EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Now that he is the king of New York-breds, Say Florida Sandy looks to expand his kingdom to neighboring New Jersey with a start in Friday's $100,000 Chief Pennekeck Stakes at The Meadowlands.

Say Florida Sandy and his connections will be looking for a rebound in the six-furlong contest, following a troubled loss at 4-5 in the Henry Hudson Handicap at Belmont Park in his last race. The runner-up performance was still good enough to make him the highest-earning runner bred in New York, pushing his bankroll to $1,750,925.

The average all-sources handle on Delaware Park racing registered a modest increase this year.

Figures released Wednesday for the 2001 meet that concluded last Sunday showed $282,505,422 was bet on Delaware's races by ontrack and simulcast bettors. Compared with last year's $289,794,172, the total handle was down 2.5 percent. But because the track raced 139 days this season, 10 fewer than in 2000, the average daily handle rose 4.5 percent, to $2,032,413.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Gino's Spirits was sold Wednesday at Keeneland but still will get to make what figures to be the final start of her career Saturday in the Cardinal Handicap at Churchill Downs.

"We're going to get to run her," trainer Elliott Walden said soon after Gino's Spirits was sold for $550,000 to the Newsells Park Stud of Klaus Jacobs, a German commercial breeder.

PORTLAND, Ore. - Last Sunday's $8,175 Columbia River Stakes at Portland Meadows drew only five 2-year-olds to race over five furlongs, but race they did.

The favored Manito Gentleman, second-favorite Big Harry Deal, and third choice White Tie Ole battled hammer and tongs through a fast initial quarter in 22.84 seconds, and there was no relief for the survivors after Big Harry Deal dropped out a furlong later.

ANDERSON, Ind. - Rodney Prescott collected four wins Saturday night and is now in third place in the jockey standings with four weeks remaining in the meet.

Prescott took until the sixth race to score his first victory aboard Ticker Tap ($7.80). He followed up by sweeping the last three races on the card aboard Iron Post ($14.80) in the 9th, Idny Energy ($5.60) in the 10th, and Jacks Chance ($9.40) in the 11th. The Prescott pick three closing out the card paid $311.

COLLINSVILLE, Ill. - Apprentice Heather Irion, 17, has impressed local trainers with her horsemanship and poised form in the saddle. Heather comes by these qualities naturally as both her parents, Dale and Sue, are trainers and she has grown up on on horseback.

A senior at Alton High School, Heather is also a good student - she's a member of the National Honor Society - who will graduate ahead of her class in January. After graduation she plans to embark on her career as a jockey full time.

According to conventional handicapping theory, inside speed is the path to the winner's circle at a track that's less than a one-mile oval like Charles Town.

Recently, however, horses that have gone wide have fared best, especially in two-turn races, which at Charles Town are contested at 6 1/2 and seven furlongs.

Consider these facts, gleaned from the official charts of last week's races.

- The winners in the first three races Wednesday and the last four Thursday raced at least four wide at some point in the race.

JAMAICA, N.Y. - Trainer Tom Skiffington believes Reduit can be his next big turf star.

"I think he's a real top horse," Skiffington said. "I think he's going to be one of the major turf horses in the country next year."

This year is not over yet and Skiffington has an ambitious schedule laid out for Reduit over the next 2 1/2 weeks that culminates with a start in the $500,000, Grade 1 Hollywood Derby on Nov. 25 at Hollywood Park.

PORTLAND, Ore. - Canadian invader Kingsview will attempt to parlay his considerable speed into a 15th career win at Portland Meadows on Friday, when he takes on eight other $4,000 sprinters at 4 1/2 furlongs in the featured eighth race.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Ever so briefly, trainer Neil Howard thought he might have a 2001 Kentucky Derby horse in Rock Slide. But after Rock Slide was slow to return from a minor injury suffered in August of his 2-year-old year, Howard determined that he was a horse for the future, the type who just wasn't going to develop early in his career.

"It wasn't that he never panned out," said Howard. "He's a big horse and he needed time to grow into himself."