SAN MATEO, Calif. - Bruneau Time, who won a $32,000 starter allowance over the track Aug. 9, wheels right back to head a field of seven in Thursday's $32,000 allowance feature for fillies and mares at Bay Meadows.

The competition in the six-furlong race is not easy, but Bruneau Time is fresh and sharp, and should benefit from her recent outing over the track. She has only raced four times since returning from a seven-month layoff on June 14. She raced well in three of those outings, and had a legitimate excuse in her only poor effort.

Grade 1 futurity winners Red Clay of Texas and Rdustys Chick head 162 2-year-olds trying to earn a berth in the Grade 1 $2.1 million All American Futurity when 17 trials are held on Thursday at Ruidoso Downs.

The 10 fastest qualifiers from the 440-yard trials return on Labor Day for the All American Futurity, the sport's richest event.

Red Clay of Texas became a leader in the juvenile division when he raced to a length win in the Grade 1 Ruidoso Futurity on June 10.

He then finished second in his Rainbow Futurity trial, failing to make the finals.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Racing fans who enjoy seeing top-class horses and full fields are in for a genuine treat Saturday. Some 33 horses were expected to be entered Wednesday for the three Grade 1 turf races that comprise the highlight of the Chicago racing season, the International Festival of Racing at Arlington Park.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Demand for California-bred fillies and a spirited bidding market helped propel the Del Mar Yearling Sale to new heights Monday, the opening day of the two-day sale at the Del Mar HorsePark.

Seven California-bred yearlings, six of whom were fillies, brought $100,000 or more. Overall, 49 horses sold for $2,593,000, an average price of $52,918, which was believed to be a record for a single session. The record average for the overall sale is $36,815, set in 1999.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Exciting Story, the leading candidate for Horse of the Year honors in Canada, will probably stick to sprinting in the immediate future, according to trainer Mark Casse.

Exciting Story, who won the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap as the longest shot on the board May 28 at Belmont, is coming off a hard-fought second-place finish behind Trajectory here in the 1 1/16-mile Seagram Cup. He was a lackluster fifth in a classified allowance on turf in his lone start between the Met Mile and the Seagram.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - If a New Jersey-bred wins Saturday's Grade 3 $150,000 Sapling for 2-year-olds at Monmouth Park, don't be too surprised. Well-bred New Jersey juveniles that have the talent to do well in open company have become more common.

AUBURN, Wash. - There will be no defending champion in Sunday's renewal of the Grade 3, $250,000 Longacres Mile, but another former Mile winner is likely to compete.

Edneator, the hero of last year's Mile, will not run after his disappointing comeback in the 6 1/2-furlong Governor's Handicap on Aug. 5, when he finished fifth and last.

"He's just not fit enough," said Kay Cooper, assistant to her father, trainer Jim Penney. "It wouldn't be fair to ask him to run against those kinds of horses right now."

EDMONTON, Alberta - Nominations for the $150,000 Canadian Derby close this week, and officials at Northlands Park are predicting a field of no more than six, including three locals, for the Aug. 25 feature. The Canadian Derby, a Grade 3 race for 3-year-olds, goes at 1 3/8 miles.

Leading the local contingent is Fancy As, who is coming off an impressive second-place finish in the Aug. 6 Manitoba Derby and has been touted as the one to beat in the Canadian Derby since last summer.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Tavolino and Mitchell Island both are stepping up after sharp wins and appear to be the ones to beat at Hastings Park Wednesday night in the featured race, a $20,000 claiming race for 3-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles.

DEL MAR, Calif. - With an eye on the immediate future, and the near future, trainer Bob Baffert sent out his two best horses, Captain Steve and Point Given, for workouts Tuesday morning at Del Mar.

Captain Steve's drill was the far more serious of the two. In his final work for Sunday's Grade 1, $1 million Pacific Classic, Captain Steve covered five furlongs in 59.60 seconds. The colt's owner, Mike Pegram, was among those watching.