LOUISVILLE, Ky. - People accustomed to deciphering puzzles need not bother searching for one in the local newspaper this weekend. Sunday's ninth race at Churchill Downs, a $55,900 allowance for horses seeking to regain their top form, is puzzling enough.

The seven-furlong dash features only seven entrants, but the race is not easy to handicap. Many of the competitors have not won in some time, including the race's two graded winners - Jazz Club and Nite Dreamer.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Michael Stidham has had the Ocean Hotel Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on the agenda for Gone on Sheila for nearly a month.

Gone on Sheila is one of the likely favorites in Sunday's Ocean Hotel, run at five furlongs on the Monmouth Park turf for 12 fillies. She has one win in her only try on the turf, a 5 1/2-furlong allowance at Fair Grounds on Feb. 26. Trainer Stidham has since been looking for an opportunity for Gone on Sheila to return to the turf.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - When Nelson Bunker Hunt, once an important Thoroughbred owner, jumped back into the game a couple years ago, he focused on buying mid-level prospects, not the high-end market. In the filly Hattiesburg, Hunt made a savvy purchase. A 3-year-old by the young sire Mutakddim, Hattiesburg already has earned more than eight times her $20,000 yearling sales price, and on Sunday she will start as the favorite at Arlington in the $50,000-added Ribbon Stakes.

MIAMI, Fla. - Nominations for the second annual Summit of Speed program, featuring $1 million of sprint stakes at Calder on July 14, close Saturday and when they do racing secretary Bob Umphrey is confident that the lists for the afternoon's three major stakes will be brimming with the names of many of the fastest sprinters stabled coast to coast.

Trainer Shug McGaughey said Serra Lake will remain at Belmont Park for Saturday's $250,000 Hempstead Handicap, rather than run at Delaware Park, where she was entered in Sunday's $100,000 Obeah Stakes.

That's good news for the 10 other fillies and mares in the 1 1/8-mile Obeah because Serra Lake, with three consecutive wins at the distance, would have been tough.

In Serra Lake's absence, Under the Rug could go off as the slight choice.

Shining Sky will put her undefeated 3-for-3 record on the line in the Grade 1 $312,075 Retama Park Futurity for Quarter Horses.

Owned by B and B Joint Ventures, Shining Sky has a win in the Grade 3 American Airlines East Challenge and had the standout time from the 14 trials with her 17.760-second clocking for the 350 yards.

Second-fastest qualifier status went to Red Temptress, who was timed in 17.930 seconds for her 2 1/4-length victory.

The last time Alce Candense visited the winner's circle was a year ago when he rallied to win the Sydney Gendelman Memorial at River Downs. Nine frustrating losses later, Alce Canadense returns to River Downs in the hopes of ending his losing streak, and defending his title in the Gendelman Memorial at the same time.

The Gendelman, a $50,000 handicap for Ohio-bred 3-year-olds and upward, is scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on turf.

LINCOLN, Neb. - Doug's Shadow and High Dice will face off once again in the $12,500 Executive Board Handicap at the Lincoln State Fair.

Doug's Shadow rallied to defeat High Dice in the President's Cup Handicap on June 9 to score his first win of the year. His sharp effort makes him the one to beat while stretching out to a mile and 70 yards for the first time this year. Trained by Julie Larmon, Doug's Shadow will carry 119 pounds, including Jiri Peterka, as he attempts to win this race for the second year in a row.

ALTOONA, Iowa - Defending champion Nut N Better and Sumthintotalkabout lead a small but select field of Iowa-bred fillies and mares in the six-furlong, $60,000-added Mamie Eisenhower Stakes on Sunday afternoon at Prairie Meadows.

Nut N Better enters the Eisenhower off a come-from-behind 1 1/2-length victory in the Hoist the Flag Stakes at Canterbury on June 9. In her last start here she finished third, beaten only 1 1/2 lengths, against open company in the $50,000 Prairie Rose Stakes on May 12.

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Maysville Slew is on the comeback trail, and his main objective this year is to return to the Grade 2 Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs in November, a race he finished third in last year at 51-1.

Maysville Slew, who has earned $469,250 while racing mostly in the Mid-South, will have his first work since finishing seventh in the Grade 1 Oaklawn Handicap in April this week at Lone Star Park.