LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Bob Baffert laid eyes on Justify in the flesh on Monday for the first time since the colt left Baltimore after winning the Preakness Stakes to move to the threshold of racing history. Baffert liked what he saw from his Triple Crown hopeful as the colt went for a routine gallop on a busy, warm morning at Churchill Downs.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The first of two Downs After Dark night programs during the post-Kentucky Derby segment of the spring meet will be run Saturday with the Grade 3, $100,000 Aristides as the feature.

Mr. Crow, a lightly raced 4-year-old with big Beyer Speed Figures, and Wilbo, a 6-year-old who most recently was second in the Count Fleet at Oaklawn Park, head the prospective lineup for the six-furlong Aristides. Other probables include Awesome Saturday, Chief Cicatriz, and Shadow Tracer.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Betting blindly on anything saddled by Mike Tomlinson this year has been a profitable move. Tomlinson has been particularly hot this spring at Churchill Downs, where he has won with 10 of his first 21 starters.

“I knew I had some bullets to fire with to start the meet,” said Tomlinson. “We hope the holster isn’t running out.”

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – O’Kratos became a graded stakes winner and recorded his second consecutive victory to start the Woodbine meet in the Grade 3 Marine Stakes on Tapeta back on May 13, but he may have to switch surfaces for his next start.

A lack of options for the Kentucky-bred 3-year-old on Tapeta at Woodbine is forcing trainer Darwin Banach to look at both turf and dirt alternatives.

“We would love to just keep him on the Tapeta and then we wouldn’t have to make any decisions to decide whether he’d like turf or not,” Banach said.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Roger Attfield has been on a roll to start the 2018 Woodbine meet, recording six wins and three-runner up finishes from his first 14 starters.

“We just got lucky and got the right races at the right time,” Attfield said. “It’s been nice for sure. The horses are all doing well, so hopefully we can continue on that.”

ARCADIA, Calif. - For what she had accomplished at the time, Sophie P was hardly a bargain when she was purchased at a horses in training sale in England last December for approximately $216,000. The price was more than trainer Jim Cassidy expected to pay.

“The price got a little bit crazy,” he recalled Sunday. “Obviously, she was liked by others. Sometimes, you either go or you stop.”

At the time, Sophie P had won four minor races and finished second in a minor stakes in Scotland. The purchase seemed to make more sense after Saturday’s races at Santa Anita.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Accelerate announced his presence in the California older horse division last July with a win in the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar by 8 1/2 lengths over a field that included 2017 Dubai World Cup winner Arrogate.

Accelerate is likely to start in the $200,000 San Diego Handicap again this year, on July 21, with an enhanced status on the circuit.

Accelerate won his second Grade 1 race at 1 1/4 miles this year in Saturday’s $500,345 Gold Cup at Santa Anita.

ELMONT, N.Y. – His name may be the most recognizable of any of the prospective starters for this year’s Belmont Stakes. No, not Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Justify, but the European invader Gronkowski, the namesake of NFL All-Pro Rob Gronkowski who worked for the first time Saturday since joining Chad Brown’s barn here earlier this month.

Gronkowski was one of two 3-year-olds who could foil Justify’s attempt to win the Triple Crown to work Saturday at Belmont. He was joined by Blended Citizen, impressive winner of the Grade 3 Peter Pan in his local debut May 12.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Gronkowski did enough in his combine drill Saturday at Belmont Park to keep his hopes alive of being drafted into the starting gate for the Belmont Stakes here June 9.

In his first workout since being transferred to trainer Chad Brown, Gronkowski worked a half-mile in 47.91 seconds and galloped out extremely well afterward, going six furlongs in 1:13.55. Gronkowski worked in company with the graded stakes-winning 3-year-old Engage, who is pointing to the Grade 2 Woody Stephens on the Belmont Stakes card.

At Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Justify was sent through another routine gallop when going about 1 1/2 miles on Saturday morning under regular exercise rider Humberto Gomez as the unbeaten colt continues to train toward the 150th Belmont Stakes on June 9.

“We changed it up this morning,” deadpanned Jimmy Barnes, the Bob Baffert assistant who is temporarily overseeing the daily training of the Churchill string. “We backed up to the eighth pole” instead of the wire, which has been customary. “Galloped a good mile and a half again.”