WINNIPEG, Manitoba - Miss Noire will be a strong favorite to defend her title here in Sunday's $60,000 Matron Breeders' Cup at Assiniboia.

The 1 1/8-mile Matron has a field of eight fillies and mares.

Miss Noire, owned by Harlequin Ranches and trained by Tom Dodds, will use her speed to try to make it three wins in a row after she wired solid allowance fields in her last two.

Regular rider Jerry Pruitt, who also piloted Miss Noire to a front-running win in the 2002 Matron at 18-1, will be back aboard.

FORT ERIE, Ontario - Woodbine trainer Abraham Katryan entered undefeated San Diego Blowout in Sunday's $75,000 Juvenile Stakes at Fort Erie. But San Diego Blowout is cross-entered in Woodbine's $134,250 Swynford Stakes on the same day, and is not likely to make the trip to the Fort.

A San Diego Blowout no-show would leave the Juvenile with eight runners - seven maidens and one one-time winner, The Old Hero.

BOSSIER CITY, La. - A lot happened in the 3-year-old division during August. Minor health issues tampered with the schedules of Funny Cide and Empire Maker, and while they were away, Ten Most Wanted and Soto emerged as two of the hottest 3-year-olds in the nation with respective wins in the Travers and West Virginia Derby.

Saturday at Louisiana Downs, the paths of Ten Most Wanted and Soto cross for the first time in the Grade 2, $500,000 Super Derby - a race that through the years has seen six of its starters capture the Breeders' Cup Classic.

That's a question begging to be answered as the undefeated Soto faces the biggest test of his career Saturday when he takes on Travers winner Ten Most Wanted in the Grade 2, $500,000 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs.

Soto seems to be beating a path to the top of the 3-year-old division. He has shown uncommon ability and versatility in his five career starts, winning over five different tracks and at distances ranging from six furlongs to 1 1/8 miles.

BOSSIER CITY, La. - Tiva's Little Sis has a lot riding on her these days. Not only must she carry her family's torch following this week's retirement of her half-brother Whitmore's Conn, she also must tote top weight of 120 pounds Saturday in the $75,000 Marie P. DeBartolo Oaks Handicap at Louisiana Downs.

The 1 1/16-mile turf race for 3-year-old fillies is one of three stakes on the card, which is topped by the Grade 2, $500,000 Super Derby. Also on the card is the $50,000 Donnie Wilhite Memorial Handicap.

Although the remnants of Hurricane Isabel are supposed to eventually creep westward from the Eastern seaboard, they apparently won't hit this area of the country in time to prevent the Kentucky Cup Turf Festival from being run amid ideal conditions Saturday at Kentucky Downs in Franklin, Ky.

That's great news for Ian Jory, the trainer who has brought one of the major contenders, Continental Red, from California for the Festival showcase, the $200,000 Kentucky Cup Turf at 1 1/2 miles.

ELMONT, N.Y. - If things had gone according to plan, trainer Jimmy Toner would have been preparing Wonder Again for next Saturday's Grade 1 Flower Bowl Invitational rather than this Saturday's Grade 3, $150,000 Noble Damsel Stakes at Belmont Park.

But for whatever reason, Wonder Again has yet to duplicate her sterling form of a year ago when she won consecutive graded stakes, including the Grade 1 Garden City Breeders' Cup Handicap. Though Wonder Again is 0 for 4 this year, Toner believes there is still time to salvage Wonder Again's 4-year-old season.

ELMONT, N.Y. - When trainer Barclay Tagg said on Tuesday that he was planning to run Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Funny Cide in a race the first weekend of October, he ended with the caveat, "If I have him ready by then."

On Thursday, Funny Cide gave every indication that he indeed will be ready by then when he worked five furlongs in 58.97 seconds over a fast main track. The time was the fastest of 42 works at the distance by one second. Daily Racing Form caught Funny Cide's final quarter in 24.48 seconds, into a stiff wind.

ELMONT, N.Y. - The favorite hates soft turf and the top four choices drew the four outside posts. Welcome to the handicapping puzzle that is Saturday's $100,000 Ashley T. Cole Handicap at Belmont Park.

On firm ground, Statement would be the horse to beat in the Cole, a nine-furlong race scheduled for the inner turf. But, with the remnants of Hurricane Isabel threatening to dump upward of an inch of rain on the area Friday, trainer John Kimmel may scratch Statement from the race.

POMONA, Calif. - A county fair is not a typical launching pad for one of the country's top 2-year-old fillies, but an exception will be made Saturday at Fairplex Park.

Dixie High, whose brilliant maiden victory placed her among the division elite, towers over nine rivals in the $100,000 Barretts Debutante. Assuming she reproduces her Sept. 1 victory - a six-length Del Mar frolic that earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 96 - Dixie High could turn the 6 1/2-furlong Barretts into a virtual walkover.