POMONA, Calif. – Echo Zulu could have waited for a richer race later this week, with double the purse that he runs for Wednesday at the Los Angeles County Fair.

Then trainer Peter Miller figured, “Why wait?” He will start Echo Zulu in the $50,000 C.B. Afflerbaugh Stakes on Wednesday rather than the $100,000 Barretts Juvenile on Sunday.

“We were looking at the Barretts, but we thought this spot would be easier,” Miller said. “It’s half the money, but we thought we would give him a break.”

POMONA, Calif. – Increased competition in the simulcast market and a punishing local heat wave were key factors responsible for a significant decline in handle on opening weekend of the Los Angeles County Fair race meet.

Barretts at Fairplex handled only slightly more than $13 million the first three days of the meet, Friday through Sunday. It was a 13.7 percent drop from the corresponding period in 2012, when opening weekend handle exceeded $15 million.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Excaper, pointing for Sunday’s Woodbine Mile, breezed four furlongs in 50.40 seconds on the E.P. Taylor turf course here Monday morning.

The Grade 1 Woodbine Mile, which offers a purse of $1 million, is expected to go with a field of six headed by defending champion Wise Dan and is a Win and You’re In race for the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita.

After he dominated a first-level turf allowance race at Churchill Downs in the fall of his 2-year-old year, it looked as if Monastic might be any kind of horse.

But it wasn’t long thereafter that the gelding contracted equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM), and he hasn’t been the same since.

Lord Calezaar is a maiden, but he still looks like the one to beat in a first-level allowance race at Northlands Park on Wednesday. The one-mile race for 3-year-olds and up drew five starters, two of which are fillies, and will be run as the second of eight races. Post time for the first race is 6 p.m. Mountain.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The filly Professor’s Ride has had only one rider, Michelle Rainford, through her 13-start career.

Last Saturday, Professor’s Ride gave the 33-year-old Rainford her first stakes win when she outdueled Strut the Course to prevail by a neck in the $125,000 La Prevoyante Stakes at one mile on yielding turf.

“Both horses ran really hard,” Rainford said. “I like it when you have two horses trying to win the race. That’s what makes it exciting.”

SHAKOPEE, Minn. – Eric Halstrom is returning home. A native of Bloomington, Minn., Halstrom will be taking over the newly created position of vice president of racing operations at Canterbury Park, effective Oct. 21. Halstrom, 44, last week said he would leave his position as vice president and general manager for racing at Fair Grounds on Oct. 1.

“I grew up in Minnesota and experienced my first horse race at Canterbury," Halstrom said. "I am excited to be returning home to work at a track that I deeply care for and that has such a bright future."

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Refreshingmemories has been knocking on the door in five-furlong maiden special weight races for Ontario-sired females, and will compete under those conditions Wednesday night at Woodbine in the only non-claiming event on the eight-race card.

Refreshingmemories faded to seventh after a stalking trip when she debuted over six furlongs June 14. Two weeks later, when she cut back to five-eighths, she pressed the pace with blinkers on and lugged out on the turn before ending up second.

Hogy, under jockey Joe Rocco Jr., came from way off the pace to win the $250,600 Presque Isle Mile by one length Sunday evening at Presque Isle Downs.

Hogy was kept off the early pace and to the outside by Rocco until upper stretch. While fourth in upper stretch, Hogy forged to the lead and drew off, stopping the clock for one mile on the Tapeta synthetic surface in 1:36.72.

Super Chunky was second, a nose in front of Hoofit, who was a head in front of Occasional View in fourth.

Trained by Wayne Catalano, the 4-year-old Hogy returned $7.80 to win.

AUBURN, Wash. – After four consecutive runner-up finishes in added-money events, Stryker Phd finally kicked down the door in a stakes race Sunday at Emerald Downs, winning the $47,750 Muckleshoot Tribal Classic going away.

Though he had just one career victory from 10 starts coming into the race, Stryker Phd was made the 4-5 favorite in a field of six statebred older horses and ran to his backing, covering 1 1/16 miles in 1:40.99 and winning by 3 1/4 lengths. Jebrica, the 3-2 second choice, finished a distant third, 8 1/2 lengths behind the winner.