STANTON, Del. – Long before the recently retired Ramon Dominguez left Delaware Park for New York and won three Eclipse Awards, observers who watched him ride here regularly for almost a decade often used the term “natural” to describe how he would sit motionless on a horse, with quiet hands, until just the right time, and then would elicit an instant response from his mount.

At the current Delaware Park meet, a 21-year-old apprentice from Puerto Rico named Victor Carrasco has fans and horsemen drawing comparisons between the young rider and Dominguez in his early days.

I Raffaella figures to be a short price when she runs in a first-level allowance race for fillies and mares that serves as Wednesday’s feature at Northlands Park. The 6 1/2-furlong sprint drew seven horses, but there are a lot of arrows pointing toward I Raffaella as the one to beat.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The once-beaten Langstaff gets some class relief Wednesday night at Woodbine in the $125,000 Deputy Minister Stakes, a seven-furlong sprint for Ontario-sired 3-year-olds.

Langstaff graduated from off the pace over five furlongs April 21, then doubled up a month later in a six-furlong allowance, for which he got a 78 Beyer Speed Figure.

Langstaff switched to the turf June 8 in the six-furlong Bold Ruckus Stakes. After lacking room at the back of the pack on the turn, he closed furiously through the long stretch to prevail by a neck over Click.

AUBURN, Wash. – The fastest horse in British Columbia spread a wider web Sunday, as Herbie D dominated the $50,000 Mt. Rainier Handicap at Emerald Downs.

DEL MAR, Calif. – There is a pick-six carryover of $238,499 for Wednesday’s eight-race program at Del Mar, a carryover created when the stewards disqualified the original winner of Sunday’s ninth race.

Cosmic Heat (6-1) was the first to reach the wire in Sunday’s ninth race but was disqualified and placed third behind Centenario de Oro ($58.40) and Fighting On after the stewards ruled that Fighting On lacked sufficient running room in the final sixteenth.

If Cosmic Heat had won, there would not have been a carryover.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Wishing Gate has raced in Illinois, California, and Kentucky and has won in both California and Illinois, but it’s Del Mar where she seems to do best. She won against maidens in her first start on turf last year at age 2, and in her first start here this year, she rallied to win the Grade 2, $151,000 San Clemente Handicap for 3-year-old turf fillies.

Trainer Blane Wood swept the first two places in the Grade 1, $1 million Rainbow Futurity for Quarter Horses at Ruidoso Downs on Sunday, when Ms First Prize Rose edged stablemate Belle Helene by a nose. It was a neck back to Potenzza in third.

The Rainbow was the second leg of Ruidoso’s rich series for 2-year-olds that concludes on Labor Day with the $2.6 million All American Futurity.

DEL MAR, Calif. – He Be Fire N Ice has won four consecutive races on turf since early April. The 5-year-old horse may never run on the main track again after winning his first stakes in Sunday’s $150,750 California Dreamin’ Handicap on grass at Del Mar.

Since he returned to racing in February following an 18-month break caused by a tendon injury, He Be Fire N Ice has won 4 of 5 starts, with each win coming on turf. The California Dreamin’ Handicap, restricted to California-breds, was He Be Fire N Ice’s third consecutive win.

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DEL MAR, Calif. – Paynter was pronounced fit for his 2013 stakes debut in Saturday’s $200,000 San Diego Handicap by trainer Bob Baffert after working five furlongs in 59.40 seconds at Del Mar on Sunday morning.

Lady Jila came back against the favored Ize in Trouble for a neck win in the $40,000 Columbine Stakes at Arapahoe Park on Sunday. Ize in Trouble held second, 1 1/2 lengths clear of third-place finisher Lady Contender.

Lady Jila ($21.40) set fractions of 23.60 seconds for the opening quarter, 47.14 for the half-mile, and 1:11.26 for six furlongs before being overtaken by Ize in Trouble, who was attempting to give trainer Brian Stivers his third stakes win at the meet. Lady Jila fought back and won the 1 1/16-mile race for fillies and mares in 1:44.06.