DEL MAR, Calif. – California Chrome will carry 126 pounds and spot his rivals at least five pounds Saturday at Del Mar in the Grade 2, $200,000 San Diego Handicap, his first start since winning the Dubai World Cup four months ago.

Handicap races are becoming increasingly rare, and this likely will be the last one in which California Chrome competes, since his remaining scheduled races are all weight-for-age. He carried 126 pounds in the Dubai World Cup. The most he has carried is 132, when he won his prep in Dubai for the World Cup.

Cupid was scheduled to fly back to California on Tuesday from Indianapolis Airport, which is about 35 miles from Indiana Grand Race Course, where Cupid won the Grade 2, $500,000 Indiana Derby on Saturday night.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The undefeated Lady Eli took a big step toward her improbable return to the races with a strong half-mile workout Sunday over the Belmont Park turf course.

Lady Eli went a half-mile in 48.29 seconds in company with Grey Stark. While Lady Eli did get a little hot – it was a very warm morning, and she was in the last of three sets – she showed more enthusiasm and grabbed a hold of the bit more aggressively than she had in her two previous works.

Trainer Chad Brown thought it was a solid move.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – It now looks like both of Mark Casse’s brilliant turf females will make their next start at Saratoga.

Already set on running Tepin in the Grade 1 Fourstardave on Aug. 13, Casse said Monday that Catch a Glimpse, the winner of the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks on July 9, will make her next start in the Grade 2, $300,000 Lake Placid Stakes here on Aug. 21.

Casse thinks the Lake Placid is the easiest way for Catch a Glimpse to get to the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland on Oct. 15.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Gun Runner, third in the Kentucky Derby, signaled his readiness for a rematch with Derby winner Nyquist in the $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park on July 31 by putting in a strong five-furlong workout Monday at Saratoga.

With regular rider Florent Geroux in the irons, Gun Runner worked in 59.87 seconds over the Oklahoma training track. Gun Runner started a few lengths behind another horse and finished about five in front. He got his last quarter in 23.53 seconds and galloped out six furlongs in 1:12.87.

Evangeline Downs begins offering a reduced 12 percent takeout on its pick fours Wednesday night, and the late pick four is highlighted by a turf allowance.

Zendelphian figures to start as one of the top choices in the eighth race, a conditioned one-mile race for Louisiana-breds, after finishing second in the $100,000 Louisiana Legends Cheval last out July 2. He will add Lasix.

Also at Evangeline, jockey Steve Bourque enters Wednesday night’s card four wins from the 4,000th Thoroughbred victory of his career.

Oaklawn Park has launched a search for a new announcer after Pete Aiello was hired as the year-round race-caller at Gulfstream Park. Aiello spent his first season in Arkansas this year and came to Oaklawn from his home base of south Florida. Gulfstream announced Aiello’s hiring on Sunday.

“Pete has resigned his position at Oaklawn, so we are searching for a new announcer,” said Jennifer Hoyt, a spokeswoman for Oaklawn.

Hoyt said the track hopes to have a new voice in place by the end of August.

There’s a new name sitting atop the trainers’ standings at Louisiana Downs, but it belongs to a very familiar face. H.B. Johnson Jr. has been a staple at the Bossier City, La., track since the 1980s and is enjoying his best local season in 30 years.

Heading into Wednesday’s card, Johnson had won 23 races from 73 starts to lead all trainers in wins. He also tops the standings in stable earnings with $255,965. The numbers are a throwback to the standout meet Johnson had at Louisiana Downs in 1986, when he went 23 for 74 and his charges earned nearly $200,000.

Gulfstream Park officials have announced that Pete Aiello is now the year-round announcer at the south Florida track.

Aiello, 30, replaces Larry Collmus, who resigned in late June after working the last 10 winters at Gulfstream. Collmus said his schedule as the primary race-caller for the New York Racing Association and NBC Sports precluded him from working four months a year at Gulfstream.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Nominations for the 81st running of the $500,000 Prince of Wales Stakes closed July 12, and a field of eight looks likely for the second jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown on dirt next Tuesday at Fort Erie.

The nominations include the top three finishers from the $1 million Queen’s Plate at Woodbine on July 3: Sir Dudley Digges, Amis Gizmo, and All On Red.

Sir Dudley Digges returned to Kentucky with trainer Mike Maker following his win in the Queen’s Plate and will ship to Fort Erie for the race.