The Pucker Up Stakes used to be part of the Arlington Million undercard on one of the most important racing days in the Midwest. This summer, Arlington Park is being turned to rubble. The Million and the Grade 1 Beverly D. come next weekend at Colonial Downs in Virginia. And the Pucker Up will be run Sunday at Ellis Park.

Gulfstream Park spotlights 2-year-olds on Sunday’s nine-race card, with three maiden offerings for babies. The most interesting might be the fourth race, a maiden special weight for fillies bred in Florida. The 5 1/2 furlong-sprint on the main track drew a competitive group that includes the first-time starter Star of Saturn.

“I think she could be a little bit special,” said trainer Bobby Dibona. “She struts around with a lot of class.”

Gentry Farms and Saffie Joseph have had another notable 3-year-old winner at the Royal Palm meet in Accomplished Girl. She captured a first-level allowance sprint over older rivals on Tapeta July 16 and earlier in her career was a maiden special weight winner on turf with a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 92.

Joseph said Accomplished Girl could move back to turf for the Grade 3, $1 million Music City for 3-year-old fillies at 6 1/2 furlongs Sept. 2 at Kentucky Downs.

The unbeaten Second I D has developed into a 3-year-old of note this summer at Gulfstream Park and will soon move into stakes company, trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said Thursday.

Second I D has made two starts, both at 6 1/2 furlongs over older rivals. He won a maiden special weight by 7 3/4 lengths June 9, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 90. Second I D came back to take a first-level allowance July 22, dueling on the lead for a 2 1/4-length win. He earned a Beyer of 91.

“He’s going to go in a stakes for his next start,” Joseph said. “We haven’t decided what race yet.”

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – There was hardly elbow room in the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion as start time for the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame approached. The building filled up with old friends reuniting for the annual event, and fans, many wearing gear sporting the silks or likenesses of their favorite Thoroughbreds, taking advantage of the opportunity both to rub elbows with current members of the Hall of Fame – more than a dozen received a standing ovation at the start of the ceremony – and to celebrate the Class of 2023.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Brightwork and Becky’s Joker are already stakes winners. Here U Come Again and Copper Em looked like future stakes winners in their debuts.

All four are entered as part of a 10-horse field of intriguing 2-year-old fillies in Sunday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Adirondack Stakes going 6 1/2 furlongs at Saratoga. The 10 fillies have combined to win 11 of 12 starts.

Oak Crest Farm LLC’s Appeal Factor will be out to prove that her debut win in the Angie C. Stakes on July 9 was no fluke when facing many of the same fillies in Sunday’s WTBOA Lassies Stakes at Emerald Downs.

The 6 1/2-furlong contest has drawn a field of seven, including five who contested the Angie C. Handicappers will note that both fillies from the Angie C. who have run back have won.

Seven races ago, last December, All That Magic debuted in a $25,000 maiden claimer at Penn National and finished a distant third. Sunday, she’s in the $100,000 Incredible Revenge at Monmouth Park with a good chance to win her stakes debut.

The trick with All That Magic? A surface switch, dirt to turf.

Kaukokaipuu

Colt by Mr Speaker – Grey Pride, by Mizzen Mast

Bred in Ontario by Sean Fitzhenry ($10,000 Fasig-Tipton October yearling purchase by Tedston Holder)

The consistent Kaukokaipuu has already proven a bargain. With storied North American breeding programs on both sides of his pedigree, he won the Queenston Stakes in June before finishing second in the Grade 3 Marine Stakes, pushing his career earnings to $224,413, more than 22 times his $10,000 purchase price as a yearling.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Kaukokaipuu has thrust little-known trainer Tedston Holder into the King’s Plate spotlight, and the 54-year-old lifelong racetracker from Barbados is confident that his oddly named colt will give a good account of himself in the $1 million Canadian classic on Aug. 20.