Frankie Pennington has been a top rider at Parx Racing so long that it’s easy to forget he’s only 29 years old. He’ll begin the Saturday card at Parx on the verge of his 2,000th career win.

He started out at Thistledown in September 2003 at age 16 but by early 2004 was riding days at Philadelphia Park, now Parx, and nights at Penn National while living in the home of jockey agent Robert Martel and his wife, Dianne. Martel still represents Pennington.

“We call him our first teenager,” said Martel, who now has a 17-year-old son, Hunter, and a 13-year-old daughter, Logan.

Ellis Park opens its 30-day summer meet on July 2, meaning there is a one-day overlap in the state’s racing schedule. Ellis, as always, will race in the afternoon on that Saturday, while Churchill will host an evening card. Ellis then will race July 3 and 4, with the first stakes, the $50,000 Ellis Park Turf, set for July 9.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Trainer Steve Asmussen said this week that Gun Runner will breeze once at Churchill before he decides when to ship the colt to Saratoga to train toward his next race, the Haskell at Monmouth Park on July 31.

Gun Runner narrowly missed the track record for 1 1/16 miles when he easily defeated five other 3-year-olds Saturday night in the Matt Winn Stakes, his first race since he finished third in the Kentucky Derby on May 7. The son of Candy Ride finished in 1:41.12, just 0.08 seconds off the 2012 record set by Successful Dan.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Street Sense didn’t win first time out. Neither did Fort Larned and a bunch of other good horses Ian Wilkes has worked with.

So, when a 3-year-old filly named Open Arms won her career debut Sunday at Churchill Downs – breaking an eye-opening 88-race losing streak for first-time starters trained by Wilkes – it came as something of a surprise to most racing fans.

“She couldn’t have done it much easier,” said Wilkes. “It’s always nice when they run to how they work. She’s a very talented filly.”

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Amapola, who set a 4 1/2-furlong track record of 50.99 seconds in her career debut here last month, has been sold privately and is training at Saratoga, according to her former trainer, Antonio Sano.

Amapola, a 2-year-old daughter of Broken Vow, drew away to an apparent 9 3/4-length triumph to launch her career May 25. She was ultimately disqualified and placed sixth via a somewhat-controversial stewards’ decision shortly after the impressive performance, although Amapola was allowed to keep the track record.

A racehorse based at Ruidoso Downs was confirmed positive for the equine herpesvirus late Friday, but as of Monday morning, there were no new confirmed cases at the track, according to both Ruidoso president Shaun Hubbard and a representative of the New Mexico Livestock Board.

The horse confirmed positive was euthanized, and Barn 27, where the Quarter Horse resided, is under quarantine. Ruidoso is conducting a mixed meet for Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds. The track raced as scheduled over the weekend and was set to race Monday.

Painting the Sky will be racing as a Paint for the first time Wednesday night at Evangeline Downs, but the start will come against her fellow Thoroughbreds.

Whaaaaat?

Painting the Sky is a Thoroughbred, but her markings resemble those of a Paint, and her connections had submitted paperwork to have her dual-registered as a Paint. Painting the Sky on Monday received her certificate of registration from the American Paint Horse Association.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Paid Up Subscriber, who earned an expenses-paid berth to the Nov. 4 Breeders’ Cup Distaff by rolling to her first stakes victory Saturday night in the Fleur de Lis Handicap, will head soon to Saratoga, where she could take part in the major filly-and-mare races that start with the Grade 3 Shuvee on July 31, according to trainer Al Stall Jr.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Jockeys Jose Ortiz and Irad Ortiz Jr. have combined to win 30 percent of the races run at this meet (102 for 343). But for the next three racing days at least, neither will be appearing in the winner’s circle.

Both Ortiz brothers are serving suspensions starting Wednesday. Jose Ortiz, who leads the standings with 61 wins, is serving a three-day suspension for a careless-riding infraction from June 15. His suspension was reduced from five days for waiving his right of appeal.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Hot City Girl, the graded-stakes-winning New York-bred female sprinter, is getting closer to a return to the races. On Sunday, she breezed five furlongs under Jose Ortiz in 1:00.10, just her second breeze back after getting some time off during the winter and spring.

“Jose worked her a little faster than I wanted this morning, but she’s doing very well,” trainer Linda Rice said. “She’s not too far away.”

Rice is targeting the Grade 2, $200,000 Honorable Miss Handicap at Saratoga on July 27 for Hot City Girl, if she can hold her on the ground that long.