ELMONT, N.Y. – Javier Castellano may not be coming to the June 10 Belmont Stakes with his Kentucky Derby winner Mage, but the Hall of Fame rider is still coming to the race with a live chance to win.

Castellano will ride Arcangelo in the Belmont, the final leg of the Triple Crown. Three weeks ago, Castellano guided Arcangelo to a head victory over race favorite Bishops Bay in the Grade 3 Peter Pan Stakes.

Princess Bettina hopes to transfer her successful Southern California form to Penn National as the 9-5 morning-line favorite and 122-pound highweight in Friday’s $150,000 Penn Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at a mile on turf.

The Penn Oaks is one of the undercard stakes on the 11-race Penn Mile card with the Lyphard for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on turf, the With Anticipation for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles on turf, the Danzig for 3-year-olds at six furlongs, and the New Start for 3-year-old fillies at six furlongs.

ELMONT, N.Y. – As the turf courses at Belmont Park have firmed up due to a lack of rain this spring, speed has been a good commodity to have to get to the winner’s circle.

Mondego appears to have the speed that makes him a significant player in Friday’s first-level allowance/optional $62,500 claiming feature for 3-year-olds going 1 1/8 miles on the inner turf course.

Dorth Vader, who upset the Grade 2 Davona Dale at odds of 45-1 earlier this winter at Gulfstream Park and most recently finished a game fifth after being hung wide pressing the early pace in the Kentucky Oaks, has been transferred from trainer Michael Yates to George Weaver in preparation for her upcoming start a week from Friday at Belmont Park in the Grade 1 Acorn.

American Rascal was born to international royalty, as his sire and first two dams are champions. He’ll look to begin growing into that legacy when, off an impressive debut victory, he targets the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes on June 22 at the Royal Ascot meeting.

Dougie D Oro won the 2022 Best of Ohio Babst/Palacios Memorial Stakes and Best of Ohio Honey Jay Stakes, but was thwarted in his bid for a season sweep when Morestride edged him by a neck in the Best of Ohio Sprint on the fall showcase program. The two veterans get a rematch in this year’s Babst/Palacios, part of Friday’s program at Belterra Park.

ARCADIA, Calif. – A quiet Friday at Santa Anita begins with a maiden standout in the first race and ends with a turf raffle in the ninth. The understated nine-race program is made up of maiden, claiming, and starter-allowance races, including the most probable winner right off the bat.

Race-1 entrant Ghostly Act will be tough to beat if he reproduces his recent runner-up effort in a similar turf mile for California-bred maidens. Debbie Winick trains the Harris Farms homebred, whose rider Kyle Frey rated him in his initial turf route last out.

Whether it’s dirt, synthetic, or turf, Major Dude has been competitive against quality competition.

On Friday at Penn National, Major Dude has a chance to add to his excellent record when he starts as the likely favorite in the Grade 2, $400,000 Penn Mile for 3-year-olds on turf.

The Penn Mile is the feature race on an 11-race card that also includes the $150,000 Penn Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at one mile on turf as well as four $100,000 stakes for Pennsylvania-breds.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Moira’s recent workmate Angelou makes her season debut in Friday’s featured fifth race, a conditioned allowance with a $50,000 claiming option on a sparse seven-race card at Woodbine.

Trained by Kevin Attard for Blue Heaven Farm, Angelou displayed flashes of brilliance during her five-race campaign in 2022. Following a 10-month layoff in May of that year, she won a maiden race by 10 1/4 lengths going the 1 1/16-mile distance of Friday’s headliner. She doubled up in a July 2 allowance route while earning her second straight Beyer Speed Figure in the low 80s.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Inner-turf racing at the Woodbine meet commences on Thursday’s twilight card with two five-furlong dashes for fillies and mares, including a maiden special with a base purse of $72,000.

Star Candy and Cara Cara are the lone entrants in the sixth race with turf experience.