ELMONT, N.Y. – If Ron Paolucci has his way, American Pharoah won’t be loose on the lead in the June 6 Belmont Stakes like he was in last Saturday’s Preakness Stakes, where American Pharoah splish-splashed his way to a seven-length victory in the Pimlico slop.

While betting on Saturday’s Preakness Stakes did not keep pace with record figures for this year’s Kentucky Derby, the significant decline in wagering may have been more a function of the circumstances surrounding the race then on any drop-off in attention to racing’s biggest events.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Sheer Drama worked five furlongs in 1:00.34 on Monday at Gulfstream Park in preparation for her next start, which is likely to come in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps on the Belmont Stakes undercard June 6.

Sheer Drama broke off at an easy pace, completing her opening furlong in 13.35 seconds, then began to accelerate steadily on her own, completing her final half-mile in 46.99 while never asked to run. She galloped out six furlongs in 1:14.

Pimlico decided not to delay the start of Saturday’s rain-deluged Preakness Stakes because the worst of the storm that hit shortly before the race had already passed the track, according to Sal Sinatra, the track’s general manager.

The gates for the Preakness opened at 6:21, three minutes past the scheduled post time. By that time, rain had been falling at the track for approximately 15 minutes, but the heaviest portion of the storm had migrated to the east, Sinatra said, with no danger remaining for horses and jockeys.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Be Bullish went out a winner.

Be Bullish, the popular 10-year-old stakes-winning New York-bred gelding won a $16,000 claiming race Sunday at Belmont Park by three lengths, his fourth consecutive victory and 19th overall from 87 starts.

He was claimed from David Jacobson and Drawing Away Stable by owner Mike Repole, who said he will retire Be Bullish to Old Friends Cabin Creek in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Si Sage, the winner of the Grade 3 Last Tycoon Stakes on April 25, will not start in the $200,000 Charles Whittingham Stakes at Santa Anita on May 24.

On Sunday, trainer Darrell Vienna said he would prefer to run Si Sage in a race shorter than the Grade 2 Whittingham Stakes, which is run at 1 1/2 miles on turf.

“I don’t think we’ll run there,” Vienna said. “We’re looking around.”

ARCADIA, Calif. - Distinctiv Passion is working diligently to rebound from a poor performance in Dubai in March.

The four-time stakes winner could only finish 13^th of 16 in the $1 million Al Quoz Sprint at five furlongs on turf at Meydan Racecourse on March 28, his first trip away from California. Since returning to Santa Anita, Distinctiv Passion has worked so well that trainer Jeff Bonde is planning a start in the $100,000 Los Angeles Stakes on May 25.

“He’s been a very sharp horse,” Bonde said.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Stanley Gold found himself in unfamiliar territory after Friday’s second race – not in the winner’s circle. The Gold-trained Good Genes finished second behind runaway winner Moment Is Right in the maiden special weight dash for 2-year-olds.

The loss was the first for Gold in the four 2-year-old races here this spring. What made the setback all the more surprising is that Good Genes was the best bred of the four babies he’s started so far. Good Genes is a son of Awesome of Course and a full brother to Eclipse champion Awesome Feather.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Chris Rohrbach may eventually find that this game is not that easy. But it sure seemed that way after Rohrbach won with the first horse he saddled, Sylviasgivenangel, here May 3.

Rohrbach claimed Sylviasgivenangel for $6,250 in his own name April 11. He wasted little time putting the 4-year-old filly back in the entries, switching her to turf against $12,500 claimers three weeks later, and he was rewarded with a 2 1/4-length victory.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Warren’s Veneda, third as a heavy favorite in the Grade 1 Vanity Stakes at Santa Anita on May 9, has resumed training and could start in the $1 million Ogden Phipps Stakes at Belmont Park on June 6.

Warren’s Veneda won three consecutive stakes for fillies and mares on dirt from January to mid-March, including the Grade 1 Santa Margarita Invitational in March, before losing the four-runner Vanity Stakes by a length and a head as the 1-9 favorite.

Trainer Craig Lewis said that Warren’s Veneda passed medical tests conducted in the days after the loss.