When she last raced at Fair Grounds, Valadorna was thought to be a candidate for the 2017 Kentucky Oaks. Valadorna didn’t make that race, and in fact, after a third-place finish Feb. 25 in the Rachel Alexandra Stakes, Valadorna didn’t start again until Nov. 1.

Valadorna is back racing at Fair Grounds, but she’s just one of the candidates to win the featured fourth race Friday, a second-level dirt-route allowance also open to $40,000 claimers. Valadorna is one of just six entrants and is the 6-5 morning-line favorite.

Forever Unbridled, who won the Breeders’ Cup Distaff in her last start, and Seeking the Soul, who captured the Grade 1 Clark Handicap on Nov. 26, both are galloping daily at Fair Grounds, but no plans have been set for their next races.

Both horses are owned by Charles Fipke and are under consideration for the Pegasus World Cup on Jan. 27 at Gulfstream Park, trainer Dallas Stewart said.

Al Stall has gotten off to a great start at the Fair Grounds race meet, and he hopes his hot hand reaches all the way to California this month.

The exciting, undefeated C Z Rocket left Churchill Downs this week, but not for Fair Grounds. C Z Rocket figures to wind up in New Orleans sometime this winter, but leaving Kentucky, he went west to stable in the Richard Mandella barn and prepare for the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes on Dec. 26 at Santa Anita.

Mike Stidham has won nearly 1,800 races in a training career dating to 1979. One of those came last Friday at Tampa Bay Downs when Meilleur went wire to wire in a maiden-claiming turf mile, giving Stidham his first-ever victory at the Oldsmar, Fla., track.

There will be more. Stidham has split his stable for the first time between Tampa and his longtime winter base, Fair Grounds. He has four entered Friday at Tampa, including Birdsnest Party (race 2) and Hay Baby Girl (race 5) as heavy favorites to get through their maiden conditions.

CYPRESS, Calif. – The first time Bob Baffert won the Kentucky Derby in 1997 with Silver Charm, two of the people closest to him – lifelong friend Brad McKinzie and longtime client Mike Pegram – were outside the winner’s circle, beaming with joy. Pegram remembers the moment well.

“We’d been there with Bobby and knew what he’d been through,” Pegram recalled last weekend. “We were just standing on the turf course. We were laughing with tears coming out of our eyes.”

Santa Anita will offer a rolling $1 super high five wager during the upcoming winter-spring meeting on fields of eight or more runners, the track announced last week.

Currently, the bet is offered on only the final race of the day at California tracks. Under the new plan, which will be enacted opening day, Dec. 26, the super high five will be offered on all races with at least eight runners.

If there is not a winning ticket, there will be a carryover into the next race with eight or more runners.

CYPRESS, Calif. – Runaway Ghost financed his $10,000 supplemental fee for the Grade 1 Los Alamitos CashCall Futurity on Saturday with a win in the $55,675 Golden Nugget Stakes on Nov. 11 at Golden Gate Fields.

The eye-catching win, by 7 1/4 lengths, was worth $30,350 for owner and breeder Joe Peacock. A start in the $300,000 Los Alamitos Futurity will provide Peacock and trainer Mike Machowsky with a better indication of where Runaway Ghost fits with several of the best juveniles in Southern California.

CYPRESS, Calif. – Majestic Heat’s two-race winning streak could be tested in the Grade 2 La Canada Stakes at a mile at Santa Anita in January.

For the first time in her 16-race career, Majestic Heat won consecutive stakes in the Betty Grable Stakes for California-bred fillies and mares at seven furlongs on dirt Nov. 2 at Del Mar and Sunday’s Grade 2 Bayakoa Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Los Alamitos.

Those are Majestic Heat’s only races on dirt, a surface that will be the focus of her 2018 campaign, trainer Richard Mandella said Monday.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The 2017 meeting is only two days old and already trainer Todd Pletcher has unveiled a potential prospect, Noble Indy, for the important 3-year-old stakes to be run here during the winter, including the $1 million Florida Derby.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Jorge Navarro had a huge day Saturday, not only winning the Grade 1 Cigar Mile with potential Pegasus starter Sharp Azteca at Aqueduct, but also the main event on Gulfstream’s opening day, the $200,000 Claiming Crown Jewel, with Flowers for Lisa.