LEXINGTON, Ky. – Five or six opponents is all that Keeneland racing officials are expecting to face Modern Games – but would it really matter if it was 25 or 26?

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Corona Bolt, who remained unbeaten around one turn with a win in the $400,000 Lafayette Stakes for 3-year-old sprinters on opening day at Keeneland, will likely make his next start on the undercard of a Triple Crown race.

The potential spots for the Stonestreet Farm colorbearer would be the Grade 2, $500,000 Pat Day Mile on the Kentucky Derby undercard May 6, or the Grade 1, $400,000 Woody Stephens Stakes at seven furlongs on the Belmont Stakes undercard June 10.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – European import Hurricane Dream will be headed back to stakes company after a 4 1/2-length victory in a $140,000 turf race Friday at Keeneland that was an allowance race in name only.

“I thought it was not that different from a Grade 3, you know?” said Graham Motion, who trains the gelding for Team Valor, et al.

Jockey Juan Hernandez and trainer Phil D’Amato led their respective standings through Sunday for the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting.

Hernandez, 31, has ridden 63 winners, well clear of runner-up Flavien Prat with 31. Hernandez has 13 stakes wins, compared to 11 for Prat.

D’Amato, 47, has won 32 races, five more than Bob Baffert, who has won 12 stakes to lead in that category, one more than D’Amato.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Facing a seven-figure overpayment, Santa Anita has cut overnight purses for the rest of its meeting to levels equal to the 2022 autumn meeting, but lower than the corresponding period a year ago.

The cuts will take effect when racing resumes on April 21 after the track’s annual spring hiatus, which began after Sunday’s program. The meeting runs through June 18.

Track general manager Nate Newby said on Sunday that the purse deficit “is over $2 million” and that the reduced purses will be at a level “that is sustainable” for current mutuel handle.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – A corollary to the adage about a bad day at the racetrack being better than a good day anywhere else might be: “A non-stakes card at Keeneland is better than a stakes day anywhere else.”

Indeed, with purses being what they are these days on the Kentucky circuit, that might not even be hyperbole. Thursday afternoon at Keeneland will provide horseplayers with precisely the kind of action they like, as three allowances and two maiden-specials with a combined average maximum purse of more than $100,000 will anchor a nine-race card that starts at 1 p.m. Eastern.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – There are few who look forward to the Keeneland spring meet more than trainer Wesley Ward, who is based here year-round and delights in unveiling his precocious 2-year-olds at his home meet.

Ward won the first race of the meet Friday, with homebred Bledsoe taking the first 2-year-old race of the year. Later in the day, he made it a double on the opening card as Her World won a salty turf-sprint allowance.

“Doesn’t get better than that at Keeneland,” Ward said.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Louisiana Derby winner Kingsbarns on Friday took his first step on the final road to the Kentucky Derby, breezing four furlongs in 49.74 seconds in company with stablemate Major Dude at Palm Beach Downs.

Trainer Todd Pletcher said he was very pleased with the work and the subsequent gallop-out for both 3-year-olds. They worked five furlongs in 1:02.99, up six furlongs in 1:16.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Rick Dutrow wrapped polo bandages on all four legs of the 3-year-old filly Recognize, watched as his brother Chip walked the filly a half-lap around barn 28, and then gave a leg up to an exercise rider and sent them on their way to the track

“That filly’s all right. We should win two or three with her this summer,” Dutrow said. “She’s live.”

With that, Rick Dutrow – one of the most successful albeit controversial trainers in racing – was back.

Slow down, but only just a bit.

That will be the amended racing style of Conclude when the promising and quick colt has his stakes debut in the $100,000 John Shear Stakes at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita on Sunday.

Conclude led throughout a maiden race at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf March 4, pulling clear to win by 4 1/4 lengths in 1:01.57, earning a sharp Beyer Speed Figure of 96.