Too Much Kiki had an elite rider on her back last Saturday at Sam Houston Race Park when she won a $75,000 division of the Texas Stallion Stakes under Fernando Jara.

That’s the same Jara who won the 2006 Breeders’ Cup Classic and 2007 Dubai World Cup with Invasor and the 2006 Belmont Stakes with Jazil. The 36-year-old native of Panama is now based at Sam Houston after competing overseas. Jara won three races opening weekend and is tied for second in the standings, while leading all riders in earnings.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Circumstances change for two prominent favorites Friday at Santa Anita, which creates a dilemma for bettors – what short price is acceptable for a contender racing under different conditions?

Tapalo figures to win race 5, a maiden sprint. But his advantage in the seven-furlong race is based largely on a career-best finish around two turns. Will he run as well around one turn?

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Brad Cox and Axel Concepcion, who are finalists for Eclipse Awards, are scheduled to team together Sunday at Oaklawn Park. Cox has named the rider on Sharp Flame in the second race. Concepcion is based at Turfway Park, which is not racing on Sunday.

“He’s willing to get in a car, get on an airplane, and ride races,” said Cox. “Some of the big-time riders back East said he looks like a talented rider, had high praise for him. I think he has a big career ahead of him.”

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Brad Cox won Oaklawn Park’s first Kentucky Derby points race earlier this month with Catching Freedom in the Smarty Jones and now has several runners under consideration for the second leg of the series, the Grade 3, $800,000 Southwest.

The 1 1/16-mile race is Jan. 27.

Oaklawn’s other points races are the Rebel on Feb. 24 and the Arkansas Derby on March 30.

Cox said plans for Catching Freedom are to be determined. He won the Smarty Jones by 2 1/2 lengths on Jan. 1. Catching Freedom is now 2 for 3 for Albaugh Family Stables.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Timberlake, one of the top prospects for this year’s Kentucky Derby, could launch his 3-year-old season in the Grade 2, $1.25 million Rebel at Oaklawn Park, according to his trainer, Brad Cox.

The 1 1/16-mile points race for the Kentucky Derby is Feb. 24.

Timberlake won last year’s Grade 1 Champagne at the Belmont at Aqueduct meet in October, one start after running second in the Hopeful at Saratoga. He wrapped up his season on Nov. 3, when he finished fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita.

Todd Pletcher’s roster of talented newly turned 3-year-old fillies is a deep one, headed by Grade 1 winner Candied and Grade 2 winner Life Talk.

Leslie’s Rose looked very much like a graded-stakes type when she powered home a 9 1/4-length winner in her debut at Aqueduct on Nov. 19.

Thursday at Gulfstream Park, Leslie’s Rose and her debut-winning, Pletcher-trained stablemate Happy Together will look to take the next step toward an upcoming stakes when they head a field of six 3-year-old fillies entered in a first-level allowance going seven furlongs over the main track.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – A couple of stakes-proven stablemates, Golden Canary and Ready to Jam, should give trainer Mark Casse the upper hand in the $91,000 allowance and optional-claiming dash that serves as the main event when racing resumes Wednesday at Gulfstream Park.

A full field of a dozen 3-year-old fillies was drawn for the headliner, which is carded to be run at five furlongs on the turf, weather permitting.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Subsanador, a three-time Group 1 winner in Argentina in the last two years, will start in the Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes on Jan. 27 at Santa Anita instead of the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park the same day, trainer John Sadler said Sunday.

“I think I’ll keep him here,” Sadler said.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Exaulted, winner of the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile last May and three other races in 2023, will miss the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile on March 2 at Santa Anita because of a disrupted training schedule this winter.

Trainer Peter Eurton said over the weekend that the absence of daily use of Santa Anita’s infield training track in recent months because of a lengthy renovation has limited Exaulted to jogging on the main track.

A 1-for-21 start to the meet isn’t quite what John Rigattieri had in mind when he arrived at Tampa Bay Downs, where six of the last eight winters he has recorded double-digit victories including a personal-best 18 last season.

Rigattieri has finished in the money with five of his last eight runners, including a pair of tough-luck beats last week, so perhaps a turnaround is in the offing.