Musical Vision, a distant second in the Maryland Million Nursery in his first race over the track, could be primed for a peak effort in Saturday's $60,000 Rollicking, a seven-furlong stakes at Laurel Park.

Trained by Anthony Dutrow, Musical Vision passed four horses in the last three furlongs of the seven-furlong Maryland Million Nursery to finish second, beaten nine lengths by Polish Rifle on Oct. 11. He has worked twice since then for Dutrow, a trainer who excels with horses making their second start off a layoff.

FORT ERIE, Ontario - Trainer Rod Cone was as surprised as anyone when his runner Shards of Silver won the eighth race here Tuesday and paid $21.60.

The race, a starter allowance for runners who have competed for $14,000 or less since the end of 2001, was run at two miles and 70 yards, the longest distance on the Ontario circuit.

Cone had no intention of entering Shards of Silver in the race but changed his mind when Fort Erie director of racing Herb McGirr made a plea for additional entries. The marathon has become a tradition at Fort Erie.

That Tat and Doctor Mike, who have been rivals for the past two meets at Louisiana Downs, will face each other for the final time this meeting in Sunday's $40,000 Island Whirl Handicap.

Doctor Mike won the seven-furlong Island Whirl by 1 1/2 lengths over That Tat a year ago, but That Tat had the upper hand in their most recent stakes meeting, when he won the $50,000 Folklore, at 6 1/2 furlongs, by a 1 3/4 lengths over Doctor Mike.

Medium Rare will have to get more distance Saturday night in order to defend his title in the $35,000 Autumn Classic at Remington Park. The statebred stakes has been lengthened from six furlongs to seven this year, and the new distance has helped the race draw a diverse mix of sprinters and route horses, including George Taylor, winner of the $75,000 Oklahoma Classics Day Classic, and Dusty Spike, winner of the $100,000 Omaha Handicap.

There appears to be no shortage of speed Saturday night in the $35,000 Katy, a seven furlong race for 2-year-olds at Sam Houston Race Park that is headed by Appealing Secret.

In his last start, Appealing Secret captured a $50,000 optional claimer by 8 3/4 lengths over Depop, who is to run in the $100,000 Jean Lafitte on Saturday night at Delta Downs. Appealing Secret is owned and trained by Steve Asmussen, who has given the mount to Jeremy Beasley.

PHOENIX - Frisco Belle invades from California for Saturday's $35,000 Chandler Handicap Saturday at Turf Paradise. A field of six 3-year-old fillies is entered for the 7 1/2-furlong turf event, but on paper it looks like Frisco Belle's race to lose.

Trained by Greg Gilchrist, Frisco Belle comes off a strong win in the one-mile Palo Alto Handicap at Bay Meadows Oct. 11. That race was on dirt, but before that she ran second in the Carmel Handicap on the Bay Meadows grass and won a $62,500 claimer routing on the turf at Del Mar.

That Tat and Doctor Mike, who have been rivals for the past two meets at Louisiana Downs, will face each other for the final time this meeting in Sunday's $40,000 Island Whirl Handicap.

Doctor Mike won the seven-furlong Island Whirl by 1 1/2 lengths over That Tat a year ago, but That Tat had the upper hand in their most recent stakes meeting, when he won the $50,000 Folklore, at 6 1/2 furlongs, by a 1 3/4 lengths over Doctor Mike.

Medium Rare will have to get more distance Saturday night in order to defend his title in the $35,000 Autumn Classic at Remington Park. The statebred stakes has been lengthened from six furlongs to seven this year, and the new distance has helped the race draw a diverse mix of sprinters and route horses, including George Taylor, winner of the $75,000 Oklahoma Classics Day Classic, and Dusty Spike, winner of the $100,000 Omaha Handicap.

There appears to be no shortage of speed Saturday night in the $35,000 Katy, a seven-furlong race for 2-year-olds at Sam Houston Race Park that is headed by Appealing Secret.

In his last start, Appealing Secret captured a $50,000 optional claimer by 8 3/4 lengths over Depop, who is to run in the $100,000 Jean Lafitte on Saturday night at Delta Downs. Appealing Secret is owned and trained by Steve Asmussen, who has given the mount to Jeremy Beasley.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - When a filly has earned nearly a half-million dollars from just six starts - and yet the consensus opinion is that the season has been a disappointment - it can only mean one thing: Expectations going into the year were extremely high.

That's the way 2003 has gone for Awesome Humor, who was spectacular when she went unbeaten in four starts last year at 2. Even her trainer, Elliott Walden, is quick to acknowledge that Awesome Humor has slipped a notch or two by winning only two of six starts this year.