OCEANPORT, N.J. - Trainer Patrick Biancone has already taken New York by storm this summer with 2-year-olds Zavata and Whywhywhy, who have combined for three graded stakes victories at Belmont and Saratoga, and he brings another juvenile from his arsenal - Le Notre - to Monmouth this Saturday for the Grade 3, $100,000 Sapling.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Just exactly where Bravely was in the early hours of last Sunday morning will never be known for certain.

But it's safe to say Saturday's Breeders' Stakes shapes up as a stroll in the park for Bravely compared with his unwilling participation in the mayhem following the fire that ultimately claimed the lives of 32 horses.

"We were very, very lucky," said Catherine Day Phillips, whose horses are located in Barn 6A, just across the road from the barns destroyed by the fire.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Mystery Giver's five-furlong turf work at Arlington on Wednesday moved him a step closer to running in the Arlington Million a week from Saturday.

An Illinois-bred who endured a frustrating trip when fifth in the Arlington Handicap, the local prep for the Million, Mystery Giver breezed in 1:02 around dogs placed far out into the turf course. He broke off sharply for the work under Rene Douglas, who never asked Mystery Giver for run in the stretch.

Trainer Dave Vance concedes that Caressing has been something of a disappointment since she posted her 45-1 upset in the 2000 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.

"But it'll be an even bigger disappointment when she goes home," Vance said.

Saturday, Caressing will make the final start of her career before being retired to owner Carl Pollard's Hermitage Farm outside of Louisville. Caressing is one of about eight fillies and mares expected at Ellis Park for the $200,000 Gardenia Handicap, the signature event of the annual summer meet at the Henderson, Ky., track.

WINNIPEG, Manitoba - Odds-on favorite Lord Shogun set leisurely fractions of 23.80 seconds, 49.00, 1:14.80, and 1:41.00 on his way to winning Monday's 1 1/8-mile Manitoba Derby in 1:54.20.

"It was all the horse," said jockey Quincy Welch, after guiding Lord Shogun to a 3 1/4-length tally. "I was just waiting for them throughout the entire race."

Sunday and Monday, rumors had been running rampant around the Assiniboia Downs backstretch that Lord Shogun would be scratched because of an injury.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Lush Solider and Cavalier Billie, both turf stakes winners, head a solid 10-horse field of 3-year-old fillies in Friday's allowance prep for the Aug. 25 Ontario Colleen Handicap at Woodbine.

Lush Soldier highlighted her 2-year-old campaign last year by winning a division of the Grade 3 Natalma Stakes in September. She subsequently ran second in the Green River Stakes at Keeneland, then capped her season with a fourth-place finish in the Hollywood Wildcat Stakes at Calder.

ALTOONA, Iowa - Sure Shot Biscuit became the first Iowa-bred to reach $1 million in career earnings by finishing third in an allowance race at Prairie Meadows on Tuesday.

Sure Shot Biscuit's $4,500 share of the purse gave him earnings of $1,000,500 for Okoboji Racing Stable, which has owned the 6-year-old gelding throughout his racing career. Kelly Von Hemel trains Sure Shot Biscuit, Iowa-bred horse of the year for the last three seasons.

SHAKOPEE, Minn. - The Minnesota Thoroughbred Association's yearling and paddock sale will be held Saturday following the races. A total of 65 yearlings, horses of racing age, and broodmares make up the main catalog, and an additional 15 horses have been supplemented to the sale. The 1992 Kentucky Oaks winner, Luv Me Luv Me Not, was sold at the Canterbury paddock sale in 1990.

COLUMBUS, Neb. - On Saturday night a pair of maidens, Space Cowgirl in the second and Pirate's Wench in the third, each created a delay of over a half-hour when they crashed through fences.

LAFAYETTE, La. - Paw Paw's Pride's domination of the marathon series came to an end last Friday as he finished third while toting 124 pounds in the 1 5/8-mile feature. The race was won by Lucky Man, second to Paw Paw's Pride in the last three races in the series.