HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The Grade 3 Hutcheson, a fixture locally since 1954, will not be run as scheduled on Saturday due to a lack of interest. Only 17 were nominated to the six-furlong dash for 3-year-olds.

Two of the horses who were in the entry box for the Hutcheson, Sonic Mule and Recruiting Ready, will start instead in the one-mile Mucho Macho Man on Saturday. Also in the Mucho Macho Man are Cavil, Even Thunder, Han Sense, Hemsworth, Perro Rojo, Skyler’s Scramjet, State of Honor, Sweetontheladies, and Talk Logistics.

Gun Runner, the 2016 Clark Handicap winner, is likely out of consideration for the $12 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park in south Florida on Jan. 28 due to the equine herpesvirus outbreak at Fair Grounds, the New Orleans track where the 4-year-old is stabled.

The Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes on Feb. 4 could come up deeper than anticipated. Accelerate, the runner-up to Midnight Storm in the Grade 2 San Pasqual, is a likely starter, while Midnight Storm has not been ruled out of the 1 1/16-mile San Antonio.

Silent Bird, the likely favorite Friday in a one-mile allowance race, is another San Antonio candidate.

But the richest horses likely for the San Antonio are the Bob Baffert-trained Hoppertunity and Mor Spirit. Baffert said Wednesday that both are aiming for the $300,000 San Antonio.

Unique Bella worked a half-mile Wednesday for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer and could start favored Sunday when she makes her stakes debut against a good field in the Grade 2, seven-furlong Santa Ynez at Santa Anita.

Unique Bella is perhaps the most highly regarded 3-year-old filly in California even though she has started just twice. She finished second in her debut and then won a Del Mar maiden by more than 10 lengths Nov. 26.

Sired by Tapit and produced by Breeders’ Cup Distaff winner Unrivaled Belle, Unique Bella worked alone in 47.80 seconds.

The best sprinter in the country will go international this spring. Drefong, the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Sprint last out, will point to the $2 million Golden Shaheen at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai on March 25, according to trainer Bob Baffert.

Drefong was expected to start Dec. 26 in the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita but got sick and was not entered. The 4-year-old has returned to light training; Baffert will either train him into the Golden Shaheen or run him in a prep race. The next sprint stakes at Santa Anita is the Grade 2 Palos Verdes on Feb. 4.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Arrogate remains on course for the $12 million Pegasus World Cup on Jan. 28 at Gulfstream Park despite being scratched from the Grade 2 San Pasqual last Sunday due to a wet track at Santa Anita.

“I’m trying to set up a [work] schedule for him,” trainer Bob Baffert said Wednesday after Arrogate jogged. “I’m working around the rain.”

Baffert said Arrogate could work next Wednesday, pending track conditions.

“I want to work him Wednesday if it doesn’t rain,” he said. “It could be Wednesday, it could be Sunday.”

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. started a five-day suspension on Thursday for a careless-riding infraction dating back to Oct. 14 at Belmont Park. Ortiz is suspended for this four-day race week as well as next Thursday.

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OZONE PARK, N.Y. – In Bride Street, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin could send out the favorite in Sunday’s $100,000 Ruthless Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at six furlongs.

Bride Street, a daughter of Street Cry, won her debut by a half-length at Aqueduct on Nov. 27. The horse she beat, Forever Lies, came back to win a one-mile maiden race at Laurel Park by 5 1/4 lengths on Dec. 31.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Takaful was basically eased while finishing last as the even-money favorite in the Jerome on Monday. Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said Wednesday that Takaful showed no physical ailments or illnesses out of the race.

“Nothing showed up,” McLaughlin said. “He came out of it in good shape, scoped clean. I don’t know what to think. Not good any way you look at it.”

Takaful won his debut by eight lengths in a fast time Oct. 29 at Belmont and then ran third as the favorite in the Grade 2 Remsen.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Preparing horses in the Northeast for big races at this time of year can be a bit tricky, with trainers focused as much on long-range weather forecasts as they are their horses.

Trainer Cal Lynch and his owners are certainly taking weather into consideration as they map out the short-term future for their promising 3-year-old El Areeb, the 11 1/4-length winner of Monday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct.