Toby Keith Covel, a breeder and owner who was best known by his stage name, Toby Keith, died Monday night, according to a post on the award-winning country artist’s official website. He had been battling stomach cancer. Keith was 62.

Led by 54 horses from the barn of trainer Todd Pletcher and a record 47 Japanese-based horses, a total of 346 3-year-olds were nominated to this year’s Triple Crown, it was announced Tuesday.

The figure is down from last year’s number of 369.

 HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Alva Starr could see action in the Grade 1 Madison at Keeneland following her Saturday win in the $150,000 American Beauty at Oaklawn Park.

 The start was her first since the fall meet at Keeneland, when she was second by a half-length in the Grade 2 Raven Run in October. Alva Starr broke on top Saturday, set the pace, and covered six furlongs on a track upgraded to muddy in 1:10.47.

Locked, the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity winner who was scheduled to make his 3-year-old debut in next Saturday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, will miss that race after spiking a temperature over the weekend, trainer Todd Pletcher said.

Pletcher said the temperature forced Locked to miss a scheduled breeze over the weekend.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Hades earned his way onto the Kentucky Derby trail with his upset victory in Saturday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park. While his next step hasn’t been strictly defined just yet, trainer Joe Orseno indicated Sunday morning that he might just wait until the Grade 1, $1 million Florida Derby on March 30 to run him back.

The other option would be coming back in four weeks in the Grade 2, $400,000 Fountain of Youth here on March 2, and then the Florida Derby.

Barn 15 at Belmont Park has been placed under a 21-day quarantine after test results confirmed a case of equine herpesvirus in that barn, the New York Racing Association announced Sunday.

Tests conducted at Cornell University on Cute Curls, an unraced 3-year-old filly trained by Danny Gargan who was euthanized Saturday after exhibiting acute neurological symptoms, confirmed she had EHV. No other horses in barn 15 have presented symptoms or developed fever, according to a press release from the New York Racing Association.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Mystik Dan will likely make his next start in the Grade 1, $1.5 million Arkansas Derby on March 30 after he established himself as a 3-year-old of significance Saturday with his eight-length win in the Grade 3, $800,000 Southwest at Oaklawn Park.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Five weeks into 2024, Flavien Prat has amassed an intriguing collection of stakes wins, particularly on the last two Saturdays.

On Jan. 27, he won the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park with National Treasure. The 4-year-old’s win in the $3 million race puts him among the leading runners in the older male division.

While the connections of Withers winner Uncle Heavy were discussing a few options for the 3-year-old’s next start, the decision was basically made for them due to a confirmed case of equine herpesvirus at Belmont Park.

Barn 15 at Belmont Park has been placed under a precautionary quarantine until further notice due to a suspected case of equine herpesvirus (EHV) in that barn, according to the New York Racing Association and the New York State Gaming Commission.

An unraced 3-year-old filly, Cute Curls, exhibited acute neurological symptoms on Saturday and was subsequently euthanized, according to NYRA. As of Saturday afternoon, no additional horses in that barn have presented symptoms.