ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - It's true that a good horse can surface almost anywhere, but even in the most obscure locales, someone is always watching. That all-encompassing vigilance of the bloodstock business has landed the 2-year-old colt Ammodio at Arlington Park for the $75,000 Spectacular Bid Stakes on Saturday, where he will confound handicappers trying to read his form: One start, a blowout maiden win at Finger Lakes, the tiny oval in upstate New York.

POMONA, Calif. - The 8-year-old veteran Budroyale - Tiznow's older brother - has almost done it all. His 17 wins include graded stakes at Santa Anita, Hollywood Park, and Emerald Downs; he has earned $2.8 million; and he flirted with fame in 1999 when he finished second in the Breeders' Cup Classic.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - American runners Global Vision and Christmas Party drew into the first and possibly tougher division of Saturday's Grade 3 Natalma Stakes at Woodbine, a one-mile turf race for 2-year-old fillies.

Lush Soldier may be the one to beat in the second Natalma split, which is strictly a local affair. Each division is worth $139,250.

As a grand looking yet underachieving import from Europe, Generous Rosi had trainer Niall O'Callaghan looking for ways to fulfill his considerable potential.

Turns out, the answer wasn't that hard to find.

"Took me eight months," a laughing O'Callaghan said earlier this week while preparing Generous Rosi for the $100,000 Turfway Park Fall Championship, a Grade 3 race that will be run Saturday at the Florence, Ky., track.

SALEM, N.H. - Nearly two years have passed since the legislation that governs racing in Massachusetts lapsed. In the absence of new permanent legislation, racing has continued under a series of extensions of the old law.

Suffolk Downs, although unable to finalize a purse structure without new legislation, will proceed as planned with a fall meeting. Opening day will be Saturday, Sept. 29. Racing will continue through Saturday, Dec. 22 on a five-day-a-week schedule, with post time at 12:45 p.m., Thursdays and Sundays will be dark.

Undefeated Shining Sky, whose connections passed on the $1.9 million All American Futurity, will be favored to earn a large paycheck in the Grade 1, $300,900 Sam Houston Futurity on Saturday night at Sam Houston Race Park.

Shining Sky's owners, Bubba Smith and Bill Fowler, who race as B and B Joint Ventures, elected to keep Shining Sky in Texas for the Sam Houston Futurity rather than pay the $50,000 supplemental fee to run in the All American Futurity trials. None of the seven All American Futurity supplements made the Labor Day finals.

Trainer Gerald Romero, who is winning races at a 45 percent rate in his first season at Retama Park near San Antonio, can pick up his third stakes win of the meet Saturday night with Lost Agenda. Lost Agenda faces six others in the $35,000 Jim Bowie, a 1 1/16-mile turf race for 3-year-olds that has also drawn Kris Havingfunnow, whose biggest career win came over the Retama course in last year's $100,000 El Joven.

NORTH RANDALL, Ohio - Watch Me Fire, an impressive winner of the Loyalty Stakes in his last race, attempts to stretch his speed around two turns in Saturday's $75,000 Juvenile Stakes. Watch Me Fire will face 10 other Ohio-bred 2-year-olds in the 1 1/16-mile Juvenile Stakes.

Watch Me Fire assumed command entering the stretch in the Aug. 18 Loyalty and won by 6 1/2 lengths in 1:10.86 for six furlongs. He appeared to be well within himself that day, suggesting the 1 1/16 miles may be within his racing scope.

Nuclear Assembly seems to be getting better with each race. Known for his front-running ways, Nuclear Assembly showed a new dimension in his last start when he won from off the pace. His newfound running style and 4-for-5 record make him the one to beat Saturday in the $40,000 Minstrel at Louisiana Downs in Bossier City, La.

Thunderello brings speed, the best Beyers, a last-out dominating performance, and a hot trainer to the $50,000 Comet Stakes at The Meadowlands on Saturday night. What he won't bring is a long price.