Remington Park in Oklahoma City opens its 67-date meet Friday night with an appealing nine-race card that features two allowances, an expanded Oklahoma Derby program on the horizon, and a stable area that has drawn divisions from such leading North American trainers as Steve Asmussen and Karl Broberg.

Remington will hold nighttime racing Wednesdays through Saturdays but will put on its two biggest programs of the season on Sunday afternoons. Oklahoma Derby Day is set for Sept. 25, and Springboard Mile Day closes out the meet Dec. 11.

The jockeys’ race at Ellis Park couldn’t get much tighter. With 17 of the 30 summer programs in the books, six riders are within three wins of the lead.

When another three-day weekend begins Friday at the western Kentucky track, Didiel Osorio will have the lead – but barely. Osorio, who won the Ellis riding title last summer, has ridden 14 winners at a meet that began July 2, followed in close order by Robby Albarado (13), Jimmy Graham (13), Brian Hernandez Jr. (13), Corey Lanerie (12), and Miguel Mena (11).

DEL MAR, Calif. – After watching Beholder breeze five furlongs in 59 seconds here Wednesday, trainer Richard Mandell said she is likely to start in the $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Aug. 20.

“There’s no reason not to do it from what I’ve seen so far,” Mandella said shortly after the workout.

If Beholder starts, the Pacific Classic would be the first matchup between the three-time champion mare and Kentucky Derby winner California Chrome, the 2014 Horse of the Year and the winner of the $10 million Dubai World Cup in the United Arab Emirates earlier this year.

DEL MAR, Calif. – The older female grass division on this circuit has produced many stakes winners and no clear-cut leader for the better part of two years now, so it will be interesting to see if Sobradora Inc can assume that mantle. Considering the way she won the Osunitas Stakes on Sunday, plus her obvious upside, she’s got a chance.

DEL MAR, Calif. – California Chrome will have his final work for the Grade 1, $1 million Pacific Classic on Sunday morning at Los Alamitos, then will head to Del Mar on Monday.

“He’s done so good over there, I don’t want to change anything,” trainer Art Sherman said while watching his horses train at Del Mar this week.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - The theory that Songbird would improve with more experience training over Saratoga’s main track is proving to be valid.

Tuesday morning, in her second breeze over the track since winning the Coaching Club American Oaks, Songbird sailed through five furlongs in 1:00.70. She got her last half-mile in 46.73 seconds under exercise rider Edgar Rodriguez.

The best part of the breeze may have come after the wire when she galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.63, seven-eighths in 1:26.19, and a mile in 1:39.71.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Gulfstream Park in Florida will hold a $400,000 race on Jan. 28 on the undercard of the $12 million Pegasus World Cup and allow stakeholders to pre-enter two horses in the Pegasus, officials of The Stronach Group, which owns Gulfstream, said on Monday night. One horse would be allowed to run in the Pegasus and the other in the secondary stakes, the Poseidon Stakes.

The undefeated Bling On the Music, who had been targeting the Spinaway Stakes at Saratoga, will instead head to Colorado for the $100,000 Gold Rush Futurity, trainer J.R. Caldwell said. The six-furlong race for 2-year-olds is Sunday at Arapahoe Park.

Bling On the Music is based at Remington, and travel considerations were one reason to pass on the trip to New York, said Caldwell. Bling On the Music has won both of her starts, her most recent an 8 1/2-length romp in the $93,000 fillies’ division of the Texas Thoroughbred Futurity at Lone Star Park.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – These days, the Chad Brown barn overflows with turf talent to the extent that Brown often has multiple runners in graded turf stakes. But while Brown has just one horse, the likely favorite, Sea Calisi, for the Beverly D. Stakes, Arlington-based trainer Mike Stidham made like Brown and pre-entered three horses – Marypop, Zipessa, and Secret Someone.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – If you don’t follow the Dubai World Cup Carnival or the English winter all-weather circuit, Tryster could be the best horse you’ve barely heard of. The Ireland-bred, England-based horse made his first trip to North America last week. He should be right at home here and could even be the favorite Saturday in the Arlington Million.