SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The multiple graded stakes winner McCraken worked six furlongs in 1:12.60 Wednesday morning over the Saratoga main track in preparation for a start in the Grade 1 Whitney on Aug. 4.

Trainer Ian Wilkes said he was looking for a sharp work from McCraken, who is coming off a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Cornhusker Handicap at Prairie Meadows on July 6. McCraken, according to Daily Racing Form’s Mike Welsch, went his first three furlongs in 36.50 seconds and his final quarter in 26.10 while being asked by jockey Brian Hernandez Jr.

The Gray Dehere came out of his blowout victory last week in the Prairie Gold Juvenile in good condition and is taking up residence at Remington Park, trainer J.R. Caldwell said Wednesday.

That much is known, but beyond that, there’s uncertainty.

When a 50-year-old jockey with more than three decades of race-riding behind him doesn’t accept a mount for a year and a half, you figure that’s it – game over.

But then E.T. Baird never has been an easy rider to figure.

Baird rode a race Dec. 16, 2016, at Hawthorne and didn’t ride again until this month. For a jockey this seasoned, though, riding a horse race must be something like riding a bicycle – it’s not something you forget how to do. Baird finished second on his first mount and has won with his three since then.

The Arlington-based trainer shipped an unraced 2-year-old named Dugout to Saratoga to start in a New York-bred maiden race on July 23. Dugout had been working strongly over Arlington’s Polytrack surface, and Larry Rivelli had hoped to run him on turf, but last Monday’s race was rained onto a wet main track. Didn’t matter – Dugout won in a gallop.

Two jockeys based at Charles Town Races in West Virginia have been summarily suspended after being named in an indictment that alleged the riders conspired to distribute cocaine, according to the West Virginia Racing Commission’s top official.

DEL MAR, Calif. – A month ago, Touching Rainbows finished a distant seventh in the Grade 2 San Carlos Stakes at seven furlongs at Santa Anita, denting his reputation in California’s sprint division.

The setback came with an excuse.

“He grabbed a quarter at the start and that was it for him,” trainer Phil D’Amato said Wednesday.

The Laurel Park fall stakes schedule will have approximately the same value and number of stakes as a year ago, but there are some notable changes.

With the exception of the brief Preakness meet at Pimlico, the fall meet has the best stakes schedule of the year in Maryland. Excluding Maryland Million Day, which is still being finalized, the fall stand will have 34 stakes worth just over $3.4 million.

Core Beliefs didn’t race at age 2 and has been playing catch-up for much of this season. On Sunday, the California-based son of Quality Road will get to show the progress he has made in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park.

The Haskell will be the third consecutive road trip for Core Beliefs, who in his last three races has won the $500,000 Ohio Derby at Thistledown, finished second in the Grade 3 Peter Pan at Belmont Park, and been third to Justify in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby.

Princess Warrior was a sharp winner on turf last Saturday at Ellis Park, snapping an eight-race losing streak and opening new doors.

A 2-year-old full sister to 2012 Kentucky Oaks winner Believe You Can is drawing raves upon returning to her Kentucky roots after beginning her career in the Northwest.

Profound Legacy was a 4 1/2-length winner of an allowance race last Saturday at Ellis Park in western Kentucky. The impressive showing led her new trainer, Ian Wilkes, to plan on running her next in the Aug. 19 Ellis Debutante, followed perhaps by the Pocahontas at the September meet at his main base, Churchill Downs.