WHO’S HOT

Parx Racing recently honored its best performers of 2018. Aztec Sense was the Bensalem, Pa., track’s Horse of the Year and top older male. Claimed by owner Joseph Besecker and trainer Jorge Navarro for $12,500 in August 2017, Aztec Sense went 8 for 8 in 2018. He won three $100,000 stakes at Parx and the $196,000 Claiming Crown Jewel at Gulfstream Park.

Scott Lake’s stable has been on a tear, going 16 for 48 (33 percent) at Parx Racing, Laurel Park, and Penn National since March 18. His hot streak comes at an opportune time since as of Wednesday morning he is six victories shy of becoming the sixth trainer in Thoroughbred history to win 6,000 races.

The other members of the 6,000-win club are the late Dale Baird (9,445 wins), Steve Asmussen (8,389), Jerry Hollendorfer (7,590), the late Jack Van Berg (6,523), and King Leatherbury (6,501).

Trainer Joe Orseno was still on Cloud 9 upon returning to South Florida late Monday morning, less than 48 hours after his turf sprint star Imprimis overcame a poor start to register an eye-catching victory in the Grade 2 Shakertown on Saturday at Keeneland.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – It’ll be hard to surpass the drama and excitement of the first Saturday of the meet, when 34,775 crammed Keeneland for the Blue Grass and four other graded stakes, but surely another huge crowd will turn out this Saturday when the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley and the Grade 3 Lexington are among four stakes on the card.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The second half of the Keeneland spring stakes schedule will get under way Friday when a pair of races led by the Grade 1 Maker’s 46 Mile anchors a terrific 10-race card.

Delta Prince, in from New York after wintering in Florida, could be favored in a field of eight older turf horses in the $300,000 Maker’s 46, a longstanding key race in the division.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Jockey Luis Saez will have the mount on Whitmore in the Grade 3, $500,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap on Saturday at Oaklawn, with Ricardo Santana Jr. committing to Mitole, trainer Ron Moquett said Saturday. Grade 1 winner Whitmore has been made the 123-pound highweight for the Count Fleet and Mitole is second on the weight list at 121.

Whitmore worked first set Saturday, going a half-mile in company in a bullet 48 seconds. He was situated along the rail. Clockers had his final quarter in 23 seconds and timed him galloping out five furlongs in 1:00.80.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Oaklawn leading trainer Steve Asmussen had a large contingent of workers out Monday morning, with a number of those runners prepping for stakes during the Racing Festival of the South.

It was a sunny morning with temperatures in the 60s and the sealed track was listed as muddy.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark.– Galilean will be bidding to send West Point Thoroughbreds back to the Kentucky Derby this year when he runs Saturday in the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park.

“We’re hoping he takes us there,” said the group’s president, Terry Finley.

West Point Thoroughbreds won the Kentucky Derby in partnership in 2017 with Always Dreaming. The group also raced Commanding Curve, who was second to California Chrome in the 2014 Kentucky Derby, and was partners in My Boy Jack, who was fifth in last year’s Derby, won by Justify.

ARCADIA, Calif. – There are no immediate plans to resume racing on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita, a top track official said on Sunday.

There has been no racing on the hillside turf course since March 31 when Arms Runner suffered a fatal injury in the Grade 3 San Simeon Stakes on the course. No hillside races have been scheduled for Friday’s eight-race program and none are expected this weekend.