HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – With her only two setbacks in four starts coming against graded stakes competition, Flakes figures to be the public’s choice when returning to allowance company and taking on five other 3-year-old fillies, including the very promising maiden winners Imonra and Party Favor, in Friday’s $51,000 main event going a mile at Gulfstream Park.

Fusaichi Pegasus, winner of the 2000 Kentucky Derby, was euthanized at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud on May 23 due to the infirmities of old age. The son of the great Mr. Prospector was 26.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Canadian Triple Crown nominees Silent Fortune, Three Sonny Sideup, Morstachy’s, and Smart Sky are among a field of seven 3-year-olds in Friday’s seventh race at Woodbine. Scheduled for seven furlongs on the Tapeta, it combines non-winners of two Ontario-sired allowance types with $40,000 claimers and carries a purse of $61,800.

There are three allowance-caliber events for fillies and mares on Friday at Belmont Park, including a second-level allowance/optional claimer for New York-breds, the eighth of nine races on a card with a 1 p.m. post time.

Whatlovelookslike and Dream Central are the obvious protagonists in the eighth, a one-mile turf route with a $45,000 claiming option.

Trained by Todd Pletcher for owner Barry Schwartz, Whatlovelookslike had a productive 2022 campaign, scoring twice at Saratoga before a close fourth in her first try at this level in October at Aqueduct.

Churchill Downs opens a five-day holiday week of racing with competitive allowance-level events on both Thursday and Friday that feature several stakes performers. Churchill will then run its usual Saturday and Sunday cards, followed by a Memorial Day program on Monday. Two stakes for fillies and mares will highlight this span.

Three solid events on card

STICKNEY, Ill. – Two Phil’s on Sunday at Hawthorne had work No. 1 since finishing second May 6 in the Kentucky Derby.

The drill was a mere maintenance half-mile timed in 50.80 seconds but suggested the colt had, as trainer Larry Rivelli has maintained over the last two weeks, come out of the Derby in encouraging condition.

“He came back good, he looks good, his energy is good,” Rivelli said.

And Rivelli on Monday still was good with the decision he and Two Phil’s owners made to pass Saturday’s Preakness Stakes.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – With only four cards left before the turf course at Gulfstream Park closes until December, it should come as no surprise that Thursday’s $51,000 allowance feature on the grass drew a full and somewhat inscrutable field of 12 older horses with any number of logical contenders to consider in a race also featuring a decided lack of early pace.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Crazy Hot left trainer Jeff Bonde delightfully stunned with her debut, a maiden race for 2-year-old California-bred fillies at Santa Anita on Saturday. Sent off as the 9-5 favorite, Crazy Hot took the lead shortly after the start and blasted clear through the stretch to win by a remarkable 10 3/4 lengths in 52.44 seconds for 4 1/2 furlongs.

“You can’t predict a horse to win by that many lengths,” Bonde said. “She’s done everything right.”

Ridden by Geovanni Franco, Crazy Hot led by six lengths with a furlong remaining.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Salesman has never run in a graded or group stakes, or in a race worth six figures. A three-time winner in France, Salesman has not started since June or in the United States. Despite those apparent shortcomings, Salesman is among the list of probable starters in Monday’s Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile on turf at Santa Anita.

Salesman has put in a series of rapid works at Santa Anita, leaving trainer Richard Mandella enthusiastic about the 6-year-old’s appearance in the $500,000 Shoemaker Mile.

A number of Kentucky-based runners are continuing their preparations for next month’s Royal Ascot meeting in England, including Caravel, the reigning Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner.