AUBURN, Wash. - Playfair and Emerald Downs are at loggerheads over an amended dates request submitted by Playfair to the Washington Horse Racing Commission.

Playfair, which has been granted a 2001 season of 43 days, stretching from Sept. 16 through Dec. 17, now wishes to race 40 days, from Aug. 15 through Nov. 19.

Bruce Wagar, the president of Playfair's operating company, Lilac City Racing Association, told the WHRC at a meeting in Auburn on Thursday that the change is necessary to make racing financially viable at Playfair.

FORT ERIE, Ont. - Stanley Smith saddled his 4-year-old maiden Dimanno to win by a huge margin Monday at Fort Erie.

The 14 1/4-length margin over nine rivals was the first time this sesason a horse has won by double digits. The previous high was Murph's Star's 9 1/2-length victory May 26.

A spread such as Dimanno's is often the result of a small field or a horse dropping in class significantly. Neither was a factor in this case. Smith had claimed Dimanno last summer for $4,000 out of the gelding's 10th lifetime.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Phil England and Malcolm Pierce are not trainers whom you would expect to run back a stakes horse on two weeks' notice.

But they will both be doing just that here in Sunday's King Edward Breeders' Cup, as England sends out Lodge Hill and Pierce saddles Silver Axe for the 1 1/8-mile turf race.

Lodge Hill is coming off a second-place finish in the second division of the Connaught Cup, a 1 1/16-mile turf race here May 26. Silver Axe finished third in the opening split of the Connaught.

WINNIPEG, Manitoba - Corporate Shuffle, last year's local Horse of the Year, will be making his 2001 Assiniboia Downs debut Sunday in the Golden Boy.

The six-furlong race for 3-year-olds carries a purse of $27,500 and has attracted a field of six.

Owned by K-5 Stable and trained by Darla Singh, Corporate Shuffle was perfect in five starts as a 2-year-old. In his only outing this year, he finished fourth in a seven-furlong allowance at Sam Houston on March 30.

Corporate Shuffle, who has been working well here, will break from the rail with Rohan Singh in the tack.

SALEM, N.H. - Rockingham Park opens the doors on its 68th season of racing Sunday afternoon.

As the meeting begins, New Hampshire's Senate is hearing proposals to resolve an education funding crisis in the state. A bill calling for the installation of video lottery terminals at the Rock and the state's three other racetracks which would help fund education is expected to be introduced shortly. At the same time, members of the New England HBPA and Rockingham management are engaged in on-going contract negotiations.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - In Sunday's $75,000 Battlefield Stakes, a prep for the Grade 1 United Nations Handicap July 1, the horse for the turf course is El Mirasol. A 6-year-old, El Mirasol - stabled here in the barn of John Forbes - has put together solid races in Florida preparing for Monmouth, where he scored his last victory, in the Bet Twice Stakes on June 17, 2000.

"He's a hard-hitter," Forbes said. "He's had his problems, but he's a tough old horse."

ELMONT, N.Y. - Preparation for life after the Triple Crown was already in full swing Friday morning at John Ward's Belmont Park barn as he put a pair of his top horses through workouts over Belmont's main track.

Beautiful Pleasure, the champion older mare of 1999, breezed seven furlongs in 1:25.60, according to Ward, although clockers only credited her with a three-furlong move in 36.04 seconds. Also, Ward worked Peter Pan Stakes winner Hero's Tribute five furlongs in 59.81 seconds.

AUBURN, Wash. - Better Than That will seek his fifth win in six career starts when he heads a field of seven older $25,000-$22,500 claimers in Saturday's 6 1/2-furlong feature at Emerald Downs.

CALGARY, Alberta - Crimson Hue will be out to atone for her defeat as the favorite in a roughly run Ken Pearson Memorial when she faces six rivals in Sunday's Duchess of York at Stampede Park.

Both Crimson Hue and Slewability lost valuable ground when carried out on the clubhouse turn that day. Racing luck smiled upon eventual winner Tecate, who enjoyed what her rider Richard Hamel called "a perfect trip" while never leaving the rail in the one-mile handicap.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Smokin Finish, third in the Klondike Stakes in his initial start of the year, should go off favored as part of an entry that includes Irish Pleasure in Saturday's $50,000 optional race at Hastings Park. The 6 1/2-furlong feature drew eight other 3-year-olds who are still searching for their second win.