A competitive field of filly and mare grass runners has been assembled for Sunday's $100,000 New Castle Handicap at Delaware Park.

Among the 12 entered are stakes winners Amourette, Melody Queen, Senza Paura, and Step With Style.

Grand Coeur registered the fastest qualifying time in the seventh of 17 trials Thursday as 10 Quarter Horses earned spots in the the 440-yard $1.9-million estimated All American Futurity at Ruidoso Downs on Sept. 3.

A Texas-bred gelding, Grand Coeur won his trial in a time of 21.636 seconds over a sloppy track at Ruidoso.

Tres Seis was the second-fastest qualifier with a time of 21.662.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Whatever else has wavered in Chicago racing, the Arlington Million has remained an anchor. Surviving a catastrophic fire in 1985 and a two-year hiatus during Arlington's financially induced closing in 1998 and 1999, the Million has bounced back.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Lasting Code went into the July 21 Timber Music Stakes as a first-time starter but came out of it a stakes winner and will be one of the favorites in Saturday's $35,000 Lassie Stakes at Hastings Park.

According to her trainer, Steve Henson, Lasting Code was "one work short" going into the Timber Music, though she came away with a 1 1/4-length victory over 6-5 favorite Beautiful Stranger.

AUBURN, Wash. - While it is very much in doubt who will be ahead at the finish of Sunday's Grade 3, $250,000 Longacres Mile, there is no longer much question about who will be leading early.

That matter was resolved Thursday morning when trainer Charlie Essex confirmed that local sprint champion Handy N Bold will indeed contest the 66th Mile.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Trainer Jimmy Jerkens had a mixed morning Thursday as he put a pair of stakes horses through their workouts.

Jerkens was beaming over the six-furlong work put in by Bay Head King, who is headed to the Grade 1 King's Bishop next Saturday, but he was disappointed in the six-furlong move put in by Dat You Miz Blue, who may run in the Grade 1 Ballerina on Aug. 26.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Good fortune has followed Bobby Frankel and his 3-year-old filly Flute most of the year.

In May, just when it looked like Flute would be excluded from the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks because of a lack of earnings, an illness suffered the day of entry by another filly let her in. Flute went on to win the race by 2 3/4 lengths.

In June, while in California preparing for the Mother Goose at Belmont, Flute suffered a foot abscess, which forced her to miss the race. It might have proven to be a blessing as Fleet Renee ran a monstrous race to win.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Since the spring, Until Sundown, the 3-year-old who starts in Sunday's $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar, has taken trainer Laura de Seroux's career to new heights.

It was in May that Until Sundown gave de Seroux, 49, her first stakes win in the minor Alydar Stakes at Hollywood Park. In June, he won the Grade 3 Affirmed Handicap. Last month, Until Sundown was de Seroux's first starter in a Grade 1, when he finished second to Congaree in the $500,000 Swaps Stakes.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Skimming and Futural, rivals whose most celebrated match came in the controversial Hollywood Gold Cup, drew post positions alongside one another when six were entered Thursday in Sunday's Grade 1 $1 million Pacific Classic, the richest race at the Del Mar meeting.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Pick a horse. Any horse.

That's pretty much the spectrum of opportunity that awaits horseplayers in an incredibly contentious renewal of the $400,000 Secretariat Stakes at Arlington Park.

The Secretariat is such a wide-open affair that the favorite in the 12-horse field figures to be no lower than 7-2 or 4-1.

"I took a look at the past performances, and it didn't take long to see how tough this race was," said Tom Skiffington, who trains one of the logical favorites in Package Store. "It is extremely competitive."