Lone Star Park opens a 26-date meet for Quarter Horses on Friday night, and the track will be the fall home for the sport’s reigning world champion, Jessies First Down. Trainer Jimmy Padgett said the horse is bedded down on the backstretch off his 2 1/4-length victory in the Grade 1 All American Gold Cup at Ruidoso Downs.

Lone Star’s season will run through Nov. 11. The track will jump into the meet in trial mode, with qualifying heats for the Dash for Cash Derby on Friday night and the Dash for Cash Futurity on Saturday.

Shotgun Kowboy and Smack Smack have had their share of success at Remington Park, but just one of them is scheduled to see action at this meet. Shotgun Kowboy worked a sharp half-mile on Wednesday as he prepares for his first start since the spring, while Smack Smack was taking it easy a few miles away, lounging at the Oklahoma farm of owner Toby Keith.

Things didn’t go Irish War Cry’s way in the Haskell Invitational, and he finished fourth, beaten 5 1/4 lengths. He bounced out of the race well, though, and trainer Graham Motion has worked him four times in preparation for the Grade 1, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby next Saturday at Parx Racing.

The plan Gayle Benson’s GMB Racing Stable hatched in 2014 still is active.

Benson is the wife of Tom Benson, the highly successful New Orleans businessman who owns the NFL’s Saints and the NBA’s Pelicans, and three years ago, the Bensons sent three New Orleans trainers – Tom Amoss, Al Stall, and Dallas Stewart – out to yearling sales to buy horses they would train. That first group of purchases included Mo Tom, Tom’s Ready, and Tom’s d’Etat, all of whom panned out nicely.

Handicappers might be exhausted by the time they get to it, but the $50,000 John Bullit Stakes on Friday night at Canterbury is a nice little race.

The John Bullit, for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles on dirt, is the 12th of 13 races Friday and is scheduled for 10:22 p.m. Central. Since the Canterbury meet ends Saturday, the entry box for Friday’s marathon card overflowed, with 158 entrants in those 13 races.

It seemed fair to wonder how many folks would be interested in lining up to face Amy’s Challenge in the Shakopee Juvenile Stakes on closing-day Saturday at Canterbury Park. The answer is: plenty.

The Shakopee Juvenile was drawn Wednesday with 10 entrants, including the three best 2-year-olds seen this summer at Canterbury. The filly Amy’s Challenge heads that trio, but Soul of Discretion also impressed in his lone start, and Mr. Jagermeister twice has buried Minnesota-bred rivals.

CYPRESS, Calif. – Sharp Samurai, the dominant 3-year-old turf runner in California in recent months, will remain in the state this fall and is not expected to start until the Grade 2 Twilight Derby at Santa Anita on Oct. 28.

Trainer Mark Glatt said he considered running Sharp Samurai in the Grade 3, $500,000 Hill Prince Stakes at Belmont Park on Oct. 7, but that the $200,000 Twilight Derby at 1 1/8 miles on turf is a better fit.

“We’ll stay home with him,” Glatt said. “I think we’ll give him plenty of time between races.”

CYPRESS, Calif. – Trainer Jorge Gutierrez has been fined $500 after one of his runners at Del Mar in July tested positive for two anti-inflammatory medications – phenylbutazone and flunixin.

Trainers are not allowed to administer more than one anti-inflammatory medication, according to California Horse Racing Board regulations.

According to a ruling published Sunday by Los Alamitos stewards, the positives were found in a post-race test taken from Stole My ‘Art, who finished last of eight in a race for $12,500 claimers on July 23.

CYPRESS, Calif. – Jockey Martin Garcia, sidelined by back issues for most of this month, hopes to resume riding by the start of the Santa Anita autumn meeting on Sept. 29, the jockey and his agent said on Wednesday.

Garcia, who won the $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Collected on Aug. 19, has not ridden since Sept. 3. He was booked to ride the closing-day program at Del Mar on Sept. 4, but did not ride because of back pain.

CYPRESS, Calif. – The conditions of Saturday’s $100,000 Barretts Debutante Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at Los Alamitos are proving very attractive for owner Tyler Seltzer and trainer Ian Kruljac.

They plan to start Exuberance, who was third at Del Mar on Aug. 26 in her only start. Exuberance was purchased for $100,000 at the Barretts select sale of 2-year-olds in training at Del Mar last March, which made her eligible for Saturday’s race. The Debutante, run at 6 1/2 furlongs, is restricted to fillies offered at a Barretts-conducted sale.