OZONE PARK, N.Y. – She worked as a tattoo artist in Puerto Rico, but now Dalila Rivera is attempting to make her imprint in a totally different profession.

Rivera is a jockey, and after a rough start to her stint in New York, things are beginning to turn around for the 27-year-old apprentice. Rivera has won with five of her last seven mounts – including one at Parx – and had the first two-win day of her career last Friday at Aqueduct.

“I’m very happy for this opportunity, and the success in this moment for me is very, very special,” Rivera said. “I feel blessed.”

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Trainer Kenny McPeek said Blackout Time and Taken by the Wind, who both exit 3-year-old preps, could make a surface switch for upcoming stakes at Churchill Downs.

“We might shift to turf on both horses,” McPeek said.

Blackout Time is under consideration for the Grade 1, $1 million American Turf for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on May 2. Last year, he was second to eventual champion Ted Noffey in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland and this year ran fourth in the Rebel and fifth in the Arkansas Derby.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Nu What’s New has gone from maiden winner to graded stakes winner during the course of the Oaklawn Park meet and the next frontier could be Derby Week at Churchill Downs.

Trainer Jimmy DiVito said plans for the winner of the Grade 3, $500,000 Oaklawn Mile on March 28 are not yet determined but an option is the Grade 2, $750,000 Alysheba on May 1.

“I don’t really know exactly where I’m going to go, but maybe Kentucky,” he said. “There’s a race [Derby Week], the Alysheba. It’s a mile and a sixteenth. We might try that race.”

ARCADIA, Calif. – A one-two finish by Meaning and Brooklyn Blonde was an ideal result to Saturday’s Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks for trainer Michael McCarthy.

Meaning will have her next start in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on May 1 at Churchill Downs. She leads all qualifiers with 126 points. Brooklyn Blonde, however, has only 50 points and ranked 21st on the qualification list.

Brooklyn Blonde’s status for the Kentucky Oaks will not be known until later this month. The field will be limited to 14 starters.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – There are only seven races on Thursday’s card, the final six comprising a pick six that begins the day with a $50,563 carryover after the wager was not hit on Saturday’s Wood Memorial card.

Class-dropping Gunner Bay may have found a spot to end a 0-for-13 streak in race 2, a $20,000 claiming event. The combined record for this group over the last 15 months is 4 for 75. Wake Surf goes first off the claim at this level for Rob Atras.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Crude Velocity will take an unbeaten record to the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile at Churchill Downs on May 2.

On Saturday at Santa Anita, Crude Velocity ($3) won an allowance race at 6 1/2 furlongs by 6 3/4 lengths without urging from jockey Florent Geroux. Crude Velocity was timed in 1:14.32 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 100.

Owned by CSLR Racing Partners and trained by Bob Baffert, Crude Velocity won a maiden race in his first start at Santa Anita on March 7. On Sunday, Baffert regretted that Crude Velocity had a late start to his career.