ELMONT, N.Y. – Even though he suffered his first defeat at Belmont Park in his last start, it would be incorrect to label Flat Out’s third-place finish in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap a bad race.

Attempting to move into contention leaving the five-sixteenths pole, Flat Out had to check behind a tiring Handsome Mike, losing his momentum. While it may not have cost him the win – Sahara Sky and Cross Traffic ran terrific finishing noses apart – Flat Out may have made it more interesting. Instead, Flat Out was beaten 3 1/2 lengths.

OPELOUSAS, La. – Louisiana’s best are set to converge on Evangeline Downs on Saturday night for the ninth edition of Louisiana Legends Night. Seven stakes worth $100,000 each, a starter stakes worth $75,000, and four $40,000 maiden special weight events bring the program’s purse total to $935,000. All of the races are restricted to accredited Louisiana-breds.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Up With the Birds, an impressive winner of the May 26 Marine Stakes, has been made the 2-1 morning-line favorite for Sunday’s 154th running of the Queen’s Plate.

A field of 12 for the Queen’s Plate, the 1 1/4-mile race that is the first leg of the Triple Crown for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds, was drawn at the annual Queen’s Plate breakfast here Thursday.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Are You Kidding Me hooked some of the top 3-year-old turf milers on the continent when finishing sixth in the $500,000 Penn Mile Stakes last time out. On Saturday, Are You Kidding Me looms as the horse to beat here when he faces 10 rivals in the $125,000 Charlie Barley Stakes, an open stakes for 3-year-olds at one mile on turf.

“He’s doing really well,” trainer Roger Attfield said. “He’s just ready to get rocking and rolling now.”

Trainer Robertino Diodoro has a couple of reasons to be excited about Saturday’s $50,000 Ky Alta Handicap at Northlands Park. Diodoro will saddle two of the six horses entered in the one-mile feature for 3-year-olds, and either Broadway Empire or Najran Breeze would be heavily favored if the other one was not running. They are owned separately and are not coupled in the wagering.

“It’s 72 hours before the race, but knock on wood, they are both doing extremely well right now,” Diodoro said Wednesday afternoon.

It is hard to separate the two.

Frisco Fog was scintillating in her debut in the first 2-year-old race of the year in Northern California. She won a two-furlong race at Golden Gate Fields by 2 1/4 lengths in 21.39 seconds. The question is whether she can duplicate that performance Saturday in Northern California’s first stakes for 2-year-old fillies while coming off of a layoff.

Frisco Fog meets seven rivals in the $50,000 Juan Gonzalez Memorial Stakes at the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton, Calif. She will be making her first start since the April 11 maiden win and stretches out to 5 1/2 furlongs.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Mark Casse sends out two nice prospects, Sky America and Spring Likeacobra, in the 76th running of the $150,000 My Dear Stakes, a five-furlong dash for 2-year-old fillies at Woodbine on Saturday.

Sky America graduated at first asking in a key 4 1/2-furlong maiden special weight race on Polytrack at Keeneland April 11. Using a wide rally, she made up six lengths in the rain to win going away by three lengths in 52.65 seconds.

Can lightning strike twice in the same place for trainer Phil Schoenthal and D Hatman Thoroughbreds? The answer will come Saturday night in the Bert Allen Stakes, one of five $50,000 stakes restricted to Virginia-breds on the Virginia Commonwealth Turf Festival card at Colonial Downs.

Balooga Bull turned the tables on Pleasant Closing last time, but barely.

After dropping a neck decision to Pleasant Closing as the 1-20 choice when making his seasonal debut in the five-furlong prep for the Free Press, Balooga Bull held off his new archrival by a nose in the six-furlong Free Press Stakes.

On Saturday, Balooga Bull and Pleasant Closing will have their rubber match at Assiniboia Downs, with a supporting cast of three set for the $30,000 Wheat City Handicap at one mile.

SHAKOPEE, Minn. - Young jockey Alex Canchari, 3-years removed from working in the Cantina at Canterbury Park, rode the winner in both $50,000 stakes races on July 3  at the Shakopee oval in front of 15,168 fans.

In the Princess Elaine Stakes for Minnesota bred fillies and mares going 1 1/16 miles over the turf course, Canchari, aboard It’s Tamareno, handled traffic issues down the backstretch to get up right at the wire for a nose victory over the front-running Happy Hour Honey.