Steve Asmussen became North America’s second all-time winningest trainer on Thursday, when he picked up No. 6,418 with Jake Jourdan in the fourth race at Fair Grounds in New Orleans. The feat came just minutes after Asmussen tied Jack Van Berg on the all-time list by winning the third race at Oaklawn Park. Asmussen now trails only the late Dale Baird, who leads all trainers with 9,445 wins.

Larry David of Santa Rosa, Calif., isn’t famous − yet.

He has the same name as the comedian/writer/actor who was the co-creator of “Seinfeld” and then went on to create his own show, “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” which is still on HBO and in syndication. But if both Larry Davids were to show up to a horse handicapping tournament, I would put my money on the non-TV star to get the most attention. He is the first to qualify twice in the same year for the Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping finals.

Rosie Napravnik will ride primarily in Kentucky this spring, scrapping her original plans to ride in New York, agent Steve Bass said Thursday.

With Bass as her new agent, Napravnik will ride at the Keeneland and Churchill Downs spring meets, then move to Saratoga for the summer. She then will return to Churchill for the new September fall meet and continue in Kentucky through late November.

Old vs. New

Here are the top 55 candidates for the Kentucky Derby listed in order of graded stakes earnings - the former qualifying system for the 20 starting positions - along with each horse's ranking under the new point system as of March 27, 2013. You can find the official point standings on our Road to the Kentucky Derby page.

WHO'S HOT

Black Onyx, who won the Spiral Stakes on Saturday, and Govenor Charlie, winner of the Sunland Derby on Sunday, both earned 50 points toward the May 4 Kentucky Derby, guaranteeing a berth in the 20-horse field and securing a spot in the top 20 of this week's Derby Watch. Govenor Charlie made the bigger impression with Mike Watchmaker, Daily Racing Form's national handicapper, who made him 15-1 on his future line. Watchmaker has Black Onyx at 30-1.

WHO'S NOT

Ohio’s Thoroughbred horsemen and the owners of Beulah Park have been unable to reach an agreement that would enable River Downs to run its 2013 meet at Beulah, according to officials for the track and the state’s racing commission.

NEW ORLEANS – When Churchill Downs announced last year that it was changing the format to determine eligibility to the 2013 Kentucky Derby, from many quarters, not the French, it was tantamount to having Mardi Gras end on a Monday, or removing the powdered sugar from the beignets at Café du Monde.

ARCADIA, Calif. – The California Horse Racing Board has instructed feed vendors to remove sweet feed products made by Purina Mills at its Turlock, Calif., facility from the backstretches of California racetracks after five brands of the company’s products resulted in 48 positive tests for the banned medication zilpaterol.

Jamie Ness, the leading trainer at Tampa Bay Downs for the past six years, has been fined $2,000 by the Tampa Bay stewards after one of his horses tested positive for an excess amount of total carbon dioxide, the trainer confirmed on Wednesday.

As part of the penalty for the positive, horses trained by Ness will be required to be monitored by a security guard for 24 hours before running, with Ness footing the bill. The requirement is part of a house rule governing testing for total carbon dioxide at the track.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Secretariat in the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame?

Under updated eligibility criteria, horses who were not necessarily based in Canada but are deemed to have made a significant contribution to Canadian racing are eligible for induction in the veteran horse category.

Secretariat’s lone Canadian appearance, a smashing career-finale victory in Woodbine’s 1973 Canadian International, put the race and the racetrack in the world racing spotlight and puts him atop the list of 2013 nominees released by the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame on Wednesday.