LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The mutuel field, the 24th or “all others” option, was in the familiar spot as the favorite during the opening hours of wagering in Pool 3 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager, which began a three-day run Thursday at noon Eastern.

As of 4:30 p.m., and with $22,945 in the win pool, the field was the 2-1 favorite, followed by Cairo Prince (11-1), Honor Code (14-1), Candy Boy (14-1), Shared Belief (15-1), and five more between 16-1 and 19-1. Another $6,573 had been bet in the exacta pool.

[bc_video_id:317441:]HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – His main-track experiment and Kentucky Derby aspirations now behind him, Mr Speaker returns to the turf where he will vie for favoritism with Storming Inti in Saturday’s $150,000 Palm Beach Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The lucrative Ontario-sired program will be modified this year at Woodbine to allow for a 40 percent purse bonus for Ontario-sired runners when they compete in open company.

Details of the program, which were announced jointly Thursday by Woodbine and the Ontario division of the HBPA, state that eligible Ontario-sired horses will collect the bonus in unrestricted races. The exception will be Ontario-sired runners in claimers worth less than $20,000 who were previously claimed at any price.

Ria Antonia, who was placed first via disqualification in the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and finished fourth last weekend in the Rachel Alexandra Stakes at Fair Grounds in her 3-year-old debut, is being transferred from trainer Jeremiah Englehart to trainer Bob Baffert in California, principal owner Ron Paolucci said Thursday.

Deshawn Parker is giving his competition for leading rider at Mountaineer Racetrack a couple of weeks’ head start.

Parker, 43, who has recorded all but 248 of his 4,479 career victories at Mountaineer, where he is the all-time leading jockey, will be conspicuous by his absence when the track in the western panhandle of West Virginia launches its 64th season Saturday night. He has spent the past couple of months riding at Sam Houston Race Park, where he currently ranks second in the standings.

In anticipation of wind chills expected to range from 7 and 12 degrees Thursday evening, Charles Town has canceled its live racing program.

“For the benefit of the horses, horsemen and everyone involved, we thought it was best to cancel the card for tonight seeing the temperatures expected,” said chief steward Danny Wright.  “The riders gave the indication last night and this morning that they couldn’t guarantee getting through the card tonight.  We wanted to get through a full card and we didn’t think it would happen.”

Len Riggio barely had time to savor his first graded stakes victory as an owner when he was attempting to win his second.

Corey Lanerie is the winner of the 2014 George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award, it was announced on Wednesday on HRTV.

Lanerie, 39, was chosen by a nationwide vote of his riding peers from a group of five finalists that also included David Amiss, Dennis Carr, Aaron Gryder, and Scott Stevens.

The Woolf Award, presented annually at Santa Anita since 1950, recognizes riders whose careers and personal character have earned esteem both for themselves and for the sport. It is highly coveted by jockeys, because it is awarded by fellow riders. Last year’s winner was Mario Pino.

Corey Nakatani was looking. So, too, was his agent, Tony Matos, as was trainer Gary Contessa. At this time of year, everyone is looking, either for the right horse to get to the Kentucky Derby or the right rider to take you there.

WHO’S HOT

With the point values of Kentucky Derby preps having risen fivefold last weekend, there figured to be wholesale changes coming out of the Fountain of Youth and Risen Star stakes, and there were, with five newcomers to the Derby Watch top 20: Wildcat Red , General a Rod, Intense Holiday, Albano, and Constitution.

Mike Watchmaker, Daily Racing Form ’s national handicapper, has both Wildcat Red and General a Rod at 15-1 on his future line. Constitution debuts on the list at 20-1, with Intense Holiday at 25-1 and Albano at 30-1.