Brimmerton, a highly hyped juvenile in Texas, will try to live up to his ink by gaining his first stakes win in the Grade 1, $1,088,856 Texas Classic Futurity on Saturday night at Lone Star Park.

Family Favorite invades from Florida for Friday night's $40,000 Delta Belle at Delta Downs in Vinton, La.

The five-furlong race for 2-year-old fillies drew a field of six, and there does not appear to be a standout among them. Favoritism Could go to maiden winner My Golden Tripp, who will be making her first start for trainer Steve Asmussen.

ANDERSON, Ind. - Down by the Sea and Victory Punch, who have finished one-two in their last two meetings, will be separated by an entire race Friday night. This is the final full week of racing this meet, which concludes Dec. 4.

Down by the Sea will start in the $35,000-added Indiana Stallion Stakes, a six-furlong race for 2-year-old Indiana-bred fillies who were sired by registered Indiana stallions. Victory Punch will stretch out to a mile for the first time in the following race, the $35,000-added Terre Haute Stakes for Indiana-bred fillies.

Rockchalk Jayhawk, who won the $35,000 Remington Green on turf by disqualification in his last start, will move back to the main track Saturday night at Remington in the $18,500 Tip Tap, a 1 1/16-mile overnight handicap. As the 123-pound highweight, he will spot his rivals four to 11 pounds. Don Pettinger has the mount for trainer Donnie Von Hemel.

Remington will close out its meet Sunday with the $75,000 MEC Mile for 2-year-olds. In addition to the purse, the winner will receive an all-fees-paid berth into the 2004 Oklahoma Derby.

NEW ORLEANS - Horses began arriving at Fair Grounds for the winter on Nov. 1. The track's aging blue barns, tucked between a cemetery and historic Gentilly Boulevard, have steadily filled, the sounds of morning training flowing into the surrounding neighborhoods again, as they do every fall.

But this is a different kind of season at Fair Grounds, one fraught with skepticism and uncertainty. There are few answers floating about, but many questions.

* In what state will Fair Grounds emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy, for which it filed earlier this year?

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Two years ago, it was Belterra. Last year, it was Allamerican Bertie. This year, in what figures to be her third and final appearance at Churchill Downs on Thanksgiving weekend, Take Charge Lady might finally be able to turn back all challengers and secure a well-earned spot at the head of the proverbial table.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Van Berg legacy carries quite a bit of weight at Churchill Downs. Hall of Fame trainer Jack Van Berg saddled Alysheba to win the 1987 Kentucky Derby and 1988 Breeders' Cup Classic at Churchill, and his 335 career wins are fourth-highest in Churchill Downs history.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Bossanova likely will try to play "catch me if you can" when he seeks his first graded stakes victory in Thursday's Grade 3, $100,000 Fall Highweight Handicap at Aqueduct.

The Fall Highweight ignites HolidayFest, a four-day period in which Aqueduct will host six stakes. The Fall Highweight, run at six furlongs, is the featured event on a nine-race Thanksgiving Day card that begins at 11 a.m. Last post is 2:37 p.m.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Trainer Bob Baffert is battling the flu, which may keep him home in Southern California this weekend. Unfortunately for Baffert's New York colleagues with designs on Saturday's Grade 1 Cigar Mile, his horse, Congaree, is doing just fine.

Congaree on Tuesday completed preparations for the $350,000 Cigar Mile by working four furlongs in 46.80 seconds at Santa Anita. It was the second fastest of 31 moves at the distance and should have Congaree primed to defend the Cigar title he won a year ago.

Magna Entertainment Corp. has decided to end its experiment with Instant Racing video gambling machines at Portland Meadows.

The machines, which offer wagering on replays of previously run but unidentified races, have been highly successful at Oaklawn Park.

About 20 machines were installed this past summer at nearby Multnomah Greyhound Park, like Portand Meadows owned by Magna Entertainment. After a slow start, the daily handle for those machines grew to about $1,500 per day.