SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Hoosier Philly, who returned to form with a victory in the Monomoy Girl Stakes at Ellis Park on June 17, worked a half-mile in 49.49 seconds Wednesday morning over Saratoga’s main track. She is preparing for a start in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks here on July 22.

Trainer Tom Amoss had regular rider Edgar Morales fly in Tuesday night to breeze the filly Wednesday morning.

“It was an easy half-mile work. She looked like herself, everything was as good as you’d want it to be,” Amoss said.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Phil Serpe won last year’s Grade 1 Spinaway with Leave No Trace and he’s hoping for some more 2-year-old success here this summer when he starts Jive for the first time in Saturday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Sanford Stakes at Saratoga.

Jive was one 10 2-year-olds entered Wednesday for the Sanford, the first of three dirt stakes for juvenile males to be held at the meet.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Mark Casse was the only brave soul to take on Chad Brown when entries were drawn for Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Diana Stakes and will run Fev Rover against a quartet of Brown trainees in a five-horse field for the 1 1/8-mile turf race.

Brown has won six of the last seven runnings of the Diana and won the race seven times overall in his career.

Casse said he’s not worried about who or how many are in the race, choosing to just focus on his own runner.

Beantown Baby will encounter something new Friday when she makes her synthetic track debut in the third race at Gulfstream Park.

The turf-sprint specialist is moving to Tapeta for the $20,000 starter allowance for fillies and mares that carries an optional claiming price of $35,000. It will be run over 5 1/2 furlongs. The race opens the Rainbow 6 jackpot wager, a 20-cent bet that on Friday will have a minimum guaranteed pool of $125,000.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The way Sacred Wish worked on the turf at Belmont Park last week, one might have expected the 3-year-old filly to make her next start on the grass.

While she eventually may find her way to that surface, Sacred Wish will remain on dirt for now and is one of five entered in Friday’s $135,000 Wilton Stakes at Saratoga. The Wilton will be run out of the Wilson chute at one mile.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Wesley Ward said he felt confident at midstretch of Keeneland’s Limestone Stakes that he would win the race. And he did. Only not with Lady Hollywood, who Ward felt was on her way to certain victory, but Love Reigns, who overcame traffic trouble in early stretch to run down her stablemate and capture her 3-year-old debut in popular and impressive fashion.

Olivia’s Choice will drop in class to face a half-dozen others in a $15,000 claiming race for nonwinners of two at 6 1/2 furlongs on Friday at Emerald Downs.

The Justin Evans trainee comes off a challenging trip against $25,000 claimers in her first race over the Emerald course two weeks ago. She broke slowly from the gate and then raced very wide on the turn before checking in fourth as the 2-1 second choice in the wagering.

“The first race was a rough trip,” Evans said. “She’s been training great.”

Luis Negron will again ride Olivia’s Choice on Friday.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – It’s rare to see a 10-year-old running competitively at an intermediate level at Woodbine. Lapochka fits the bill in Friday’s fifth race, a $25,000 claimer scheduled for 7 1/2 furlongs on the inner turf.

Lapochka made 28 of his last 29 starts for trainer Vito Armata, who claimed him for $19,000 for Eight Star Racing Stables in the fall of 2020. The gelding won back-to-back inner turf events in July 2021 and also took a main turf route in September of that year.