DEL MAR, Calif. – At the age of 7, Finnegans Wake is a senior member of trainer Peter Miller’s massive stable – and one of the most well respected.

Finnegans Wake has won 8 of 36 starts and earned $1,594,320 in his career. Last year, Finnegans Wake won three stakes, including the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic at Churchill Downs.

Finnegans Wake has yet to win a stakes this year but has trained well enough in recent weeks to leave Miller encouraged about the horse’s chances in Saturday’s $250,000 Del Mar Handicap.

“He’s acting like his old self,” Miller said.

Jockey Ted Gondron, who launched a riding comeback in July at Lone Star Park, registered his first win in nine years last Saturday at the Gillespie County Fair in Fredericksburg, Texas. Gondron won a maiden special weight with Ty’s Agenda.

Gondron made his comeback July 22. He had previously last ridden in a race Sept. 28, 2007, at Retama Park. Ty’s Agenda was Gondron’s 11th mount back. He was aboard the winner for Cyndi Bauerle and trainer Danny Pish.

Secret Passage, a promising son of Curlin who was fourth in the $100,000 Prelude Stakes this month at Louisiana Downs, could run next in either the Super Derby or the Oklahoma Derby, said trainer Donnie Von Hemel.

Secret Passage went 2 for 2 last year, with both wins coming at two turns at Remington. He won a maiden special weight by going last to first in his debut in October and then accounted for an allowance in his season finale Nov. 12. Secret Passage was making his first start at 3 in the Prelude.

Bling On the Music will soon take her show to Churchill Downs.

The undefeated filly is being pointed to the Grade 2 Pocahontas after her 13-length romp over male rivals in the $100,000 Gold Rush Futurity last Saturday at Arapahoe Park.

“She earned a shot with that,” said J.R. Caldwell, who trains Bling On the Music for Keene Thoroughbreds.

The Pocahontas, a 1 1/16-mile race on Sept. 17, is a Win and You’re In for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The gang’s all here. Again.

The same nine turf horses entered for the Grade 1 Fourstardave when it was scheduled to be run last Saturday were entered back Wednesday for the rescheduled, $500,000 race, to be run this Saturday at Saratoga. The race was postponed when the last six races of last Saturday’s card were canceled due to poor track conditions and safety concerns.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The way Songbird won the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks here four weeks ago, one would have thought the racing office would have had difficulty rounding up horses to face her in Saturday’s Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama.

Such was not the case as six 3-year-old fillies – four of whom are graded stakes winners – were entered Wednesday against the champion Songbird, who is undefeated in nine career starts.

Songbird, who will be ridden by Mike Smith, drew post 6 in the Alabama, which will go as race 10 on a 12-race card that begins at 1 p.m. Eastern.

Firing Line and Melatonin, two leading older horses who will not start in Saturday’s $1 million Pacific Classic, are in training for races later this month at Del Mar and at Santa Anita in October.

Firing Line, second in the 2015 Kentucky Derby, worked five furlongs in 59 seconds at Del Mar on Wednesday. He is a candidate for the $75,000 Harry Brubaker Stakes at a mile Aug. 24. Owned by Arnold Zetcher, Firing Line has started once this year, finishing fifth of six in an optional claimer July 9 at Santa Anita.

Trainer Rick Violette said Wednesday he is now leaning toward bringing Upstart back in the one-mile, Grade 2 Kelso rather than the 1 1/4-mile, Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup, which, like the Kelso, will be decided Oct. 8 at Belmont Park.

“We’ve gotten to the point we’re thinking he’s not a mile-and-quarter horse,” Violette said. “So while I’m not entirely ruling out the Gold Cup, I think it would be more likely we’ll bring him back in the Kelso and then point for the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.”

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Summer Revolution, whose stock has risen quickly in the 3-year-old division after a pair of impressive victories to launch his career, was given the opportunity to stretch his legs a little Wednesday morning, breezing an easy-as-can-be half-mile in 50.87 seconds over Saratoga’s main track with trainer Rudy Rodriguez aboard.

Summer Revolution, a son of Summer Bird, won his first two starts by a combined 10 1/4 lengths. He earned a 104 Beyer Speed Figure easily handling first-level allowance opposition by three lengths, going seven furlongs here Aug. 6.

DEL MAR, Calif. – The private acquisition of Express Himself by owners Pete and Kosta Hronis and trainer John Sadler in July may have occurred at the perfect time.

The addition of Express Himself gives Hronis Racing and Sadler a much-needed runner for the Southern California turf marathon division. The purchase could pay off quickly Saturday when Express Himself makes his American debut in the $250,000 Del Mar Handicap at 1 3/8 miles on turf.