ETOBICOKE, Ontario - After Smart Mission swept to victory at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 21 in her career debut, the half-sister to Grade 1 winner and millionaire Irish Mission immediately became a top prospect for the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks on June 12. But trainer Malcolm Pierce said that Smart Mission will miss the Oaks after having a chip removed from her knee shortly after her first race.

“She’s needing some time on the farm in Ocala,” Pierce said. “She’s not going to be ready for the Oaks, so we’re giving her a little break right now, and she’ll be fine by midseason.”

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Woodbine’s opening weekend marked the first races run on the new Tapeta main track, which drew positive early reviews from Woodbine’s jockeys.

“It’s beautiful,” said David Moran, who recorded two wins from 12 mounts last weekend. “So far, so good. The horses are very comfortable on it, and it seems to be playing very fair. It’s night and day to the old Polytrack.”

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Nyquist, the unbeaten champion and Kentucky Derby favorite, kicked off his serious preparation for the spring classic on Friday at Keeneland, breezing for the first time since winning the Florida Derby on April 2.

Keeneland clockers credited the colt and regular exercise rider Jonny Garcia with five furlongs in 1:02.60, with splits of 12.60 seconds, 24.80, and 37.20.

Golden Gate Fields will host weekend handicapping seminars for the next three weekends as part of its inaugural Turf Festival.

Tom Quigley, who hosts seminars at Santa Anita, will analyze the Golden Gate Fields card from the Paddock Pub beginning at 1 p.m. Pacific each Saturday and Sunday. Quigley will be joined by a guest handicapper.

The Turf Festival continues through May 1, when a pair of $100,000 California-bred turf stakes will be offered, the Silky Sullivan and the Campanile for females. The Grade 3, $100,000 San Francisco Mile will be run Saturday, April 30.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Jose Ortiz, who won the Aqueduct winter-meet riding title, is off to a blazing start at the spring meet.

Through the first nine days, Ortiz had won 24 races from 66 mounts, opening up a seven-win lead on his brother Irad.

Jose Ortiz won three races Wednesday, and he won seven races last weekend. Ortiz won multiple races on seven of the first nine days of the spring meet, including a five-win afternoon April 2. It was the second five-win day of his career, his other coming March 6.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The connections of King Kranz certainly will have no problem if Unified stretches out in distance for his next couple of starts.

King Kranz, beaten three lengths when second to Unified in the Grade 3 Bay Shore last Saturday, will be pointed to the Grade 2, $500,000 Woody Stephens on the June 11 Belmont Stakes undercard.

King Kranz, who won the Lost in the Fog and was third in the Fred “Cappy” Capossela, chased Unified all the way around the muddy Aqueduct main track and finished six lengths clear of third-place finisher Cocked and Loaded.

Finger Lakes Racetrack will begin its 55th season Saturday amid concerns that this could be the upstate New York track’s final year.

Most of the track’s purse money comes from revenue generated at the Finger Lakes casino, which has 1,500 slot machines. Beginning next February, Finger Lakes will face increased competition from the now-under-construction Del Lago Resort and Casino, which is located 25 miles away and is much closer to the population base of Rochester. When completed, Del Lago will have 2,000 slot machines, 100 table games, and a 200-room hotel.

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.