HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Closing entries on a daily basis has proven to be a bit more of a challenge than one might expect during the early stages of the Gulfstream Park Championship meet. But the racing office certainly had no problems when it came to filling Saturday’s co-featured stakes races, the $125,000 Tropical Park Derby and $125,000 Tropical Park Oaks.

Trainer Michael Miceli thought that Toxic Gray was on his way to a breakthrough victory earlier this year before a setback sidelined him in April. Back at Aqueduct off an eight-month layoff, the 5-year-old will try to get back on track in the third race on Thursday’s card, a $90,000 conditioned allowance with a $75,000 claiming option.

The long and the short of it is this: Three plausible winners of the featured sixth race Thursday at Fair Grounds are caught between long and short.

Classic Performer and Cairo Dream, who won’t be close to favored, and Storm Miami, who won’t be worse than second choice, have toggled between route races slightly too long and sprints that often have proved a little too short.

The former claimer Bartholdy will be entered in the Grade 2 Laffit Pincay Jr. Stakes at Santa Anita on Dec. 26 after recording an upset win in a tough 6 1/2-furlong allowance at Del Mar on Nov. 30. The $200,000 Pincay Stakes is run at 1 1 1/16 miles.

Bartholdy, claimed for $50,000 in August 2024, disputed the pace throughout the Nov. 30 race and won by 1 1/4 lengths. He earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 98.

The performance convinced trainer and co-owner Steve Knapp to consider the Pincay Stakes.

Ag Bullet, second in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint against males at Del Mar last month, is going on vacation this week with an undetermined future.

Trainer Richard Baltas said on Sunday that the 5-year-old mare may be retired to be bred or could race next year. A decision is expected in the coming months.

Liberation and Cecilia Street, the first two finishers in Sunday’s $100,000 Soviet Problem Stakes at Los Alamitos, are likely to have a rematch next month at Santa Anita. Their respective trainers, John Sadler and Leonard Powell, said on Monday that the $175,000 California Cup Oaks for 3-year-old statebred fillies at a mile on turf is a logical goal.

Liberation, a winner of 3 of 6 starts, has yet to start on turf, but Sadler said her pedigree “plus her action” are two reasons to give the surface a try. Liberation is by Omaha Beach out of Ponytail, by Lonhro.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The quirky Mew N Me could finally earn her diploma in Thursday’s sixth race as the probable favorite in the six-furlong maiden special weight.

Trained by Sandy McPherson for owner-breeder Allison Gryff-Chamska, Mew N Me rallied from sixth to barely get up in time in a six-furlong maiden special weight on Sept. 6, after which she was disqualified to sixth for interference at the break.

This year, trainer Gregg Sacco enjoyed a terrific winter and early spring with Crazy Mason, who reeled off three straight wins at Aqueduct capped by a Grade 2 victory in the Carter Stakes in early April.

In 2026, Sacco hopes to experience similar success with Just Beat the Odds, who came off an eight-month layoff to win last Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Elite Power Stakes at Aqueduct.

It was the first stakes victory for Just Beat the Odds, but Sacco hopes not the last.

There will be live racing Wednesday at Aqueduct, an eight-race card that should look familiar to horseplayers as seven of the races were originally carded to be run on Nov. 30. That program was canceled after the first race when the jockeys refused to ride, citing differences with management of the New York Racing Association.

Racing went on uninterrupted last week and this five-day week will be followed by a 10-day holiday break. After Sunday’s card, there will be no racing between Dec. 15 and 25.