INGLEWOOD, Calif. - A moment of courage from Irish Prize proved to be the difference in Monday's $475,000 Shoemaker Breeders' Cup Mile at Hollywood Park.

Entering the stretch, jockey Gary Stevens sent Irish Prize between the tiring pacesetters Hollycombe and All the Gears. Irish Prize went through the gap smoothly, took the lead, and held off the rally of his entrymate Touch of the Blues to win the turf race by a neck in 1:33.68. The Grade 1 Shoemaker was the most prestigious victory in Irish Prize's 19-race career, which includes seven wins and earnings of $672,743.

ELMONT, N.Y. - There were several story lines heading into Monday's 108th running of the Metropolitan Handicap. It was the most Exciting Story that prevailed.

Exciting Story, who scratched from Saturday's Connaught Cup Stakes at Woodbine when the turf course came up soft, shocked nine rivals to win the Grade 1, $750,000 Met Mile by three-quarters of a length over Peeping Tom before 18,568 at Belmont Park. It was another two lengths back to Alannan in third.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Siphon, one of the top older horses of the late 1990's, got his first winner as a stallion when Siphina won a $45,000 maiden race for 2-year-olds at Hollywood Park on Monday.

Siphina ran five furlongs in 58.14 seconds, winning by two lengths over Past You. Trained by Lance Stokes, Siphina is owned by a partnership. Monday's race was her career debut.

Siphon, who won the 1996 Hollywood Gold Cup and 1997 Santa Anita Handicap, stands at Airdrie Stud in Kentucky.

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Purse Stealer scored a record win payoff at Lone Star Park on Saturday when she captured the 11th race at 114-1 and returned $231.40. She also topped a track-record $6,900 exacta with 40-1 second-place finisher Cherokee Lass, and a track-record trifecta, which returned $58,554 on a $1 ticket, with 25-1 third-place finisher Honor the Ring.

Purse Stealer won the conditioned claiming race by 1 3/4 lengths. She is owned by Jerry Nix, is trained by C.L. Nix and was ridden by Don Simington.

MIAMI - Trainer Ralph Ziadie has confirmed that Jorge Chavez will ride Sir Bear when that 8-year-old takes on up-and-coming handicap stars Include and Broken Vow in Saturday's $500,000 Massachusetts Handicap.

"I couldn't be happier getting Jorge for the race," Ziadie said after watching Sir Bear breeze five furlongs in 1:01.60 at Calder on Monday morning. "First of all he's a very hot rider at the moment, and secondly he's got a good left-hand stick, and this horse really likes that. He should fit him very well."

SAN MATEO, Calif. - Jockey Jason Lumpkins, who is in a tough battle with perennial champion Russell Baze for the Bay Meadows riding title, was handed a three-day suspension for rough riding by the stewards Monday. His agent said he will appeal.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Illness and a minor injury will keep two leading contenders from starting in major stakes this weekend at Hollywood Park.

Gourmet Girl, the upset winner of the Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park in April, has been coughing in recent weeks and will not start in Sunday's $250,000 Milady Breeders' Cup Handicap over 1 1/16 miles.

La Feminn, who was second in the Humana Distaff at Churchill Downs on May 5, will miss Saturday's $100,000 Desert Stormer Handicap over six furlongs. Her trainer, Richard Mandella, said she has been battling foot problems.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Five weeks into the spring-summer meet at Hollywood Park, it seems as if Jack Carava is wearing a big bull's-eye on his back. That's what happens when you win with 31 percent of your starters, and enter midseason atop the trainer standings. "It's a nice position to be in," Carava said.

Trainer Michael Dickinson, the master of getting horses ready to win off long layoffs, did it again at Philadelphia Park.

Sick as a Parrot ($11.20), unraced since December 1999 and winless since 1998, won his first start for Dickinson in the $50,000 Norristown Handicap by covering 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.37 over a muddy track.

In the co-featured $50,000 Peppy Addy for 3-year-old Pennsylvania-breds, Beau's Surprise ($4) collected his fifth straight victory for trainer Todd Beattie.

Anclote, the longest shot in a field reduced to five horses after the race was moved from the turf to the main track, scored the biggest victory of her career in the $75,000 Denise Rhudy Memorial at Delaware Park.

A 3-year-old filly whose only previous win in nine career starts came in a maiden race at this track last October, Anclote ($43.40) surged past even-money favorite Lil Punkindo with a furlong remaining in the 1 1/16-mile race and drew away to win by 1 1/4 lengths. Her time over a fast track was 1:45.21.