Elusive Warning returning to Big A

Elusive Warning, who began his career three years ago with two smashing victories over Aqueduct's inner track, will return to New York for Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Toboggan Stakes at six furlongs.

Now 6, Elusive Warning will be making just the ninth start of his career in the Toboggan. When right, Elusive Warning has displayed immense talent. He won his first two starts by a combined 12 1/2 lengths in 2007. In the winter of 2008, he won a Group 3 race in Dubai and finished second to Diamond Stripes in the Group 2 Godolphin Mile.

Elusive Warning has been plagued with physical issues throughout his career. He suffered a pastern fracture in a hind leg while preparing for the 2007 Withers Stakes at Aqueduct, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said. McLaughlin added that Elusive Warning didn't have anything seriously wrong with him, rather a bevy of little things that required time.

"The latest thing was when we got him back last summer, he had an eye problem and it turned out he had a bad ulcer in his eye and it took forever to heal up," McLaughlin said.

In January, at Gulfstream Park, Elusive Warning returned from a 19-month layoff to run fourth in an overnight stakes on the turf. Three weeks later, on Jan. 31, he won a third-level allowance race on dirt in which he ran seven furlongs in 1:22.26 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 99.

McLaughlin said he is hoping to use the Toboggan as a stepping-stone to the Grade 1 Carter Handicap at Aqueduct on April 3.

Others pointing to the Toboggan include Custom for Carlos, winner of the Grade 3 Mr. Prospector at Gulfstream on Jan. 9; Driven by Success, fifth with a troubled trip as the favorite in last year's Toboggan; Toulouse Lautrec, a second-level allowance winner last out; and Wall Street Wonder, who has gone 2 for 2 on dirt, including a 8 1/2-length score in the Paumonok on Jan. 23.

Jara heats up in February

Jockey Fernando Jara may be one of the few people upset to see February end.

Jara won 8 races from 47 mounts in February, capped by Sunday's victory aboard Lights Off Annie in the $65,000 Broadway Stakes, one of his two winners on the card.

Jara, who in 2006 won the Belmont Stakes aboard Jazil and the Breeders' Cup Classic aboard Invasor, is attempting to get back into the good graces of New York horsemen again after losing some business with a less-than-enthusiastic work ethic.

Jara has won 13 races at this meet, putting him in a four-way tie for 10th in the jockey standings with four weeks remaining.

"I can't complain," said Jara, who is represented by the Hall of Fame jockey Jose Santos. "Things are going good. We're getting some business. I haven't been here for two years. I'm coming back little by little. I knew it was not going to come back like that," he added while snapping his fingers.

Santos has been pleased with the enthusiasm the 22-year-old Jara has shown for his job this winter.

"He's shown a lot of interest," Santos said. "He wants to be on top again."

Santos family survives earthquake

Santos is a native of Concepcion, Chile, which suffered a devastating earthquake over the weekend. Santos said his eight cousins who still live in Concepcion are okay.

"They don't have any electricity or water, but they're all okay, thank God," Santos said.

Santos's mother lives in Santiago, Chile, and she did not incur any major damage to her home.

"She has a crack in the wall and she lost some material things, but nothing catastrophic happened," said Santos, who was kept abreast of his family's well-being through Facebook.