Claudio Gonzalez has won a lot of races since he began training four years ago. He has won three Laurel Park meet training titles and led the standings last year at Timonium. Gonzalez was second in victories on the Maryland Jockey Club circuit of Laurel and Pimlico in 2015 and 2014.

Ricardo Santana Jr., the winner of the last four riding titles at Oaklawn, will have his first mounts of the meet Friday, including on probable favorite Torrent in the featured eighth race. Santana missed the first week of the season while serving a suspension for a local riding infraction from 2016.

It’s that hopeful time of the year again for trainers with talented 3-year-olds. Dreams of derbies dance in the heads of owners, trainers, and jockeys. It’s a time for optimism but also a time for assessment.

On Saturday, eight 3-year-olds will continue the evaluation process in the $100,000 California Derby at 1 1/16 miles. Those who pass this test can go on to the Grade 3, $200,000 El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate, which is worth 17 Kentucky Derby qualifying points on a 10-4-2-1 basis.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Uncontested emerged from his Monday romp in the $150,000 Smarty Jones in good order, and on Tuesday trainer Wayne Catalano said the horse is being pointed for the second race in Oaklawn’s series for 3-year-olds, the Southwest.

The Southwest, a Grade 3 race worth $500,000, will be run Feb. 20.

Jockey Gerry Olguin turned 44 on Sunday, but the celebration really began when he rode two winners here that day to reach the 2,000-victory mark.

Olguin, who has made Woodbine his home base since 2000, will retire on Jan. 29. He had plenty of time to savor win No. 2,000, which came on favored Dumont in the ninth race. Dumont pulled away in the lane to a 3 1/2-length victory in the $12,500 maiden claimer.

“It felt so good,” said Olguin. “I’d been wanting to get it. It was a personal goal of mine.

NEW ORLEANS – After toying with the idea of running their promising 4-year-old December Seven on Saturday in the Louisiana Stakes, owner Samantha Siegel and trainer Paul McGee decided not to enter the colt and will wait for the Grade 3 Mineshaft here Feb. 25.

December Seven has won 3 of 5 starts, is 3 for 4 in two-turn races, has won consecutive allowances-race starts in blowout fashion, and cruised to a four-length win in his most recent start Dec. 29 at Fair Grounds.

NEW ORLEANS – The good news is that trainer Joe Sharp and owner Brad Grady have two promising 3-year-olds this winter. The bad news is that the two horses, Cool Arrow and Girvin, are stabled at the Evangeline Downs Training Center in Lafayette, La., where Sharp keeps horses who don’t fit into his allotted Fair Grounds stalls.

NEW ORLEANS – Trainer Wayne Catalano left the door open to taking Farrell out of the Silverbulletday Stakes even after entering the filly Friday, but after Farrell worked five furlongs in 1:01.60 on Sunday, Catalano said she would indeed start Saturday in the $150,000 Silverbulletday.

“She worked by herself, and she worked very well,” Catalano said. “It looks like we’re running.”

NEW ORLEANS – While schooling I’m a Chatterbox in the Fair Grounds paddock Sunday, trainer Larry Jones confirmed that the multiple Grade 1-winning mare will make her turf debut Saturday in the $75,000 Marie Krantz Memorial Stakes here.

I’m a Chatterbox’s first start on grass has been a long time coming, and has come about by accident.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Oaklawn will put the spotlight on fillies and mares Thursday in the eighth race, an optional $35,000 claimer over six furlongs. Modify and Zaphical both appear to be leading contenders after finishing second and third to Finley’sluckycharm in a second-level allowance in September at Churchill Downs.

Finley’sluckycharm has since gone on to win two more races, including the Dream Supreme at Churchill. Following the stakes, she was a close second in the Grade 1 La Brea at Santa Anita in her most recent start Dec. 26.