The 8-year-old gelding Hogy ran so well in winning the $50,000 Colonel Power Stakes on Feb. 25 at Fair Grounds that he was invited to the $1 million Al Quoz Sprint on the Dubai World Cup undercard.

But while it’s always nice to be invited to the party, owner William Stiritz and his private trainer, Scott Becker, respectfully declined that invitation, Becker said Thursday. Hogy runs instead in the $200,000 Shakertown Stakes on April 8 at Keeneland.

There has not been a dominant older-male turf horse at Fair Grounds this winter. Enterprising won the most recent stakes race in the division, the Fair Grounds Handicap on Feb. 25, after finishing second in the Sunshine Millions Turf, a statebred-restricted stakes at Gulfstream Park.

That has trainer Mike Stidham thinking outside the box regarding the 5-year-old mare Zipessa, whom he is considering running against male horses April 1 in the Grade 2 Muniz Memorial.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fl. - Gulfstream Park has released its spring-summer stakes schedule, which offers 29 events worth $3.85 million in purses topped by two “Win and You’re In” Breeders’ Cup races, the Grade 2, $250,000 Princess Rooney and Grade 3, $250,000 Smile Sprint.

The spring-summer meet opens April 5.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Though he has basically been doing the job since Dec. 31, Mike McMullen was officially tabbed last weekend as the new head starter for the New York Racing Association.

McMullen replaces Roy Williamson, who retired. Williamson had worked on the gate crew at NYRA since 1985 and was the head starter since 2007, when he replaced Richard Brosseau during the Saratoga meet.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Highway Star, who scratched out of last Saturday’s $150,000 Heavenly Prize Invitational, worked a half-mile in 48.11 seconds Thursday over the Belmont Park training track.

She likely will be pointed to the Grade 3, $150,000 Distaff Handicap, a seven-furlong race over Aqueduct’s main track on April 9.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Rudy Rodriguez will be well represented in Saturday’s Grade 3 Tom Fool Handicap with Sassicaia and All Star Red, but one of his other stakes-winning sprinters will be sidelined until at least the fall.

Heaven’s Runway, who won the Grade 3 Fall Highweight at Aqueduct last November and the Dave’s Friend Stakes at Laurel in December, had surgery to remove a knee chip and will be out four to five months, Rodriguez said Thursday.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Sunday’s $125,000 Stymie Stakes at Aqueduct features a game of jockey musical chairs that includes the return to New York – at least for one day – of John Velazquez and Jose Ortiz.

Velazquez, who hasn’t ridden in New York since Dec. 2, will be here to pilot Send It In for Todd Pletcher in the Stymie. Manny Franco has ridden Send It In to victory in six of his last eight starts but is committed to ride Sunny Ridge, on whom he won the Jazil Stakes in January.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Abel Tasman, the Grade 1 winner whose runner-up comeback last weekend at Santa Anita reaffirmed her status as one of the country’s top 3-year-old fillies, was transferred Thursday from trainer Simon Callaghan to Bob Baffert.

The move, orchestrated by co-owner China Horse Club, was the result of an apparent mix-up in silks worn by jockey Joe Talamo last weekend when Abel Tasman finished second to Unique Bella in the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes.

ARCADIA, Calif. – The undefeated Sircat Sally has won two stakes for California-breds and is probably not leaving home soon.

Sircat Sally will race outside of the statebred division for the first time Saturday in the $75,000 China Doll Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at a mile on turf at Santa Anita. She won the California Cup Oaks at a mile on turf here Jan. 28.

“She’s been very steady,” trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said Thursday.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Champagne Room, the 2016 champion 2-year-old filly, will be out of training until early summer after undergoing surgery to have a bone chip removed from an ankle Wednesday.

Trainer Peter Eurton said Thursday that Champagne Room emerged from the operation with no complications and will be given a 90-day rest before an expected return to training in the second half of June.

“It went very well,” Eurton said. “I’ve had so many comebacks from this type of injury. She’s only 3, and I’d love to run her at 4.”