VANCOUVER, British Columbia - There are no stakes races scheduled at Hastings on Thanksgiving Monday, but it's still an excellent card that includes three optional claiming races which figure to be competitive affairs.

The fourth race at 6 1/2 furlongs features a matchup between one of the best sprinters at Hastings this year, Celt, and Discernment, a 3-year-old who was impressive winning a similar race Sept. 21. Both horses like to be in front but Celt should have the advantage from his inside post.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Owner Jeffrey Sengara is gambling $90,000 that Bluesthestandard, a former $10,000 claimer, is the fastest sprinter in the United States.

Trainer Ted H. West said Sengara is prepared to supplement Bluesthestandard to the $1 million Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita on Oct 25, hoping that a home track advantage can result in a massive score for a horse claimed last winter for $50,000.

Trainer Miguel Feliciano runs most of his horses at Thistledown. But when he ships horses to Mountaineer Race Track, they are usually well-meant.

Of nearly 300 horses Feliciano has started this season, only 37 of them have run at Mountaineer. But 18 of them have hit the board.

Felicianio has sent Tour the Hive, a 6-year-old gelding with 13 lifetime wins and earnings of $429,087, to Mountaineer three times this season. That just happens to make Tour the Hive eligible for Tuesday night's $75,000 Mountaineer HBPA Stakes.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Belleski won her first stakes, and remained unbeaten on Santa Anita's hillside turf course, with a late rally in Saturday's Grade 3, $112,000 Sen. Ken Maddy Handicap.

Ridden by Victor Espinoza, Belleski ($5.80) ran about 6 1-2 furlongs in 1:12.37, finishing two lengths in front of Buffythecenterfold. Icantgoforthat, who set the pace, finished third.

Roberto's Mango, the winner of the Daisycutter Handicap at Del Mar in August, was seventh in the field of 10 fillies and mares.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Gander tuned up for his showdown with Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Funny Cide in next Saturday's $250,000 Empire Classic by drilling five furlongs in 58.66 seconds Saturday morning at Belmont Park.

The move was the fastest of 43 at the distance. Gander, a 7-year-old son of Cormorant, is a two-time winner of the Empire Classic, having won it last year and in 1999.

"He just did that in hand," said Tonja Terranova, the assistant trainer to her husband, John. "He came home in [23.40] and went out three-quarters in 1:11 and he's doing just great."

ELMONT, N.Y. - Kicken Kris towered over his seven rivals in the Lawrence Realization Handicap on paper, and he towered over them on the track as well.

Taking over from the pacesetting Carrier midway around the far turn, Kicken Kris cruised to an easier-than-it-looked three-quarter-length victory over Rowans Park in the Grade 3, $150,000 before 7,858 at Belmont Park. It was another three-quarters of a length back to Fortune Writers in third.

MIAMI - Sir Oscar completed a sweep of the open division of the Florida Stallion Stakes on Saturday's $1.5 million Festival of the Sun program at Calder, while his filly counterpart, French Village, was soundly defeated while attempting to complete a sweep of her division.

MIAMI - Tour of the Cat proved once again he is as courageous as he is talented by holding off 3-5 favorite Best of the Rest following a prolonged stretched drive to register a one-length victory in Saturday's $100,000 Spend a Buck Handicap at Calder. The Grade 3 event highlighted the undercard on the $1.5 million Festival of the Sun program.

MIAMI - Stroll looked like the surest bet on Saturday's $1.5 million Festival of the Sun program, and sure enough he delivered as promised, getting through along the hedge en route to a 3 3/4-length victory over runner-up Certifiably Crazy in the $200,000 Calder Derby. The win was the third on the day for jockey Jerry Bailey, who also won the Birdonthewire Stakes aboard Wynn Dot Comma and the My Dear Girl with Chatter Chatter.

Heavy favorite Docent wore down front-running Presidentialaffair for a nose victory in the $190,000 Maryland Million Classic, richest race on the 11-stakes Maryland Million card Saturday at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md.

The win for Docent was his second straight in the Classic and his third on Maryland Million Day.

Docent and jockey Clinton Potts stalked Presidentialaffair down the backstretch. The two raced side by side for the final furlong, with Docent poking his head in front at the wire.