INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Led by Habibti, Tali'sluckybusride, and You, a small but strong field is shaping up for Sunday's Grade 1 Hollywood Starlet, the meet's championship race for 2-year-old fillies.

NEW ORLEANS - It was only grudgingly that trainer Neil Howard entered his promising colt Rock Slide in a turf allowance race here Sunday, but Rock Slide's easy three-length win left Howard more than satisfied. The turf win, however, will not alter Howard's plans for Rock Slide, who is set to make his stakes debut on dirt in the Dec. 29 Louisiana Handicap.

JAMAICA, N.Y. - Last week, after It All Adds Up won a second-level allowance race by nearly seven lengths, trainer John Kimmel said he might point her to the Affectionately Handicap on Jan. 12 unless he thought she needed more experience.

Kimmel can afford to be patient with It All Adds Up because he could just as easily be represented in the Affectionately with Diversa, who looks well-spotted Wednesday in Aqueduct's feature, a third-level allowance race at a mile and 70 yards over the inner track.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - The best claim of the autumn in Southern California might have been Misanello at Santa Anita in October.

Now raced by a partnership and trained by Barry Abrams, Misanello followed his victory in a $25,000 claimer on Oct. 21 with two wins in the span of a week at Hollywood Park in mid-November, quickly recuperating the cost of the partnership's investment.

On Wednesday, Misanello will attempt to win his fourth consecutive start, a $42,000 allowance race/optional claimer over 6 1/2 furlongs at Hollywood Park.

NEW ORLEANS - For jockey Gerard Melancon, the bookends of his career have been the times to remember. A successful apprentice rider in his teens, Melancon has come back from substance abuse problems and a tarnished reputation, and Sunday at Fair Grounds he won the 2,000th race of his career.

MIAMI - Kentucky Derby winner * got to really stretch his legs for the first time since returning to south Florida two weeks ago, working a half mile in 46.60 seconds at Gulfstream Park on Sunday morning.

"He was a little anxious the first part but then settled down nicely and galloped out quietly," said trainer John Ward who timed the work in 47 and change while watching alongside Monarchos's regular rider, Jorge Chavez. "I'm happy with the way he went. He obviously hasn't forgotten how to run. And I'm also very pleased with the racetrack. It is very consistent."

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - *, the 2-year-old filly who starts in Sunday's Hollywood Starlet Stakes, is a Grade 1 winner in need of respect.

Her victory in the Oak Leaf Stakes at Santa Anita in late September was tainted by the late scratch of top contender Habibti, the winner of the Del Mar Debutante who later finished seventh in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Belmont Park.

Tali'sluckybusride never left California this fall. She needed to be supplemented to the Juvenile Fillies, but her connections - owners Ron and Susie Anson - focused instead on the Starlet.

Paddy's Spy ($52) got through along the rail en route to a surprising 4 1/2-length triumph Saturday in the $102,060 High Alexander Stakes at Hawthorne.

Spanish Hall, part of a favored entry at 9-5, finished second, 1 1/2 lengths before Cane Ridge in a field of 12 Illinois-bred 3-year-olds and upward.

Dusty Spike ($25.20) stalked the leaders early, then rallied through the stretch to a one-length victory over De Real Deal in Saturday night's $25,000 Alamo Stakes at Sam Houston Race Park in Houston.

It was another 2 1/2 lengths back in third to 2-5 favorite Boston Common, who set a pressured pace before weakening over a track rated good.

ALBANY, Calif. - "They fell asleep," said trainer Armando Lage, explaining Lil Sister Stich's victory in the Golden Poppy Handicap at Golden Gate Fields.

Lil Sister Stich ($9.40) stole the 1 1/16-mile turf race, opening a five-length lead despite slow fractions on a turf course listed as good.

Lil Sister Stich looked as if she would be passed by a flying Slow Down in the stretch, but she dug in after Slow Down pulled along side her and won the race by one length over Slow Down.