DEL MAR, Calif. - Captain Steve has had twice as much time leading up to Sunday's $250,000 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar as he had going into his last race, the Hollywood Gold Cup. The way he ran in the Gold Cup, he will probably need to run twice as well to win.

Triple Card is developing into one of the better six-furlong horses in the region. The colt remained perfect in five starts at the distance last Saturday when he won the $40,000 Airline over some of the top 3-year-old colts at Louisiana Downs in Bossier City, La.

It was Triple Card's sixth win in nine starts, and it might have been his most gritty performance to date. He stalked a fast pace, was hung five wide into the stretch, then went on to a one-length victory. "He impressed me because he overcame adversity," said trainer Eddie Milligan Sr.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - The battle between eight-time riding champion Joe Bravo and Monmouth newcomer Eibar Coa for top jockey has lived up to its early billing.

By this time in past meets, Bravo has had the riding title practically sewn up. But this year, Coa - in his first riding stint at Monmouth - has met Bravo stride for stride. Both are up for the challenge.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Patrick Biancone, a top trainer in Europe for two decades who began training in this country last year, will have a string of horses at Saratoga this summer.

"I have some European owners who wanted to come here for the summer," said Biancone. "It's practical; it's not too far from Europe."

CHICAGO - Trainer Al Stall, who has had an excellent Arlington meet, a week ago took over training of the crack sprinter Bonapaw, who has been flown to Saratoga to join Stall's string there. Bonapaw is scheduled to make his next start in the A.G. Vanderbilt Handicap on Aug. 5.

Bonapaw rose to prominence this winter at Fair Grounds, and won the Grade 3 Count Fleet Stakes this spring at Oaklawn. He finished second May 5 in the Churchill Downs Handicap and easily won the Prairie Meadows Sprint in his last start.

DEL MAR, Calif. - The vastly improved Irish Prize, a winner of three straight graded stakes races, heads the field of expected starters for Saturday's $400,000 Eddie Read Handicap, Del Mar's lone Grade 1 race for older male turf runners.

No more than six horses are expected for the Eddie Read, a 1 1/8-mile turf race that serves as a prep for next month's Arlington Million. In addition to Irish Prize, who will be ridden by Gary Stevens, the others expected for the race are Native Desert, Redattore, Super Quercus, Timboroa, and perhaps National Anthem.

Magna Entertainment, Inc., was formally licensed to operate a 2001-2002 race meet at Portland Meadows in a meeting of the Oregon Racing Commission on Monday.

Magna Entertainment, the Frank Stronach-owned company that operates Santa Anita, Gulfstream, and several other tracks, had previously been conditionally granted a period from Oct. 17, 2001, through April 28, 2002, in which to stage a meeting at Portland Meadows.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Although it may seem otherwise, not everything is perfect these days in the world of Bob Tiller.

Tiller, who leads the Woodbine trainer standings, did have a flawless day last Sunday, sending out Win City to register his fourth stakes win of the season in Fort Erie's Prince of Wales. Tiller also went 2 for 2 in absentia at Woodbine.

But Tiller also has revealed that Highland Mood, the 3-year-old filly who has provided him with his other two stakes wins of 2001, is through for the year.

EDMONTON, Alberta - Klondike Days means different things to different people, but one thing is consistent: K-Days has a history of knocking off favorites, and it happened again last weekend as the annual fair got under way.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - A field of eight older horses will square off in a $25,000 optional race at 6 1/2 furlongs Wednesday at Hastings Park, and Just Free is the only horse who hit the board in his last start. He could be the one to beat in a race that appears very difficult to pick a winner.