LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Trainer Dale Romans said he will keep his two star 3-year-olds separated for their next starts while eyeing the Travers Stakes for both.

Romans said this week at his Churchill Downs base that Brody’s Cause likely will be pointed to the $1 million Haskell Invitational on July 31 at Monmouth Park, while Cherry Wine could race the following weekend in the $750,000 West Virginia Derby on Aug. 6 at Mountaineer.

“The ideal thing would be for them both to run their way into the Travers,” he said.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – West Point Thoroughbreds partners from Canada and across the United States will converge on Woodbine in two weeks to see if Scholar Athlete can give the group its first Queen’s Plate winner in its third attempt.

West Point Thoroughbreds recorded an eighth-place finish in 2005 with Get Down and a ninth-place finish in 2011 with Enduring Star, but Terry Finley, chief executive of West Point Thoroughbreds, believes Scholar Athlete has a big chance this time.

ELMONT, N.Y. – This is a big weekend for trainer Jimmy Jerkens, with Effinex in Saturday night’s Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs and Unified’s two-turn debut in the Grade 3 Pegasus at Monmouth on Sunday.

He can only hope things go as well for those horses as they did for Shaman Ghost in last Saturday’s Grade 2, $400,000 Brooklyn Invitational, a race he won by 4 1/4 lengths.

ELMONT, N.Y. – When last seen at the races, Tin Type Gal was getting up late to win the Grade 3 Miss Grillo at Belmont Park by a nose. That was nine months ago.

On Sunday, Tin Type Gal makes her 3-year-old debut in the $100,000 Wild Applause, for 3-year-old fillies going a mile on the Widener turf course.

Eleven were entered for the Wild Applause, including one main-track-only runner, Estelle.

Tin Type Gal, a daughter of Tapit trained by Graham Motion, went 2 for 2 on turf last year after finishing seventh in an off-the-turf race at Saratoga.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Ironicus, who ran a solid second to Flintshire in the Grade 1 Manhattan at 1 1/4 miles last Saturday, likely will shorten up to a mile in the Grade 1, $500,000 Fourstardave at Saratoga on Aug. 13, trainer Shug McGaughey said Thursday.

“I just don’t really want to run him a mile and a half,” said McGaughey, alluding to the Grade 1 Sword Dancer at Saratoga on Aug. 27.

McGaughey didn’t close the door on the Arlington Million, run at 1 1/4 miles on Aug. 13, but wants to keep Ironicus on firm ground.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Governor Malibu ran well enough in the Belmont Stakes to keep the New York-bred under consideration for some of the higher-quality races in the 3-year-old division this summer, trainer Christophe Clement said Thursday.

Governor Malibu finished fourth in the Belmont, beaten four lengths by Creator. He saved all the ground under Joel Rosario and altered course in the stretch after Rosario thought about going inside, only to have the room closed when Gettysburg came back to the inside after drifting out a path turning for home.

Louisiana Downs is going green on Saturday.

The track is putting on an all-turf card, the first of two such programs planned for the meet, with the other July 16.

The concept appears to be a hit with horsemen. Saturday’s seven-race program drew 75 entrants for an average of more than 10 horses per race. Mother Nature appears to be on board, too. The forecast calls for highs in the mid-90s and the possibility of a “stray” shower, according to The Weather Channel.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Ralis reversed months of disappointing performances with a nose loss to Gold Rush Dancer in the $188,000 Snow Chief Stakes on the Santa Anita turf on May 28.

The Snow Chief, restricted to California-breds, was the first start on turf for Ralis, who is likely to stay on the surface through the summer. On Saturday, Ralis can win his first stakes since the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga last September in the $75,000 Rainbow Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita.

Jockey Don Simington is debating whether to resume his riding career as he continues to heal from injuries sustained in an Oct. 29 spill at Delta Downs. A winner of more than 3,400 races, Simington has just started working as an agent at Louisiana Downs, representing his nephew, Garrett Steinberg, and Kevin Smith. Simington said he is waiting to see how his injured right arm and shoulder blade heal before making a call on returning to the saddle.

Hall of Fame rider Randy Romero has been cooking up a storm in his childhood home in Erath, La.

“I’ve got a lot on my plate,” he said.