Courtly Slew and Global News, both two-time winners this summer, headline the feature race Friday as Emerald Downs enters the final weekend of its 2009 meeting. The $75,000 Gottstein Futurity highlights Saturdays program, and the season concludes Sunday with the Stanislaw Ashbaugh Claiming Challenge.

A $20,000 claimer for 2-year-olds, Fridays six-furlong feature is the sixth event on an eight-race program starting at 6 p.m. Eight horses, including three with stakes experience, are schedule to run.

Courtly Slew has hit the board in 5 of her 6 starts. She won her maiden in her fourth start, and then, after finishing fourth in her first try against winners, beat males in a $20,000 claimer for nonwinners of two on Sept. 7. She took kindly to rating tactics that day and figures to employ a similar strategy Friday. Jockey Juan Gutierrez has the call for trainer Bill Tollett.

Global News, who is trained by Howard Belvoir and will be ridden by Jennifer Whitaker, won his most recent start, a $15,000 claimer, last Thursday. He finished third, 2 1/4 lengths behind Courtly Slew, in his previous start, and was a distant fifth after forcing the pace in the six-furlong Premio Esmeralda Stakes on Aug. 9. Global News scored a front-running victory in a $30,000 maiden claimer in June and came from slightly off the pace in his victory last week. He could take a stalking position Friday while Fast Trade and Fisher Creek vie for the lead.

Fast Trade, an impressive maiden winner Aug. 15, has had the lead at the first call in each of his past four starts. After his maiden victory, he finished fourth in the restricted Dennis Dodge Stakes on Sept. 13 after vying for the lead for a half-mile. That performance could set him up for a strong effort in his second try against winners. Trainer Chris Stenslie has tabbed Debbie Hoonan-Trujillo to ride.

Fisher Creek won his racing debut July 10 for Tim McCanna, who is trying to win his ninth Emerald Downs training title. He then finished fourth behind Hollywood Harbor in the Premio Esmeralda, and was a close second behind Courtly Slew in his third start Sept. 7. Breaking from the outside post Friday, he figures to engage Fast Trade from the start. Regular rider Seth Martinez has the call.

Barcoman, an impressive maiden winner in his last start, also figures to attract wagering support. Itsafineredwine, Slick Eddie, and Shakin Shamus complete the field.

Malibu Prayer led all the way, beating Devil by Design by 6 3/4 lengths in the Cat Chat Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Belmont Park.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, Malibu Prayer got her first stakes victory Wednesday while snapping a string of three straight seconds. Now 3-for-8, Malibu Prayer ran the one mile on the fast track in 1:33.90 with John Velazquez aboard.

The 1-2 favorite against only three rivals, Malibu Prayer paid $3 and $2.10. Devil by Design returned $3. Pamona Ball was third followed by War Echo. There was no show wagering.

A $15,000 claiming sprint for older horses is the feature attraction Thursday as Emerald Downs begins the final week of its 2009 racing schedule. The $75,000 Gottstein Futurity, the tracks traditional 2-year-old championship, is scheduled for Saturday, while claimers will take center stage Sunday on getaway day in the Stanislaw Ashbaugh Claiming Challenge.

While Ricky Frazier has secured his fourth Emerald riding title in the past six years and Longacres Mile winner Assessment has locked up horse-of-the-meeting honors, the battle for the training title figures to go down to the final days.

Tim McCanna, seeking his ninth Emerald title, has 58 wins heading into Thursdays card, and Doris Harwood, seeking her first, has 57.

McCanna, who entered two horses for Thursday, is Emeralds all-time leader in wins (702) and earnings ($6,350,859). Harwood, who also has two in Thursday, has saddled 347 winners at Emerald and topped the earnings standings the past two seasons. Her exploits this season include a record 20 victories in 2-year-old races and a record $889,129 in earnings, far surpassing Jim Penneys previous record of $793,760 set in 2005.

Harwood can add to her totals in the 1 1/16-mile Gottstein Futurity on Saturday, where she is expected to start two horses - Koala Beach and Movie Clip - capable of upsetting likely wagering favorite Hollywood Harbor, a three-time stakes winner at the meeting. Harwood won the 2007 Gottstein with the filly Smarty Deb and finished second last year with Noosa Beach.

