Santa Anita's handle increased for the first six weeks of its winter-spring meeting, track officials said on Wednesday.

Through Sunday, after 20 days of racing, all-sources handle exceeded $185.9 million, an increase of 7 percent over the corresponding meeting in 2023-2024, track officials said.

Victory Avenue, who earned a 97 Beyer Speed Figure when finishing second as a favorite on the 2024 Pegasus program, appears about ready to make his much anticipated return after working an easy half-mile punctuated by a long gallop-out with jockey Javier Castellano aboard here Thursday.

Working alone, Victory Avenue completed four furlongs in 49.08 before continuing out six panels in 1:15.32 and easing up seven-eighths in 1:29.03. The work was the sixth on the comeback trail for Victory Avenue, who is trained by Gustavo Delgado.

Trainer Chad Brown reported that Chancer McPatrick, his two-time Grade 1-winning colt of 2024 who finished sixth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, has had two workouts at Payson Park and is being pointed to the Tampa Bay Derby on March 8. 

Chancer McPatrick went three furlongs in 39 seconds on Jan. 26 and then three furlongs in 37.80 seconds on Feb. 2. 

Fair Grounds Racecourse will cut overnight purses by 10 percent beginning with its Feb. 13 program, according to a text message sent to horsemen Wednesday.

The announcement cited “unprecedented weather in the Louisiana region” as the reason for the cut and said stakes purses wouldn’t be affected.

Fair Grounds, owned by Churchill Downs Inc., bakes flexibility into the purse structure for an entire race meet, but changes to the initial available money typically have come in the form of an increase during February or March.

Gun Song, who extended Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna until deep stretch before dropping a neck decision while finishing second in the Grade 1 Cotillion last fall at Parx, moved closer to her 2025 debut after breezing four furlongs in 48.91 seconds here Wednesday. 

Working in company, Gun Song posted a 23.45 opening quarter-mile split and held a slight edge over her mate while going easily to the wire before galloping out in willing fashion, covering five panels in 1:01.70 under the watchful eye of trainer Mark Hennig.

Dry January had a different meeting for Phil D’Amato, the prominent Southern California trainer.

For the first time since last March, D’Amato’s powerful stable did not have a monthly stakes win, although the drought does merit an asterisk. D’Amato had runners in seven stakes at three tracks last month, including Shea Brennan, who was disqualified from first and placed second for causing interference in the California Cup Derby at Santa Anita on Jan. 18.

Eagles Flight, a half-brother to 2022 Horse of the Year Flightline, was withdrawn from an allowance race at Santa Anita on Sunday because of a minor foot ailment, trainer John Sadler said.

“He popped a little quarter crack, so we scratched,” Sadler said on Wednesday. “He’s already back on the track.”