Meadowalnds: Speed is Good

The win by Black Spot doesn't tell you all that much, since there wasn't a lot of speed in the race, but the effort by runner-up Tooralooracollora in the 6th indicates that front-runnersdo in fact  hold the edge on the main track. She didn't win but she held very well, and that was a race with a good amount of speed. Favorite Moneigh Lisa ran Tooralooracollora down late, but he way the latter held on indicates she had some help. If you do believe in the bias, then you have to think Silver Moment ran well, as she was moving very well late.

Meadowlands: Black Spot a fat 9/2

With 8 minutes to post for the 5th, Black Spot (#5), who could be the clear speed, is 9/2 on the board. If he remains in that vicinity come post time he's worth a play. He could also kick off a decent Pick 4, which starts with this race.

Meadowlands: Good rail?

This is completely subjective, but there may be an inside bias in play on the main track here, just given the way that Brown Dirt Cowboy hung in the stretch in the 3rd race. He enjoyed perfect position behind the duel between Opening Page and Fortunate Trail but after he was seemingly poised to run by both off the turn he went nowhere, while the top pair completed the exacta. Also worth noting is that Opening Page came again late inside after Fortunate Trail seemed to have won the duel. It could be nothing, and one race is nothing on which to base a bias, but the next dirt race will bear close scrutiny. That happens to be the 5th, featuring the aforementioned potential lone speed, Black Spot.

Meadowlands: Picture Perfect

You really couldn't ask for a better day in early November in Jersey. Bright, relatively warm, low winds, just beautiful.

The only scratches on the card later on are the AE's in the 4th and Hop Skip and Away (#6) in the 7th race. If you're playing the Pick 4, an interesting horse could be Black Spot, who might be the controlling speed vs. six rivals in the 5th race.

Santa Anita: Colleen's Breeders' Cup week

Colleen Hartford touched her hip, knee and ankle when she told the story about the horse that flipped on her during the summer. She broke her pelvis, and suffered knee and ankle injuries that kept her sidelined from her job as trainer Brian Koriner's assistant and top exercise rider during Del Mar.

The injury prevented Hartford from exercising the barn star, California Flag, for a few months. Her return to work in September came at an ideal time. She was extensively involved in the preparation that led to California Flag's frontrunning win in Saturday's Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.

Race week itself, though, was not without drama. Hartford was aboard California Flag last Thursday when he became spooked by another horse, wheeled like a bronc, and unseated an embarrased Hartford. "I'm accident prone," she said.

She smiled when recalling the incident on Sunday morning, relieved that California Flag was not hurt in any way. At the time, Koriner said it affected him more. "The trainer went off his feed for a day," he said.

California Flag's win was the most prestigious win that Hartford, 40 has been associated with. Hartford started as a jockey, but always knew that would be short-lived. "I rode one season," she said. "I wasn't that good. I wanted to be in training. I love what I do. Brian's a good guy to work for."

In Saturday's race, California Flag, ridden by Joe Talamo, ran the race of his life in the sort of race he adores. He has won five turf sprint stakes in his career, with his only loss in the last 15 months a 10th-place finish in the 2008 BC Turf Sprint. For Hartford and Koriner, the win on Saturday was especially gratifying.

"He went too fast," last year, Hartford said. "He's worked so hard, and so has Joe, learning to relax. He's learned to love the downhill course. As long as they run a Turf Sprint, he'll be tough."

Santa Anita: Chip prefers Rachel

If Kentucky Derby winning trainer Chip Woolley had a vote in the Eclipse Awards, he would support Rachel Alexandra in the race for Horse of the Year.

Woolley campaigned Mine that Bird against both Rachel Alexandra and BC Classic winner Zenyatta this year. One of those two females will win the coveted Horse of the Year award.

While Woolley was left impressed with Zenyatta's performance on Saturday's BC Classic, the entirety of Rachel Alexandra's campaign is a greater achievement, he said.

"People saw something special (Saturday), but I'd have to give it to Rachel," Woolley said. "I know (Zenyatta) won the Classic, and that carries a lot of weight. Rachel took it all in stride and helped racing, that's something you can't take away from her. Rachel ran with all of them."

Woolley's Mine That Bird was second to Rachel Alexandra in the Preakness Stakes in May. In the BC Classic, Mine That Bird finished ninth, 10 3-4 lengths behind Zenyatta.

Santa Anita: One winning pick 6 ticket

The nose margin between Kelleys Kitchen ($33.60) and even-money favorite Flyinginformation in Sunday's 10th race resulted in one winning ticket in the pick six worth $161,376.

If the photo had gone the other way, the payoff would have been much smaller. It was a tough beat for Flyinginformation's backers. She was inside behind horses on the turn, rallied on the inside in the stretch, appeared to lead late, and was just caught.

Hollywood: Eight races on Friday evening

The opening program of the Hollywood Park fall meeting on Friday has eight races, led by an optional claimer over six furlongs on turf.

The program begins at 7:05 p.m. and is part of a three-day opening weekend of the meeting, which runs through Dec. 20.

The highlights include the three-day Autumn Turf Festival on Nov. 27-29 and two Grade 1 stakes for 2-year-lds on the final weekend - the CashCall Futurity on Dec. 19 and the Hollywood Starlet for 2-year-old fillies on Dec. 20.

Santa Anita: Big pick six pool

The pick six pool on Sunday's closing day of the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting reached $290,726 on a day with a compulsory payoff.

The first leg was formful, with even-money favorite Red Sun prevailing in a maiden race on the hillside turf course.

Racing shifts to Hollywood Park for the fall meeting on Friday evening. There is no live racing in Southern California on Wednesday and Thursday.

Santa Anita: Evening Jewel's breakthrough

Have you seen this before?

Mike Smith, riding a favorite, breaks slowly, keeps his mount at the back, saves ground, rallies wide and takes the lead to post a popular win.

Of course you have. He did that aboard Zenyatta in Saturday's Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita, recording a popular win. The style worked again, on a much lesser level, with Evening Jewel ($4.60) in Sunday's third race, for 2-year-old state-bred maiden fillies.

Making her third career start, Evening Jewel won by a half-length, finishing 6 1-2 furlongs in 1:16.80 for trainer Jim Cassidy. She had been sixth and second in her first two starts.

Cassidy was excited by what he saw. "We call her our little Zenyatta," he said.

He was kidding, but Evening Jewel is a filly with ample promise.