SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - A kinder, gentler Secret Status was a winning Secret Status on Friday at Saratoga.

Rebounding from a gate incident that forced her to scratch out of the July 29 Go for Wand Handicap, Secret Status acted professionally in the gate and then proceeded to win a classified allowance race by one length over Princess Ellen on a muddy track.

"It was nice getting her back to the races," trainer Neil Howard said. "``I know it was an allowance race, but we needed to get on with it. That was a little bit of a setback the other day."

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Off to an uncharacteristically slow start at Saratoga, trainer Todd Pletcher hopes Friday signaled a turnaround for his barn.

Pletcher, who came into the day 2 for 23 at the meet, entered Irving's Baby in Friday's Glens Falls Handicap planning to run on turf but preferring to run on dirt. Pletcher got his wish when heavy rains Thursday night and Friday morning forced the Glens Falls to be moved to a muddy main track.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - The Europeans know which Americans to fear: Bienamado, Hap, and White Heart in the Million, and Astra in the Beverly D. But, do the Americans know which Europeans to fear?

As of Friday, eight European-based horses were bound for Arlington's Aug. 18 International Festival of Racing - the Million, Beverly D., and Secretariat, Grade 1 races worth a combined $2.1 million. The invasion begins this weekend, with the first Europeans scheduled to begin their journey on Saturday evening. How strong are they?

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Lakeside Cup is the hot horse with the hot rider, which makes her a very short price Sunday at Arlington in the $60,000-added Eliza Stakes.

The Eliza, for 2-year-old fillies at six furlongs on the main track, is a prep for the Top Flight Stakes, which in turn is a prep for the Arlington-Washington Lassie, the signature race for juvenile fillies here.

Caressing, the 2000 2-year-old filly champ, finished second in the Lassie.

The Eliza, the eighth of 10 races, is supported by an excellent allowance race for female dirt routers.

SAN MATEO, Calif. - Asian Adventure, winner of the rich California Thoroughbred Breeders Association Stakes at Del Mar, is the one to beat in a field of six 2-year-old California-bred fillies in the $50,000 Mid-Peninsula Stakes at Bay Meadows Sunday.

Asian Adventure has run no worse than third in four career starts. She won her debut in a $40,000 maiden claiming race, finished third in the Nursery and second in the Cinderella, and then won the CTBA.

Pivotal Decision, the horse of the meet at Retama Park this spring, brings a four race winning streak into the Grade 3 $52,110 Bayer Legend Texas Challenge for 3-year-olds over 400 yards at Sam Houston Race Park on Sunday.

Pivotal Decision, owned by Joshua Harner and trained by John Buchanan, won 7 of 12 starts last year and is undefeated from four starts this year. He has finished first or second in his last 10 starts.

Awsome Form, who defeated odds-on favorite Gone Kool Man in their MBNA America Mexico Challenge trial on July 27, will try to repeat the feat in the Grade 3 $89,370 final for older horses at 440 yards Sunday afternoon at Ruidoso Downs.

Leading trainer Cole Norman, who turned two claims into stakes winners last weekend at Louisiana Downs in Bossier City, La., will try to turn the trick again Sunday with Smokin N Jokin in the $40,000 Chapel Belle Stakes.

The 1 1/16-mile turf race for 3-year-old fillies has also drawn Prado's Trick, perhaps the biggest threat to Smokin N Jokin; Slapstick, a recent allowance winner for trainer Steve Asmussen; and Mountain Kitten, another Norman claim who has won her last three starts and who will be coupled with Smokin N Jokin.

Considering that none of his nine rivals have won on the turf, Mr. Bigglesworth, the defending champion in Sunday's $45,000 Buckeye Native Stakes at River Downs, has a better than average chance of winning the 1 1/16-mile turf race for Ohio-bred 3-year-olds and up.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Tim Hills has a good eye for turf horses.

Leading all trainers with 12 turf wins at this Monmouth meet, Hills has had tremendous success turning dirt sprinters into route turf horses. H.M.S. Jackson is a 4-year-old Hills trainee who won his only start on turf. On Sunday, he stretches out to one mile in the $50,000 Lincroft Stakes on the grass, which attracted 10 statebreds.