in February 2000.

A son of Unite owned by Randy and Linda Mills's Breakaway Racing Stable, Unite's Big Red won Gulfstream's Grade 2 Pan American Handicap in 1999 and finished third behind Yagli in the Gulfstream Park Breeders' Cup.

JAMAICA, N.Y. - Arromanches is turning into the Cigar of the claiming ranks.

Arromanches, an 8-year-old son of Relaunch, won for the eight consecutive time on Sunday, taking a $50,000 claiming race by a nose over Esteemed Friend at Aqueduct. He is now halfway to the modern day record of 16 consecutive victories shared by Citation and Cigar.

Fed up with watching Arromanches beat their horses, owner Richard Englander and trainer Scott Lake claimed Arromanches for $50,000.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Bob Baffert's prospects for the 2002 Triple Crown and the major preps of the late winter and spring are unclear as the 2001 racing season winds down.

Last year at this time, Baffert's hopes were led by Point Given, who had finished second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. This year, the group has no standout.

Officer, who won the Champagne Stakes in early October, had his reputation tarnished by losses in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Belmont Park on Oct. 27 and the California Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita on Nov. 3.

The purses of seven stakes, including the Grade 2 Strub Stakes for 4-year-olds, have been cut for the upcoming Santa Anita winter-spring meeting, which runs from Dec. 26 to April 21.

The cuts were made in consultation with the Thoroughbred Owners of California, which must approve all purse agreements with California tracks.