VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Inish Glora looks like a solid favorite over four other 3-year-old fillies in a $50,000 optional race set for 1 1/16 miles this Wednesday evening at Hastings Park.

AUBURN, Wash. - Handy N Bold will get his sternest test of the year on Wednesday when he heads a small but strong field of five including Kid Katabatic in the $40,000 Independence Day Handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs.

Handy N Bold, a 6-year-old son of Bold Laddie who races for Doris Orr, was named sprinter of the meeting at Emerald Downs last year when he won three sprint stakes, including the Independence Day. He picked up right where he left off this season, winning the six-furlong Seattle Handicap and the 6 1/2-furlong Fox Sports Net Handicap in his first two starts.

ELMONT, N.Y. - The Prioress, long thought of as simply a prep for the more prestigious Test Stakes, can now stand on its own as a race of major significance. Last fall, the North American Graded Stakes Committee saw fit to bump the Prioress to a Grade 1 beginning with Wednesday's 54th running at Belmont Park.

An exceptional field was assembled for the $200,000 Prioress, a six-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies, which highlights a 10-race Fourth of July card that also includes the $150,000 Tom Fool Handicap and the $100,000 Poker Handicap.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Touch of the Blues will arrive at the perfect time on Wednesday at Hollywood Park.

A closer, Touch of the Blues will be favored to win the $150,000 American Handicap. More importantly, for many bettors he is a likely key on a tricky pick six that features a record one-day carryover of $691,095. The total pool could surpass $3 million. [More on the pick six, page 6].

In many pick six races, bettors will be forced to use several horses and pin their hopes on just a few clever selections, but Touch of the Blues is the exception.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Wednesday's $105,700 Overskate Stakes could be a two-horse race between two horses who both happen to reside in Barn 4A at Woodbine, Krz Ruckus and Casino Prince.

Krz Ruckus figures to be the controlling speed in the seven-furlong dash with Dino Luciani aboard. Casino Prince should be coming from somewhere off the pace under Na Somsanith.

Serena's Tune, a stakes-winning daughter of Mr. Prospector and champion Serena's Song, should be a short price in the second race on the card, an $80,000 optional claimer on the grass.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - If Grade 1 stakes winner Irish Prize runs to his ability in Wednesday's $250,000 Firecracker Handicap at Churchill Downs, there will be no toteboard fireworks this race for Fourth of July racegoers.

Irish Prize, recent winner of the May 28 Shoemaker Mile at Hollywood Park, is the hottest horse in the one-mile Firecracker. The bad news for value-seekers is that he is the 9-5 favorite on the track morning line, and his odds could drop to as low as 6-5 or even money .

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Songandaprayer returns to Monmouth Park for the first time since his debut over a year ago in Wednesday's Grade 3 Jersey Shore Breeders' Cup. Five 3-year-olds entered the six-furlong race, including Grade 1 winner City Zip.

Songandaprayer, trained by John Dowd, won his maiden here on June 15 last year at 1-5. Owned primarily by Bobby Hurley, Songandaprayer, a $1 million 2-year-old sale purchase, won the Grade 1 Fountain of Youth on Feb. 17 at Gulfstream Park, and was pointed to the Kentucky Derby.

Moomtaaz rallied past 35-1 longshot Pegylation near the wire and captured Monday's $50,000 Liberty Bell Stakes at Philadelphia Park.

It was the second stakes victory this season for Moomtaaz, a 3-year-old colt trained by Brian Brennan, who is now 5 for 11 lifetime on turf. He covered 1 1/16 miles over a course rated good in 1:45.26.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Highland Mood turned back several stretch challenges to take the $146,880 Ontario Damsel Stakes in a gutsy performance at Woodbine on Monday.

Highland Mood pressed Turner's Hall through quick fractions in the 6 1/2-furlong turf dash for Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies. She assumed command early in the stretch, and held off Chopinina and Bel Serenata in the final furlong to prevail by a half-length.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. ? Futural's reign as the Hollywood Gold Cup winner lasted nine minutes on Sunday, the time it took Hollywood Park stewards to disqualify him from first to third for a bumping incident in early stretch. Aptitude, who finished second, was moved up to first in the Grade 1 race.