In today's notes:

• Lakenheath Looking Good; Spinster May Be Next
• Albarado Wins Four Following Jockey of Month Award
• Weights Released for Sunday's $42,000 Golden Pheasant
• Bet On Sunshine Retired
• Bits & Bridles

LAKENHEATH LOOKING GOOD; SPINSTER MAY BE NEXT

James B. Tafel LLC's Lakenheath, heroine by a head in Monday's Grade III Arlington Matron, returned from her local victory in good order and may try Kentucky for her next trip to the post, according to trainer Gene Cilio.

"She came back great," said Cilio of Lakenheath on Wednesday morning. "She was a little tired, but she had a long battle down the lane."

Lakenheath, who had finished third in last year's Matron as a sophomore, challenged favored With Ability, owned by Edward P. Evans, throughout the stretch run of Monday's nine-furlong affair and narrowly prevailed while drifting out over the tiring, muddy going.

What's next for the rapidly developing 4-year-old daughter of 1993 Belmont Stakes winner Colonial Affair?

"I realize that making the jump from a Grade III to a Grade I is a big one," said Cilio, "but one of the ways we could go would be to the Spinster." The $500,000 Overbrook Spinster Stakes (GI) will be contested for the 47th time at Keeneland on October 6.

"She's already won a race at Keeneland," said Cilio of Lakenheath, "so we know she likes that surface. And the timing is good. There is really nothing else out there in that time frame."

Did Cilio have visions of good things to come when Lakenheath finished a good third in the 2001 Matron as a 3-year-old?

"I always knew she'd be a good filly," said Cilio, "but in the last six months she's become really motivated. When they load her in the gate she's all business. She wants to come out of there running. Before, she always wanted to drop back."

ALBARADO WINS FOUR FOLLOWING JOCKEY OF THE MONTH AWARD

Veteran reinsman Robby Albarado, who began the month of September on Sunday when presented with an award as Jockey of the Month for August at Arlington, kept his winning ways in the forefront Monday by winning four races on the Labor Day program.

Albarado, Arlington's jockey champion in 1996, had three straight winners Monday, taking the fifth with Tom Boy Stable's Track Boss, the sixth with Cobra Farm's Smile N Wildcat, and the seventh with J. L. Stone's No Restraint. He then capped off the holiday afternoon with a tally in the finale aboard William Pacella, Ronald T. Schwed, Joe Rizza, et al.'s Rate Card.

The Louisiana native was honored with Arlington's "Rising Star Award" following his local championship six years ago. Albarado missed a five-win afternoon by a head on Monday when Edward P. Evans' With Ability finished a close second in the Grade III Arlington Matron Handicap behind the victorious Lakenheath, owned by James Tafel LLC.

After arriving in Chicago well after the local season began, Albarado had 20 wins from 120 mounts during August, including two riding triples and six two-win afternoons.

WEIGHTS RELEASED FOR SUNDAY'S $42,000 GOLDEN PHEASANT

K. K. & Vilasini Jayaraman's Royal Spy, third in the Grade II American Derby at Arlington Park last year, has been assigned the top impost of 122 pounds by Arlington racing secretary David Bailey for Sunday's $42,000 Golden Pheasant Handicap.

The Golden Pheasant 'Cap, named for the 1990 Arlington Million winner trained by Hall of Fame trainer Charlie Whittingham, is for 3-year-olds and upward and will be contested at one mile over the Arlington turf course.

In his last trip to the post August 10 at Mountaineer, Royal Spy won the $85,000 West Virginia House of Delegates Speaker's Cup at the one-mile distance over the grass on West Virginia Derby Day.

Slated a pound below Royal Spy in Bailey's Golden Pheasant weights is Arthur I. Appleton's Galic Boy, who won the $45,000 Bowl Game Stakes here July 7. At last asking, the 7-year-old by Irish River was fifth in the $60,000 The Bart Stakes August 18, but only beaten a length and a half for all of it.

Also assigned 121 pounds in the Golden Pheasant is Mt. Joy Stables Inc.'s Just Like Jimmy, who was second, beaten a head in the mile and a sixteenth The Bart, contested at a mile and a sixteenth over the local lawn. Previously, the 5-year-old son of The Name's Jimmy had been second by a length to Galic Boy in the Bowl Game.

Pam Slaughter & Jack Murphy's Jake The Flake and Team Block's Mystery Giver are both assigned 120 pounds in the Golden Pheasant.

Jake The Flake was fourth but only beaten two lengths by Royal Spy in West Virginia August 10.

Mystery Giver was ninth when overmatched in the Grade I Arlington Million August 17 but had been a close fifth, beaten only a length and a quarter, in the Grade III Arlington Handicap before that.

BET ON SUNSHINE RETIRED

David P. Holloway Racing Inc.'s Bet On Sunshine, winner of three straight Arlington Sprints during his long career, has been retired following his recent third-place finish August 29 at the local oval.

Holloway told Daily Racing Form that the 10-year-old gelding could possibly be turned out at the Kentucky Horse Park in central Kentucky.

In addition to his three Arlington Sprint tallies, Bet On Sunshine twice finished third in the Grade I Breeders' Cup Sprint and earned $1,449,882 over eight seasons.

BITS & BRIDLES

  In addition to Robby Albarado's four-win day Monday at Arlington Park, currently hot jockey Carlos H. Marquez and leading rider Rene Douglas posted riding doubles on the Labor Day holiday program.

  Trainer Tom Amoss had a training double at Arlington Park Monday, and actually had a Mid-American racetrack training triple, winning the $200,000 Miller Genuine Draft Cradle Stakes at River Downs in Southern Ohio and a race at Ellis Park in Western Kentucky.

  The Cradle Stakes at the Cincinnati oval was combined with the Grade III Arlington Matron here and the $125,000 Solana Beach Handicap from Del Mar to make the America's Pick Three on Monday. The 2-1-1 combination paid $38.60 for a $1 wager.

  Thirty-six years ago Friday, on September 6, 1966, Hall of Fame jockey Earlie Fires, Arlington Park's all-time leading reinsman, won the third, fourth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth races here for six wins from seven mounts during the afternoon. Fires' only losing mount that day finished fourth in the fifth race.

  Fifteen years ago Friday, on September 6, 1987, Hall of Fame jockey Angel Cordero Jr. picked up career win 6,032 to tie Johnny Longden for third leading rider of all time. Cordero's win came aboard B. M. Shannon's Manila in Arlington Million VII.

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