NEW ORLEANS – The Player races in blinkers for the first time Saturday in the Mineshaft Handicap.

He has two entered in the Risen Star Stakes this Saturday at Fair Grounds and likely will have three in the Southwest Stakes on Monday at Oaklawn Park. And there are several more who could make late impacts on the Kentucky Derby trail. These are heady days for Steve Asmussen, who has as much depth as any trainer with this year’s crop of 3-year-olds as he tries to tick off the one box still left open on his résumé.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Unique Bella, the leading older female in California, will not face males in the near future.

Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said on Wednesday that he plans to point Unique Bella to the Grade 1 Santa Margarita Invitational for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles on March 17 and is not considering running her in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap against males at 1 1/4 miles on March 10.

“The Big Cap does not fit in our plans,” he said. “I think everyone is on the same page on staying with fillies and mares.”

ARCADIA, Calif. – Purses have been boosted for two turf stakes for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita.

The Singletary Stakes at a mile on May 5 and the Rainbow Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on June 16 will be run for $100,000, an increase of $25,000 from the original schedule, according to Rick Hammerle, the track’s vice president of racing.

Earlier, the purse for the Pasadena Stakes for 3-year-olds at a mile on turf March 17 was increased $75,000 to $200,000.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Gulfstream Park has ruled Marty Wolfson off its property, saying the veteran trainer consistently failed to meet financial obligations and that the care being given his horses was substandard.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Lombo, the winner of the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita on Feb. 3 in his stakes debut, will remain in Southern California for the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes on March 10, trainer Mike Pender said on Wednesday.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Jorge Navarro said earlier this week that both Sharp Azteca and War Story came out of the Pegasus World Cup Invitational in good order and that each is on a similar schedule as last spring. Sharp Azteca is heading back to Dubai for the Godolphin Mile on March 31 and War Story is scheduled to make a return trip to the Charles Town Classic three weeks later.

Sharp Azteca finished eighth in the Pegasus World Cup after steadying during the early stages of the race. Navarro said Sharp Azteca was bothered in the starting gate by Stellar Wind.

Malibu Stakes winner City of Light would have been one of the top choices in the Grade 3, $500,000 Razorback Handicap on Monday at Oaklawn Park, but he will not travel for that race from California owing to wet weather and the likelihood of an off track at Oaklawn, trainer Michael McCarthy said Wednesday.

“I’m going to reroute that horse,” McCarthy said. “It’s a weather-related decision.”

Oaklawn had a sloppy track for training Wednesday, and the forecast from Weather.com calls for rain in Hot Springs, Ark., Friday through Monday.

WHO’S HOT

Even though the El Camino Real Derby lost its Grade 3 status and had its purse cut in half to $100,000 this year, the race retains significance as an early prep for runners on the Kentucky Derby trail.

The El Camino Real Derby, for 3-year-olds going 1 1/8 miles on the Golden Gate Fields Tapeta main track, will be run Saturday. It offers 17 Kentucky Derby qualifying points, including 10 to the winner.

Golden Gate Fields racing secretary Patrick Mackey said early in the week he expected more runners on Saturday than the seven that ran in the El Camino Real Derby last year.