In September 2023, trainer Ron Spatz watched Private Thoughts make his debut and knew he had a live runner. The juvenile was clearly green and probably wasn’t staying on dirt for long, but Spatz was still impressed when he overcame a slow start to bull through the field and win by 2 1/4 lengths.

Trainer Shug McGaughey should have multiple pace scenarios covered Sunday when he saddles Limited Liability and Cugino in search of his sixth win in the Grade 2, $250,000 Red Smith at the Belmont meet at Aqueduct.

The marathon over 1 3/8 miles on the inner turf is the richest of four stakes on the card. The Grade 3 Forty Niner, Grade 3 Bold Ruler, and Turnback the Alarm also help close out the meet. The four stakes races highlight an 11-race card that begins at 11:35 a.m. Eastern.

Two stakes wins by Parchment Party in long-distance stakes at Saratoga in June and August have not impressed Australian bettors in advance of Monday’s Group 1 Melbourne Cup at Flemington Racecourse.

As of Thursday, Parchment Party was a 40-1 outsider in an expected field of 24 in the $6.55 million Melbourne Cup, run at two miles on turf.

Parchment Party, a 4-year-old colt trained by Bill Mott, is winless in two starts on turf. He was ninth of 11 in the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida Stakes at 1 3/8 miles on turf at Gulfstream Park on March 1 in his latest start on the surface.

Scotland, a two-time listed stakes winner, may be in position to achieve his first graded stakes victory in Sunday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Forty Niner Stakes at Aqueduct.

The Forty Niner is contested at a one-turn mile, a configuration in which Scotland is 2 for 2, including a win 11 months ago in the $250,000 Cherokee Mile at Churchill Downs. Scotland, a 5-year-old gelding by Good Magic trained by Bill Mott for LNJ Foxwoods, is winless in three starts this year, but was beaten only a length by sprint division leader Book’em Danno in the Grade 1 Forego at Saratoga.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The Grade 3 Grey Stakes has been won by the likes of the future Canadian Triple Crown winner Wando, along with Sunny’s Halo and Mine That Bird, both of whom went on to win the Kentucky Derby.

Puca has already put her name in the history books among top-producing broodmares. Now, she’ll attempt to put her name in the history books in the sales ring.

Reigning Kentucky Broodmare of the Year Puca, dam of 2023 Kentucky Derby winner Mage, 2024 Belmont Stakes winner Dornoch, and this year’s Pennsylvania Derby winner Baeza, is among the biggest stars cataloged for the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall selected mixed sale, set for the night of Nov. 3 in Lexington. Puca, by Big Brown, was a Grade 2-placed stakes winner herself on the track.

DEL MAR, Calif. – A 1-2 finish by Bacio and Rogue Legend is within reason in Sunday’s fifth race for 2-year-olds turf sprinters at Del Mar.

This was not the intended goal this weekend for the pair, both trained by Wesley Ward. They were marooned on the also-eligible list of Friday’s $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

“We were hoping,” Ward said of potential starts on Friday.