The colt Chasing Aces wiped a 52-year-old track record from the books and posted the highest Beyer Speed Figure of the year among 2-year-olds with a dazzling victory against maidens on Sunday.

He sped five furlongs in 56.21 seconds while winning by 5 1/4 lengths over the well-regarded Straight Fire, who was another 5 1/2 lengths in front of the rest of the field.

The race was fast on raw time and when adjusted for the speed of the track, too. It came back a 101 from Team Beyer.

Florent Geroux will make a rare West Coast appearance Saturday when he rides Belvoir Bay in the Grade 2 $200,000 San Clemente Handicap for 3-year-old fillies at one mile on turf. 

Belvoir Bay is owned in part by Gary Barber, who owns the brilliant turf filly Catch a Glimpse, whom Geroux also rides.

Other prominent prospects for the San Clemente include Be Mine, Pacific Heat, and Stays in Vegas, who was assigned the co-top weight of 122 pounds.

If Hard Aces goes in the Cougar II at Del Mar on Sunday, his most prominent opponent likely will be Hoppertunity, who worked six furlongs in 1:12 on Monday. Hoppertunity was assigned the top weight of 123 pounds for the Cougar II, one more than Hard Aces.

Hoppertunity was fourth behind Melatonin, Win the Space, and Hard Aces in the Santa Anita Gold Cup last time out. Flavien Prat, who rode Hoppertunity to a third-place finish in the Dubai World Cup, has the mount Sunday, according to trainer Bob Baffert.

[bc_video_id:388835:]The Delaware Park board of stewards in its daily log to the Delaware Racing Commission for the races of last Saturday states that the stewards began an inquiry into the start of the Delaware Handicap prior to a jockey’s objection.

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.