OZONE PARK, N.Y. – When last seen in New York, 50 weeks ago, Straight Arrow won the $250,000 Empire Classic, a 1 1/8-mile dirt race for New York-breds.

Thursday, in his first start since a seventh-place finish in the Grade 2 Clark Stakes at Churchill Downs last November, Straight Arrow makes his return to the races in a turf sprint at Aqueduct.

The second-level allowance, with a $62,500 claiming option, is scheduled for six furlongs on the outer turf course and is the featured event on an eight-race card that begins the day with a $27,977 pick six carryover.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Excuses are a dime a dozen in racing, but Times a Breeze has had his share of them. The 5-year-old could graduate in Thursday’s seventh race at Woodbine if things go his way in the 1 1/16-mile maiden special, which carries a base purse of $71,800.

Keeneland-based multiple graded stakes winner Gear Jockey has been retired, according to Lyndsay Delello, assistant trainer to Rusty Arnold. Delello posted on social media that the 7-year-old horse, a Calumet Farm homebred, retires “sound and healthy.”

Gear Jockey put together a record of 27-5-2-6 and earned more than $1.6 million, winning two graded stakes and placing in five others. He was most recently 12th in the Grade 2 Woodford on Oct. 5.

While Keeneland’s fall meet is front-loaded with its major stakes to provide well-timed Breeders’ Cup preps, eight stakes still remain on this fall schedule, beginning with the Grade 2, $350,000 Raven Run and Grade 3, $300,000 Perryville on Saturday, and the Grade 3, $300,000 Dowager on Sunday.

Next Friday, Keeneland cards the Grade 2, $350,000 Valley View and the $200,000 Myrtlewood. On closing day, Saturday, Oct. 26, the highlights are the Grade 2, $350,000 Fayette, Grade 3, $600,000 Bryan Station, and $200,000 Bowman Mill.

With eight days of racing in the books, Wednesday’s eight-race card at Keeneland begins the back half of this fall meet, with nine days of racing remaining.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Hot Fudge, a three-time listed stakes-winning female sprinter, is cataloged to be sold at the Keeneland November sale and was scheduled to leave trainer Linda Rice’s Belmont Park barn on Monday.

Hot Fudge, a 5-year-old daughter of Liam’s Map, reeled off consecutive stakes victories in the Garland of Roses, Interborough, and Correction during the winter at Aqueduct. While she hasn’t won since, Hot Fudge did finish third in the Bed o’ Roses and Vagrancy. She had a record of 8-1-4 from 18 starts and earned $577,105.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – A plan hatched roughly 18 months ago will come to fruition for Amelia Green next month when the current assistant to Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher begins training on her own.

Green, 31, a former jockey, has worked for Pletcher for about seven years. She has been an exercise rider, foreman, and traveling assistant. She has been on and/or worked with such notable runners as Life Is Good, Malathaat, Nest, and Audible just to name a few.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Back from Newmarket where he purchased two well-bred yearlings at last week’s Tattersalls auction, trainer Tom Morley is making plans for some of his current stable stars.

Donegal Momentum, who won the Gio Ponti Stakes on Oct. 3 at Aqueduct, will be pointed to the Grade 3, $200,000 Hill Prince Stakes on Nov. 9 at Aqueduct. There is a chance he could be re-routed to the Grade 1, $300,000 Hollywood Derby on Nov. 30 at Del Mar.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Chad Brown won both graded stakes run over the weekend at Aqueduct, but there were two other winners he had who may have overshadowed those successes.

Brown won juvenile maiden races with Keewaydin, a son of Instagrand, and Fully Subscribed, a daughter of Tiz the Law. Those horses are now likely stakes-bound in the coming months.

Royal Charter could not handle the distance of the Grade 2 John C. Mabee Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf at Del Mar last month when she faded from the lead to finish fifth.

The loss has not diminished trainer Leonard Powell’s opinion of the 4-year-old filly. Royal Charter is back in a stakes, albeit at a lower level, in Monday’s $80,000 Swingtime Stakes at a mile on turf at Santa Anita.

“It was a bit too far for her,” Powell said of the distance of the Mabee. “I think a mile is a perfect distance for her.”