Emerald Downs has announced it will offer $475,000 in incentives for horsemen during its upcoming 70-day meet, which runs April 8 through Sept. 17.

The incentives include:

* A trainer participation program, which includes an early-bird move-in bonus from February-May; reduced start-up costs (first eight bags of bedding per stall provided); and lower fees on both dorm rentals and mechanical hot-walkers. Also, trainers can recover a portion of their stall costs based on a stall efficiency factor and conservation of utilities.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Bavaro, a winner sprinting in both of his starts, finalized preparations for his two-turn debut when he breezed five furlongs in 1:00.69 over the Belmont Park training track Sunday. Bavaro is scheduled to start in Saturday’s $100,000 Gander Stakes for New York-bred 3-year-olds at a mile and 70 yards.

Gary Sciacca, who trains Bavaro for Hall of Fame football coach Bill Parcells, said Bavaro is showing signs of maturing in the morning.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Mo Town, the Grade 2 Remsen winner, is ahead of schedule in his training for his 3-year-old debut, which trainer Tony Dutrow said is still likely to be in the Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham at Aqueduct on March 4. However, Dutrow said Sunday that he will keep an eye on other races around that same time, such as the Risen Star at Fair Grounds on Feb. 25 and the Fountain of Youth on March 4 at Gulfstream Park.

“He’s probably going to end up in the Gotham,” said Dutrow, who mentioned the Gotham the day after the Remsen as Mo Town’s likely 3-year-old debut.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – As a longtime exercise rider for trainer Todd Pletcher, Antonio Arriaga has gotten to work with some extremely talented horses. As a fledgling trainer, Arriaga can only hope to one day get those types of horses under his own shed row.

Arriaga, 39, has steadily wound down his career working for others and in 2016 ramped up the process of training on his own full time. Last year, he won five races from 33 starters, including going 3 for 3 at Saratoga.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The only reason California Chrome is running Saturday instead of already being at stud is that the Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park will be the richest race in the world, with a $12 million purse. He could win a $7 million first prize.

The only reason California Chrome will head to Kentucky on Sunday morning is that the breeding season is about to commence, and mares have been booked, many of them owned by those involved in the current ownership group, California Chrome LLC, precluding any further starts.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Recent rain in Southern California has been a boost for Prize Exhibit, the winner of the Grade 3 Megahertz Stakes at Santa Anita on Jan. 16.

Prize Exhibit was fourth and fifth in stakes on firm turf in October and November. The course was rated “good” for the Megahertz Stakes. Prize Exhibit closed from sixth in a field of seven to win by 1 1/4 lengths, ending a 10-race losing streak.

“I think the turf softening has helped,” trainer Jim Cassidy said.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Six Point Rack beat maidens in a one-mile race for California-breds at Santa Anita on Dec. 29 and will get an immediate test of ability and stamina in Saturday’s $250,000 California Cup Derby at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita.

Six Point Rack, owned by breeders Larry and Marianne Williams and trained by Mike Puype, needed four races to beat maidens.

“He was getting better with each race,” Puype said. “It wasn’t a surprise he fired the other day. His lights just hadn’t turned on.

“The whole family starts to warm up as they start running.”

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The inclination is to scoff and ridicule. Go ahead, says Dale Romans. Racing fans have done it before.

“Wayne Lukas told me he’s made millions of dollars running horses where people said they didn’t belong,” said Romans, who will saddle the longshot Prayer for Relief for the $12 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park on Saturday.

No trainer should have to endure what Terri Pompay went through last Saturday at Gulfstream.

Lumumba, a promising 3-year-old making his career debut for Pompay, was defeated in a very tight photo in the fifth race, and then Nauset Beach was nipped in virtually identical fashion in the last race of the day, the $200,000 Sunshine Millions Classic.

No fewer than six undercard stakes are on tap for Saturday at Gulfstream Park in creating a suitable buildup to the inaugural Pegasus World Cup. The richest of those supporting events is the $400,000 Poseidon, which also is being run for the first time.

The Poseidon, like the Pegasus, is for older horses at 1 1/8 miles on the main track. Entries were to be drawn Monday afternoon, with the confirmed starters being Imperative, Cherry Wine, and Todd Pletcher’s Stanford and Madefromlucky.