LEXINGTON, Ky. – Two of the first three races of the spring meet are 2-year-old dashes in which trainer Wesley Ward surely will dominate pre-race speculation. Ward has become synonymous with success in Keeneland baby races, having won a whopping 35 of them since the 2007 spring meet, having unleashed such precocious talents as Judy the Beauty, Undrafted, Hootenanny, and Lady Aurelia.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – It’s fairly easy to predict who the favorite will be in each of the five graded stakes Saturday at Keeneland, but none more so than for the Ashland Stakes.

Monomoy Girl undoubtedly will be a short price in the Grade 1 Ashland as trainer Brad Cox looks to get the filly back to his hometown of Louisville as the favorite for the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs.

Jorge Vargas Jr. begins the Laurel Park race week with a four-win lead in the jockey standings, but his advantage has dwindled the last three weeks as he has gone cold and seven-pound apprentice Wes Hamilton has been on a tear.

Coming into the March 16 card at Laurel, Vargas had 35 wins at the meet and led Hamilton by 14. Since then, Vargas has gone 1 for 45 with 15 seconds, while Hamilton has led all Laurel riders with 11 wins from 52 rides.

The Rainbow 6 carryover at Laurel Park on Friday will be $214,705. The wager has not been hit in 26 cards, dating back to Feb. 4.

The Rainbow 6 would have been hit Monday if 45-1 Hard Drive had won the last race.

On Monday, $104,741 was bet into the Rainbow 6. Six winners paid $25,119 for a 20-cent wager.

In the Laurel Park winner’s circle following the Beyond the Wire Stakes on March 17, trainer Eddie Coletti Jr. was asked where he might next start Smokinpaddylassie, who had just improved her perfect record to three wins. Coletti didn’t hesitate and said the Grade 2 Gazelle at Aqueduct was likely because it offered qualifying points for the Kentucky Oaks.

The connections of Blamed took time after last month’s victory in the Sunland Park Oaks to debate their options for her next start, and on Tuesday trainer Joel Marr said the plan is to target the Kentucky Oaks on May 4 at Churchill Downs.

“It’s all going to depend on how she does," Marr said Tuesday of Blamed, who is based at Sunland Park. "She’s going to work on Friday. If everything goes well, we’ll know more after that.

​“She’s been doing really well. She’s happy, galloping strong and eating good. So far, so good.”

Thirstforlife, who was scratched from last month’s $300,000 Essex Handicap, returns in Thursday’s eighth race at Oaklawn. He goes in an optional $65,000 claiming route over a mile, and figures to start as the favorite in a field of seven that includes Grade 3 winner Sticksstatelydude.

Thirstforlife finished second to The Player in the Grade 3 Mineshaft at Fair Grounds in his last start. Trainer Wes Hawley decided to target the Essex with Thirstforlife, but said he had to scratch the horse when he got hurt shipping from New Orleans to Oaklawn.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – The 27-year-old owner Staton Flurry has racked up a number of recent stakes wins among his home track of Oaklawn, Fair Grounds, and Sam Houston, and is now eyeing Grade 1 action at Keeneland.

Mr. Misunderstood has been the star of Flurry’s stable of 10 horses, winning five stakes last year at 3, including the Super Derby at Louisiana Downs, the Grade 3 Commonwealth Turf at Churchill and the Woodchopper at Fair Grounds. Flurry said he and trainer Brad Cox are leaning toward running the horse in the Grade 1, $300,000 Maker’s 46 Mile on April 13 at Keeneland.

ARCADIA, Calif. – The $2 pick six, frequently overshadowed by lower-cost bets such as the 50-cent pick four and 50-cent pick five, will be the focus of Thursday’s eight-race program at Santa Anita.

The two-day carryover of $339,082 from Sunday in the main pick six pool is too significant to ignore. In addition, there is a carryover of $245,751 in the single-ticket jackpot portion of the pool, paid only if there is one winning ticket. The pool of new money should surpass $1.2 million.