Frazier has ridden 150 winners through 87 racing days and needs eight wins in the final four days to break his own record for victories in a season. He won 157 races in 2007, beating runner-up Leslie Mawing by an astounding 71 wins. Gallyn Mitchell, who has 107 wins, seems secure in second place ahead of Juan Gutierrez, who has 96 and is shooting for his first 100-win season at Emerald Downs.

In Thursdays feature race, Mitchell has the riding assignment on likely betting favorite Get You, a Penney-trained front-runner with two wins at the meeting. Frazier will ride another Penney horse, Follows None, a stalking-type sprinter who finished a close second at a mile in his last start.

Gutierrez has the call on Courting Seattle, who won three consecutive sprints in June and July. Courting Seattle will be making his second start for trainer Joe Toye, who claimed him for $10,000 in mid-August.

Former Preakness champion Summer Squall was euthanized Tuesday at Lanes End Farm due to complications of old age. He was 22.

Summer Squall finished second in the 1990 Kentucky Derby behind Unbridled, then returned the favor in the Preakness following a thrilling stretch duel in which he pulled away along the rail.

He did not compete in the Belmont Stakes but returned as a 4-year-old and won the Fayette Handicap in 1991.

Following his racing career, Summer Squall went to stand at Lanes End. Prominent offspring include 1999 Kentucky Derby winner Charismatic and former champion 2-year-old filly Storm Song.

Owned by Dogwood Stables and trained by Neil Howard, Summer Squall won 13 races and earned over $1.8 million during his career.

As Super Derby hero Regal Ransom grazed near the stakes barn at Louisiana Downs last Saturday night, Rick Mettee commented to a visitor how much the trees bordering the edge of the backstretch had grown. He had last been to the track some 25 years ago, when he was working as a Southern California-based assistant to trainer John Gosden.

Mettee on Saturday was in from New York, where he plays a key role in one of the hottest stables in North America. He is the U.S.-based assistant to Saeed bin Suroor, a private trainer for Dubai-based Godolphin Racing. Over the past month and a half, the U.S. operation has won Grade 1 stakes with Flashing, Music Note, Seventh Street, and Pyro. Mettee, who has been with Suroor for five years, was recommended for the position by Gosden.

Hes doing a very good job, and hes a good guy, Suroor said of Mettee. We work well as a team. Its great to have him.

Mettee, 51, is a native of Maryland. He spent close to a decade working for Gosden during a period of time when the barn housed champions Bates Motel and Royal Heroine. Before that, Mettee was with the late Richard Dutrow Sr., a perennial leading trainer in Maryland.

I moved to California in the early 80s to work for John Gosden, Mettee said. I worked for him for nine years, from 1981 to 1990, then I was out on my own for a while. I had a few decent horses here and there. But this is what Ive done for the past five years. John recommended me.

Mettee credits his grandmother, whom he described as a $2 bettor, for getting him interested in racing. He said as a youngster he would tag along with her when she would take the bus to Baltimore to play Pimlico.

These days, Mettee is hands-on with some of the best horses racing. Godolphins stable blossomed this summer at Saratoga, and has continued its run into the fall season with wins last weekend from Regal Ransom and Midshipman, the champion 2-year-old of 2008.

We had a good winter over in Dubai, and then we got to Belmont and it was a little tough adjusting some of these horses back, Mettee said. Its been a couple of years since weve done that, bringing a string over from Dubai, so we had kind of a soft spring at Belmont. But everything came right at Saratoga. We had good horses and the weather was really good up at Saratoga. The track was great up there, and thats why so many of these horses have come back and run so well.

Plans for Regal Ransom, the winner of the Group 2, $2 million UAE Derby in March who wired the field in the Grade 2, $750,000 Super Derby, are still being determined, said Suroor.

There are many options open for him, he said. Now were looking for a Group 1.

Mettee is also excited about the future of Regal Ransom off his smart-looking win in the Super Derby.

He almost did it like an older horse the way he just switched off on the lead, he said. And although hed been an honest, tough horse all winter for us, he just looked more like a polished horse. Even in the warm-up, I thought he was very quiet and composed . . . it was really encouraging.

Regal Ransom on Sunday returned to Belmont Park.

Meet-high handle Saturday

Louisiana Downs handled a meet-high $5,175,102 from all sources on its 13-race card Saturday. It was highlighted by the Super Derby, and handle on the big race itself was $1,333,949, according to Trent McIntosh, director of racing and racing secretary for Louisiana Downs.

We had a great day, he said.

