HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – A berth into the Preakness Stakes will be on offer Saturday at Oaklawn Park in the $200,000 Bath House Row, which has drawn Triple Crown nominees Informed Patriot and Imperial Gun from the barn of local leading trainer Steve Asmussen.

The 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds is the first of three stakes to be run consecutively on a 12-race card, led by the Grade 2, $1.25 million Oaklawn Handicap. The Preakness berth goes to the Bath House Row winner, provided the horse is nominated to the Triple Crown.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Turf season begins Saturday in New York with three races scheduled for the grass at Aqueduct, highlighted by the $150,000 Danger’s Hour Stakes and bettors find themselves in a similar dilemma, trying to decipher which Chad Brown-trained runner to back.

Brown has three of the eight runners entered to run on turf in the one-mile race for older males. While Equitize may be the least accomplished of the trio – that also includes Spirit of St Louis and Masen – he might turn out to be the best of the lot.

LAUREL, Md. – The gang’s all back together on Saturday at Laurel Park as the top-five finishers from last month’s Private Terms face off in the $125,000 Federico Tesio Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles.

The Tesio is a Win and You’re In for the Preakness on May 18, as long as said winner is nominated to the Triple Crown. Currently, only Speedyness and Malinois from the field of 11 are not nominated.

Copper Tax rallied resolutely to win the Private Terms over a sloppy track, giving apprentice rider J.G. Torrealba his first stakes victory.

Bold Act was just finding himself when he came to Keeneland as a 3-year-old last fall and beat older rivals in the Sycamore Stakes. A half-year later, the competition will find 4-year-old Bold Act too much to handle Saturday in the Grade 2, $350,000 Elkhorn Stakes.

Keeneland’s feature over 1 1/2 miles on turf drew 11 entrants. Bold Act, Frankie Dettori to ride for the first time, is 3-2 on the morning line. Expect a shorter price than that.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Medoro always is first to the wire, Lamporghini always is first to the quarter pole. But both enter uncharted territory Saturday at Santa Anita, where they stretch to 1 1/8 miles on turf in the Grade 3 Providencia Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.

Medoro, 3 for 3 including a pair of listed stakes, is expected to start favored over likely pacesetter Lamporghini. Although the Providencia is the first try beyond a mile for both fillies, Medoro’s trainer has not lost any sleep over the additional furlong.

The $300,000 Ben Ali Stakes is, historically, a stakes level too low for trainer Phil Sims.

Sims, racing at Keeneland since the early 1980s, has two graded stakes wins at his home track, both Grade 1s.

Saturday, War Campaign rates a reasonable chance to give Sims his first Keeneland Grade 3. War Campaign drew the outside post in a nine-horse Ben Ali, a 1 3/16-mile dirt race for older horses. With Tyler Gaffalione riding for the first time, War Campaign is the likely second choice behind favored Kingsbarns.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Mark Glatt was watching his horses train one morning this past December at Santa Anita when he pointed to a massive chestnut colt jogging past.

“That’s probably the best horse I have,” Glatt said, referring to a 3-year-old maiden who finished second in his debut weeks earlier at Del Mar. The trainer’s evaluation would be tested when the Santa Anita meet began Dec. 26. So far, so good.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Oaklawn leading rider Cristian Torres has the mount on Common Defense for the Kentucky Derby if the horse, who was sitting on the points bubble Wednesday, gets into the 20-horse field, according to his agent, Cody Autrey.

Common Defense ranks 23rd in points, with 37, according to the latest leaderboard issued by Churchill Downs. He is coming off a close fifth in the Louisiana Derby and prior to that race was second in the Rebel.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – They’re known at the moment mainly by their family connections – Scylla, full sister to classic-placed, multiple graded stakes winner Tacitus, and Loved, half-sister to multiple Grade 1 winner Maxfield. But on Friday, they’ll try to add “graded stakes winner” to their own descriptions, outright, as they go in the Grade 3, $300,000 Doubledogdare Stakes at Keeneland.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Plans for Adare Manor, Flying Connection, and Free Like a Girl, who finished a respective first, second, and third in the Grade 1, $1.25 million Apple Blossom last Saturday at Oaklawn, are to be determined, their respective trainers said Monday.

Adare Manor was a 5 1/2-length winner of the race with a Beyer Speed Figure of 100. She shipped in from Southern California.

“She’s back home, looks good,” said trainer Bob Baffert. “I have no immediate plans for her yet. We’ll let her tell us when she’s ready.”