Hardly a week of racing went by this year without a horse owned and bred by Larry and Marianne Williams racing at Golden Gate Fields or on the fair circuit.

Over the years, the couple has won stakes with such familiar names as Lady Railrider, Pulpit Rider, Rousing Sermon, Tamarando, and Ward ’n Jerry. They all earned more than $500,000.

This fall, the 2-year-olds Grand Slam Smile and Wild Jewels won stakes for the Williamses at Golden Gate Fields and Santa Anita.

Those successful runners may represent the end of an era for the stable in Northern California.

No one could get close to Bolden at the finish line in his abbreviated racing career in California.

In four starts in sprints from the spring of 2020 until his final race this September, Bolden won by a combined 21 lengths. Bolden won two sprints on dirt at Santa Anita and turf sprints at Del Mar and Santa Anita.

“He’s faster than 99.9 percent of your racehorses,” trainer Phil D’Amato said after Bolden won a five-furlong turf sprint at Del Mar in September. “He’s ultra-talented on dirt and grass.”

It’s difficult for a horse fanatic to keep their eyes on the road when traveling east on California Highway 246 between Buellton and Solvang. There’s too much to see and admire in that stretch of road well north of Santa Barbara.

The journey between the two small towns is barely a few miles, but once past the famous Hitching Post restaurant and Ostrichland USA, the path narrows to a two-lane tree-lined road between horse farms.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The field for the $100,000 H. Allen Jerkens Handicap, which was postponed due to inclement weather Dec. 16, came back nearly intact when re-drawn for Sunday at Gulfstream Park.

The Jerkens will be decided as originally written at two miles on the turf, weather permitting, rather than at 1 5/8 miles over the Tapeta course, which would have been the case had the event been run last week – when races were taken off the turf – and not canceled less than 90 minutes before post time.

With handicapping completed before the publication of morning lines, it was with chagrin I discovered two plays in full-field turf routes at Gulfstream Park were program favorites. So much for contrarian thinking. Favoritism does not, however, preclude value, and maybe we can dredge some up.

Tropical Park Derby

Ohana Honor looked like a good bet in the Commonwealth Stakes last month – until Churchill Downs had to move the race from its problematic turf course onto dirt and Ohana Honor was scratched.

While Brad Cox had an excellent autumn with his Churchill Downs 2-year-olds, his fellow trainer Phil Bauer’s success with Churchill 2-year-olds in September and November was off the charts. Saturday, both stables have key entrants in the two Fair Grounds stakes for 2-year-old fillies, the Untapable at one mile 70 yards and the Letellier Memorial over six furlongs.

Factor It In’s career-best 101 Beyer Speed Figure came in last year’s Dave’s Friend at Laurel Park, and he looks to go back-to-back in Saturday’s renewal for 3-year-olds and up at six furlongs.

The Dave’s Friend is one of four $100,000 stakes on the program with the Robert T. Manfuso for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles, the Carousel for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles, and the Willa On the Move for fillies and mares at 6 1/2 panels.

Regardless of where in California Grazen resides, it’s a safe bet that he will continue his run at or near the top of the state’s sire charts as he comes off a strong season in 2023.

Grazen, who will stand at Mike and Angie Scully’s Eclipse Thoroughbred Training center for 2024, led this year’s California general sires earnings list through Dec. 14. He has a good chance to hold sway through the end of the year, with total progeny earnings of $4,648,407 to $4,036,340 for Stay Thirsty.

The three finalists for the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association statebred horse of the year award in 2022 were, alphabetically, Fun to Dream, Slow Down Andy, and The Chosen Vron, with the award ultimately going to Fun to Dream.

It would be no surprise if those three runners were again among the finalists when the 2023 honors are presented at the CTBA’s annual meeting and awards dinner in March in Arcadia. Slow Down Andy and The Chosen Vron were among the California-bred Grade 1 winners of 2023, while Fun to Dream was a graded stakes winner.