Louisiana Downs ran a total of six stakes worth a cumulative $1.2 million on Saturday.

Seeking Ms Shelley could go favored Thursday in the second race, a competitive optional claimer for fillies and mares at about five furlongs on turf. She was second at this level in her last start, when she broke last and came rolling. Francisco Torres has the mount for trainer Joe Duhon.

FIA has ratified its calendar for the 2010 season and reinstated the Canadian Grand Prix, provided contract negotiations with Formula One management are completed.

The Canadian Grand Prix had been held at the Montreal track annually since 1978 before being dropped this season.

There will be 19 races in 2010. FIA said in a statement Monday that the season will start with the Bahrain GP on March 14.

If FIA and the Canadian organizers fail to reach a deal, the Turkish Grand Prix, which is scheduled for May 30, will be moved to June 6.

The Canadian Grand Prix is scheduled for June 13.

Red Letter Day led all the way Sunday, holding off Dynaski by three-quarters of a length in the $157,600 Lonesome Glory Steeplechase at Belmont Park.

A 21-1 long shot, Red Letter Day got his first stakes win and third victory in 14 races over jumps. Bernard Dalton was aboard for trainer Janet Elliott as Red Letter Day covered the 2 1/2 miles in 4:47.60 over the firm course.

I asked for two big ones over the second-to-last and last jumps, and he gave them to me, said Dalton. They were going to have to come hard and fast to get him.

Red Letter Day paid $44.60, $14.80 and $7.30. Dynaski returned $3.20 and $2.40. Arcadius paid $3.30 to show.

Ventura has won the Woodbine Mile to become the first female to win the $1 million race at Woodbine Racetrack.

The 5-year-old mare rallied from well back in the field for her second victory of the year following a 4-year-old campaign in which she won the Breeders Cup Filly Mare Sprint.

Ventura was sent off as the 2-1 co-favorite with Metropolitan Handicap winner Bribon, and covered the seven furlongs over a firm turf course in 1:32.04.

The win in the 13th running of the Woodbine Mile gave Ventura an automatic berth in the Breeders Cup Mile on Nov. 7 at Santa Anita. Ferneley was second and Sterwins finished third.

Ventura, ridden by Garrett Gomez, is owned by Juddmonte Farm and trained by Bobby Frankel.

Also, 15-1 long shot Princess Haya upset 1-5 favorite Forever Together by a nose in the $300,000 Canadian Stakes and Just As Well won the $750,000 Northern Dancer Turf via disqualification of first-place finisher Marsh Side.

Regal Ransom made a triumphant return to the races with a wire-to-wire victory in the $750,000 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs on Saturday.

Regal Ransom finished eighth in the Kentucky Derby on May 3 in his last start, and was sidelined briefly with minor leg issues.

But with Richard Migliore aboard, Regal Ransom captured the Grade 2 Super Derby by 1 lengths over Blame. Massone was third and West Virginia Derby winner Soul Warrior was fourth in the seven-horse field.

Regal Ransom cruised uncontested through soft fractions of 0:24.05 for the opening quarter and 0:49.03 for the first half mile. Still in front after three-quarters in 1:13.11, the winner shrugged off a mild bid by Soul Warrior turning for home and opened a comfortable advantage. In front by four lengths in midstretch, Migliore wrapped up on Regal Ransom in the final sixteenth for the victory

The winning time for the 1 1/8 miles was 1:49.63. Regal Ransom returned $4.60 for a $2 win bet.

Trained by Saeed bin Suroor for Goldophin Racing, Regal Ransom picked up his second derby win this year, having also won the UAE Derby in Dubai in late March. The winners share of the Super Derby increased the son of Distorted Humors career earnings to just under $1.75 million.

Summer Bird is getting ready to race again.

The winner of the Belmont Stakes and Travers Stakes has posted a solid workout at Belmont Park in preparation for his next start in the $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup on Oct. 3.

With jockey Kent Desormeaux aboard, the 3-year-old chestnut colt covered five furlongs in 1:00.05the second-fastest time of 15 at the distance Saturday.

He looked great, he galloped out strong all in all, trainer Tim Ice said. Id have to give it an A-plus.

Ice said a final workout for the 1-mile Gold Cup will be next Saturday. Other Gold Cup contenders include Alcomo, Asiatic Boy, Dry Martini, Macho Again, Quality Road and Tizway.