OLDSMAR, Fla. – After braving Chicago winters for most of her 20 years as a trainer, Michele Boyce decided to head south to Tampa Bay Downs this year. Her decision was a big plus for horseplayers as the Boyce stable has been one of the bright new additions to the racing scene here.

The Big Beast, the winner of the Grade 1 King’s Bishop last summer at Saratoga, arrived at Aqueduct on Sunday from Oaklawn Park to train up to the Grade 1, $400,000 Carter Handicap on April 4.

Trainer Tony Dutrow said the Grade 1 status of the Carter and the seven-furlong distance made that race more attractive to him and owner Alex Lieblong than the Grade 3 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap, a six-furlong race at Oaklawn on April 9.

“We like the Beast more at seven than six,” said Dutrow, who was at Aqueduct on Monday to watch The Big Beast train.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Mr. Jordan and Competitive Edge were two of the fastest 2-year-olds in the country last season, both undefeated and relatively untested before being sidelined with injuries. But something will have to give when they launch their 3-year-old campaigns in Friday’s $60,000 Tamarac, an overnight stakes carded at seven furlongs.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Josie Carroll did not confirm Ami’s Flatter as a definite starter in Saturday’s $1 million Florida Derby, but she certainly was leaning in that direction after the Tampa Bay Derby runner-up breezed a half-mile in 49 seconds at Palm Meadows on Monday.

“I was pretty happy with the work, and if he looks good [Tuesday], we’ll probably go there,” Carroll said, referring to the Grade 1 Florida Derby, which was to be drawn late Tuesday afternoon in the walking ring at Gulfstream Park.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Cozmic One, the first foal out of the 2010 Horse of the Year Zenyatta, could make his career debut in April, trainer John Shirreffs said Sunday.

The 3-year-old Cozmic One, by Bernardini, has worked steadily since December. In his most recent workout, Cozmic One worked five furlongs in 1:01.20 last Friday.

“I thought his last work was really good,” Shirreffs said. “He wanted to finish in that work.”

The ever-patient Shirreffs said Cozmic One’s mental approach has nearly caught up to his physical efforts.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Rutile sparked decade-old memories of her older half-brother, Giacomo, when the 4-year-old filly won a maiden race in her career debut Saturday at Santa Anita.

Rutile closed from last in a field of 10 to win the six-furlong race by three-quarters of a length over Vivacious Beauty, paying $44.80. Rutile ran six furlongs in 1:10.04, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 77.

Rutile, by Medaglia d’Oro, races for breeders Jerry and Ann Moss and trainer John Shirreffs, the people behind Giacomo, the winner of the 2005 Kentucky Derby.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Ashleyluvssugar won his graded stakes debut in Saturday’s $200,750 San Luis Rey Stakes at 1 1/2 miles on turf at Santa Anita. The fact that the 4-year-old gelding won a Grade 2 and did so in a turf marathon is a point of amazement for trainer Peter Eurton.

Earlier in his career, Ashleyluvssugar had impatient tendencies, Eurton said. In the San Luis Rey Stakes at 1 1/2 miles, Ashleyluvssugar ($13.20) was third for the first mile under jockey Gary Stevens and fought off a challenge from the 3-5 favorite Finnegans Wake to win by 2 1/4 lengths.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Bill Mott was in New York on Sunday morning and will be on his way to Dubai on Monday. But he may now have a reason to put Kentucky on his itinerary for the first Saturday in May.

Mott is the trainer of Dubai Sky, who on Saturday won the Grade 3 Spiral Stakes over Turfway Park’s synthetic surface and earned enough points to get into the May 2 Kentucky Derby if his connections want to run.

ELMONT, N.Y. - As the New York winter struggles to evolve into spring, this circuit’s heartiest 3-year-old soul, El Kabeir, continues to thrive, working five furlongs in 59.97 seconds Sunday morning over the Belmont Park training track.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Dortmund and Prospect Park, the two leading contenders for the $1 million Santa Anita Derby on April 4, had vital six-furlong workouts in Southern California on Saturday.

Dortmund, unbeaten in five starts, worked in 1:12 at Santa Anita, the second-fastest of 18 works at the distance. Dortmund started his workout alone and joined horses who started several lengths in front, trainer Bob Baffert said.

“He caught some company to keep him interested,” Baffert said. “They kept him going all the way around.”