SARATOGA SPRINGS, N. Y. - Trainer Bob Baffert does not have a horse in Saturday's $200,000 Hopeful Stakes, but he still is having an effect on the race. The imposing presence of the undefeated Baffert-trained Officer in Wednesday's Del Mar Futurity is the main reason two other California-based juveniles, Came Home and Roman Dancer, have been flown cross-country for the Grade 1 Hopeful.

A third Southern Californian, Godolphin Stable's Essence of Dubai., did not make the flight east after a last-minute decision by trainer Eoin Harty.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - At the Al Stall barn Wednesday morning, Pam Fitzgerald, Stall's Arlington assistant, bemoaned the fact that the filly Dance Memories was idling in her stall each afternoon.

"She needs to run," Fitzgerald said. "She's doing so well right now. They aren't using her race, though."

SAN MATEO, Calif. - After a tough summer at the fairs because of a horse shortage, Greg Brent, racing secretary at Bay Meadows, is expressing optimism concerning the track's 52-day 2001 fall meeting that will get under way Friday night.

"We're going to have to work early in the meet for sure," to fill races, Brent said. "A lot of people still have horses out of town, and we have an overlap with the California State Fair at Sacramento the first four days.

WINNIPEG, Manitoba - A hot pace is likely in Friday's featured sixth race at Assiniboia, as four of the seven entrants prefer the front end. The six-furlong race for $20,000 claimers has a purse of $9,400.

Burlington House looks for his fourth consecutive victory and seventh of the season as he breaks from the outside under Anderson Ward. Trained by Leonard Anderson, Burlington House probably will be part of the early battle.

Trainer Blair Miller sends out the entry of Silver Trooper and Known Land.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - It has been relatively quiet recently in the world of Sam-Son Farm and trainer Mark Frostad.

The stable has not won a stakes since July 14, when Strut the Stage took the Toronto Cup, and will be represented by a pair of outsiders here this weekend with Strike Smartly going in Saturday's Niagara Breeders' Cup and Cryptic Response in Sunday's Seaway.

But Frostad will be looking to turn things around in a big way here Sept. 9 when Quiet Resolve, who has been concentrating on longer turf races, switches gears for the Grade 1, $1 million Atto Mile.

Sweet Annuity solidified her status as the early favorite for the $150,000 Cavada Breeders' Cup Classic on Oct. 13 by scoring a wire-to-wire 3 1/4-length victory in last Saturday's $35,000 Sadie Hawkins Stakes, a seven-furlong race for West Virginia-breds.

* Value-oriented players had only to focus on route races last week. Of the 11 races contested at 1 1/16 and 1 1/8 miles, Girls Girls Girls and Sonny's Chance were the only favorites to win. Seven of the other eight winners were 5-1 or higher, with the average win mutuel $23.80.

Oceanport, N.J. - Ben Perkins Jr. is poised to defend his leading trainer title in this final week of racing at Monmouth, and will try to use the biggest race of the weekend here to help close the deal.

The Perkins-trained Colleen Stakes winner Forest Heiress will be the likely top choice Saturday in the Grade 3, $150,000 Sorority for 2-year-old fillies. She will be looking to build on one of the most powerful performances of any horse this summer when she took the Colleen by 6 1/4 lengths and pushed her record to 2 for 2.

The inaugural meet at Yavapai Downs is winding down, with the final day of live racing on Tuesday.

Yavapai Downs turned up the heat last week by scheduling three stakes.

Roberto's Lion, under Anna Barrio, won Saturday's George Goswick Memorial. Trained by Raul Hernandez, who is in the running for leading trainer honors at the meet, Roberto's Lion covered the 870 yards in a snappy 44.86 seconds.

Sport d'Hiver shaved a few hundredths of a second off the turf course record at Philadelphia Park for about five furlongs while winning last Sunday's sixth race.

A 9-year-old gelding trained by Gaston Sandoval, Sport d'Hiver covered the distance - estimated because the rail was set out 22 feet from its original position - in 56.61 seconds. Devereux set the old record of 56.67 on July 25, 2000.

It was the 17th career win for Sport d'Hiver and boosted his career earnings to just over $400,000.

A steady diet of short fields, the powerful stable of Cole Norman, and the season-long roll that Kirk LeBlanc has been on has chalk players getting fat at the midway point of the meeting at Louisiana Downs.

The public choices have been winning at a 40 percent clip during the first 40 days of the season. Norman has been responsible for many, as the three-time defending champ is well on his way to another title. The barn has won 49 races from 136 starters for a remarkable 36 percent.