When Allen Iwinski sends out a 2-year-old for its first race, the horse may run well. But Iwinski can almost guarantee that his juveniles will run even better the second time out.

That's why Iwinski was hardly surprised when Haunted Lass, a 2-year-old filly he trains for the Iwin99 partnership, trounced allowance foes by 5 1/4 lengths in her second lifetime start at Delaware Park. She improved by 20 points on the Beyer Speed Figure scale in that race, after finishing second in her debut against maidens 2 1/2 weeks earlier.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - When Arlington Park raised the Arlington Million's purse to $2 million last year it drew a field of seven, the smallest in the race's 18-year history. Apparently, this race is about more than cold cash. With its purse back down to $1 million, the Million attracted 13 pre-entries by the midnight deadline Friday night.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Trainer Mark Casse is holding a very strong hand for Sunday's Ontario Debutante Stakes, and should win a large chunk of the $112,200 purse if he plays all his cards.

Casse entered four of the nine 2-year-old fillies in the six-furlong dash - Jealous Form, Fullup, Misty Expectation, and Ms. Forum. He said Thursday that he plans on running Jealous Form and Fullup, plus either Misty Expectation or Ms. Forum.

EDMONTON, Alberta - With purses at a record high, thanks largely to slot machine revenue, excitement is beginning to mount as the annual Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society yearling sale at the Northlands Sportex draws near.

Purses were increased to a $100,000 daily average midway through the Stampede Park meet during the spring and for the entire Northlands Park season.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Nureyev's Knight was an impressive debut winner over $25,000 maidens July 25 and will try to beat a tough group of seasoned 3-year-olds in a 6 1/2-furlong $50,000 optional race Sunday at Hastings Park. He might be good enough.

Trainer John Snow had Nureyev's Knight primed and ready for his debut and he scored a 3 3/4 length victory in a quick 1:17.58 for 6 1/2 furlongs. The step up to optional company is a big one and Snow isn't quite sure how Nureyev's Knight would respond to the challenge.

AUBURN, Wash. - At 127 pounds, Captain Steve tops a list of 30 horses weighted for the Aug. 19 running of the Grade 3 $250,000 Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs.

Captain Steve is weighted five pounds above El Corredor, who is second on the list at 122 pounds. But neither of them is expected to run in the Mile. Nor is 120-pound third-highweight Performing Magic.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Of all the talented turf fillies and mares in trainer Christophe Clement's barn, Penny's Gold could be the best.

Since coming to this country from France, Penny's Gold, a daughter of Kingmambo, has gone 3 for 3, including a victory in the Grade 3 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland in April. Sunday, she makes her first start in four months when she runs in the Grade 3, $200,000 Ballston Spa Breeders' Cup Handicap on the turf at Saratoga. The Ballston Spa is run at 1 1/16 miles, a distance at which Penny's Gold is 2 for 2.

Top Hit is getting a knack for racing around two turns just in time for the Grade 3, $300,000 Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park in Oklahoma City on Sunday. The developing colt, who finished fourth behind Congaree in last month's Grade 1 Swaps, should rule as a slight favorite in the 1 1/8-mile Oklahoma Derby, formerly known as the Remington Park Derby.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Swept Overboard might have turned in the most under-appreciated effort of Del Mar's meeting. While all the focus in the opening weekend Bing Crosby Breeders' Cup Handicap was on the duel between Kona Gold and Caller One, Swept Overboard threw a scare into both of them, finishing third, beaten a little more than one length.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Although trainer Bob Baffert is still not sure where Point Given will run next, he did get the colt back to the track on Friday morning at Del Mar for his first day of training since his victory in last Sunday's Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park