Woody Stephens and D. Wayne Lukas hold the record for most wins in the Kentucky Oaks with five. It’s not crazy to think that in 2026 trainer Todd Pletcher could join them. 

Pletcher, a four-time Oaks winner, appears to have a top candidate for the May 1 Oaks in Zany, who made it 2 for 2 with an authoritative 8 1/2-length victory in Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Demoiselle. Her final time of 1:50.55 was .42 seconds faster than Paladin’s final time for the Remsen later on the card and translated to an 89 Beyer Speed Figure. 

Paladin and Renegade, the one-two finishers from Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct, will soon head to South Florida to prepare for their 3-year-old seasons, but it’s uncertain if both will take the same path to try and get to the Kentucky Derby. 

Even though the distance of the $20 million Saudi Cup on Feb. 14 at King Abdulaziz Racetrack is 1 1/8 miles, trainer Brad Cox believes Bishops Bay - who is a top-class miler - fits in the world’s richest horse race. 

“Because it’s one turn,” Cox said. “If it was a two-turn mile and an eighth, it might not be as exciting. That it’s one-turn could be something that favors him.” 

CYPRESS, Calif. - Sunday’s nine-race daytime program at Los Alamitos has a carryover of $44,571 in the $2 pick six.

A win by Consequent ($7.60) in Saturday’s Grade 2 Starlet Stakes, the day’s eighth race, clinched the carryover. There were no winning favorites in the first five races of Saturday’s pick six.

On Sunday, the pick six covers the fourth through ninth races on a program that begins at 12:30 p.m. Pacific. The pick six races have fields of 8, 11, 8, 8, 6 and 11 before scratches.

Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. not only rode four winners from five mounts on his first day riding at Gulfstream Park’s winter meet on Thursday, but in doing so, he set a single-season record for earnings by a jockey with $39,200,190 – with nearly four weeks remaining in the year.

Ortiz, who could very well become the first rider to eclipse the $40 million mark in one year, broke his own record of $39,193,365 set in 2023.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Though racing resumed Thursday at Aqueduct following a dispute between the jockeys and New York Racing Association management, there were still some who harbored bitter feelings toward the jockeys regarding the circumstances that led to the cancellation of the final eight races of Sunday’s card.

Sandy Goldfarb, a prominent New York owner, came to Aqueduct Thursday not only because he had a horse running but because he wanted to tell the jockeys how upset he and his fellow owners were over their refusal to ride on Sunday.

Jockey Dylan Davis, who suffered multiple injuries in a spill at Aqueduct on Nov. 14, is home from the hospital and is hopeful to return to riding in late winter, according to his agent, Mike Migliore.

“We’re looking end of February-March,” Migliore said. “I’m looking for March more than February. He’s feeling good, he’s antsy to get back, but I told him to take it easy. I told him [to] use this time to be with your family. In this business, you never get a break.

“Physically, I know he’ll be fine. I want to make sure mentally he’s okay."

Five Bars, an eye-catching debut-winning 2-year-old filly at Saratoga who finished third in the Grade 1 Frizette Stakes, suffered fatal injuries during a workout Saturday morning at Belmont Park. 

Five Bars, who was being pointed to next Saturday’s Grade 2 Demoiselle Stakes at Aqueduct, fell while galloping out. She suffered a broken neck in the fall, which was likely caused by an injury Five Bars suffered to a sesamoid bone in a front leg. 

Talkin, runner-up in the Grade 1 Champagne, and Mid-Atlantic stakes winners Balboa and Probably Dreaming will all be parked toward the outside in a 12-horse field entered for Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Remsen Stakes going 1 1/8 miles. 

Balboa, who won the John F Lewis Stakes going six furlongs at Laurel on Nov. 8, drew post 10 and is followed by Talkin and Probably Dreaming in posts 11 and 12. 

Seven horses were entered Sunday for Saturday’s Grade 2, $500,000 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct, but expected race favorite Rated by Merit wasn’t among them. 

Trainer Chad Brown said he wasn’t satisfied with how Rated by Merit worked Sunday morning at Belmont Park and thus decided to hold the undefeated 3-year-old out of the race, which would have been the colt’s first start against older horses. Rated by Merit went 4 for 4 as a 2-year-old and won the restricted Dwyer Stakes in his lone start at 3.