HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Cupid arrived at Oaklawn Park just before 1 p.m. on Wednesday aboard a flight bringing horses from Southern California for weekend stakes here. Cupid is the 2-1 morning-line favorite for the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby on Saturday.

Melatonin was on the fight and is in town for the Oaklawn Handicap. Also making the ship from Southern California were Tara’s Tango, who goes in the Apple Blossom Handicap on Friday; Point Piper, for the Oaklawn Handicap; and I Will Score, in the Bachelor Stakes on Friday.

Kentucky Derby hopeful Mo Tom had a serious breeze early Wednesday at Churchill Downs, going a half-mile in 48.40 seconds, with gallop-out times of 1:01.40, 1:14.20, and 1:27.40, according to Churchill clocker John Nichols.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Domain’s Rap might be the best $10,000 owner Danny Caldwell has ever spent in racing. The horse punched his ticket to Saturday’s Grade 2, $750,000 Oaklawn Handicap by running a big second to Upstart in last month’s Grade 3, $350,000 Razorback Handicap.

“I have had some good claims, but horses like him don’t come around very often,” said Caldwell.

Besides the Grade 1 Maker’s 46 Mile, a 10-race Friday card at Keeneland  includes a number of interesting preceding races.

In race 2, Union Jackson is a 4-5 morning-line favorite in a classified allowance sprint after earning Beyer Speed Figures in the 90s in four of his five career starts.

In race 7, Apologynotaccepted makes her first start for trainer Bill Mott after Happy Alter sold a partial interest in the 5-year-old mare to Gary Barber following a 16-length debut victory in which she earned a 96 Beyer on March 11 at Gulfstream Park.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Tepin will be heavily favored when going for a fifth straight victory in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley Stakes, one of four straight stakes on an 11-race Saturday card at Keeneland.

Trainer Mark Casse said this week he “could not be happier” with how Tepin is coming into the $350,000 Jenny Wiley, a 1 1/16-mile turf race in which eight other fillies and mares are expected to start.

CYPRESS, Calif. - Uncle Lino, who finished third in the $1,009,690 Santa Anita Derby will not start in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 7 and will be pointed for the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on May 21, trainer Gary Sherlock said on Wednesday.

“We won’t go to the Derby with him,” Sherlock said. “I want to go to the Preakness.”

Uncle Lino was beaten 8 1/2 lengths by Exaggerator in the Santa Anita Derby at 1 1/8 miles, racing near the front before fading from contention in the final furlong.

CYPRESS, Calif. – San Onofre, who won the Grade 3 Midnight Lute Stakes at Santa Anita in January, is a leading contender for Saturday’s $100,000 Los Angeles Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs at Los Alamitos.

The Grade 3 Los Angeles Stakes is one of two stakes on Saturday’s program at Los Alamitos, along with the $100,000 Bertrando Stakes for California-bred milers.

Abiding Star, a 3-year-old son of top sire Uncle Mo, won his fourth consecutive start Wednesday when he defeated older rivals in a third-level optional-claiming race at Parx.

Abiding Star will now be pointed to the $100,000 Parx Derby on May 7, according to Ned Allard, who trains the colt for Gil Campbell.

Abiding Star was the 3-1 third choice Tuesday, as the older runners Nasa and He’s So Fine were bet down to even-money and 7-5. Abiding Star went right to the front in the mile-and-70-yard race and then pulled away from Nasa to win by 8 3/4 lengths over a sloppy track.

On Tuesday, Sunshine Wild became the fifth horse to test positive for the equine herpesvirus at Parx Racing. The positive test restarts a 28-day quarantine clock at Parx that now runs through May 10.

The first four horses to test positive for the herpesvirus were all housed in Barn 30. Two were trained by Michael Aro and two by Ron Dandy. All four horses have died or been euthanized.

Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack and Resort will begin its 160-day season Saturday with a nine-race card topped by a five-furlong, no-conditions allowance.

The Mountaineer season will continue on a Saturday-to-Wednesday schedule through Nov. 26. First post will be 7 p.m. Eastern except on West Virginia Derby Day, Aug. 6, when the races will begin at 2 p.m. The 1 1/8-mile West Virginia Derby, a Grade 2 race, will again be worth $750,000. It was won last year by Madefromlucky, who is trained by Todd Pletcher.