OLDSMAR, Fla. – Making a living in a business where the difference between success and failure often is measured in mere inches is no easy task. In an industry where a trainer is considered successful if his horses win two out of every 10 times, learning to deal with defeat can be just as crucial as learning to handle success.

Masochistic, a four-time winner who failed a drug test last year, won his 2015 debut in an optional claimer at 6 1/2 furlongs at Santa Anita on Saturday. The win left trainer A.C. Avila planning a start for Masochistic in the $500,000 Churchill Downs Stakes at seven furlongs on May 2.

Over the weekend, it was not clear whether Avila will train Masochistic this spring.

Dortmund, the leading 3-year-old in California, will start in the $400,000 San Felipe Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on Saturday, owner Kaleem Shah said on Sunday.

Trained by Bob Baffert, Dortmund won the Grade 3 Robert Lewis Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on Feb. 7, and is considered the leading contender for the $1 million Santa Anita Derby at 1 1/8 miles on April 4. Dortmund is unbeaten in four starts, including the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Futurity in December.

ARCADIA, Calif. - The private purchase of Hard Aces in February has given owners Kosta and Peter Hronis and trainer John Sadler an intriguing outsider for Saturday’s $1 million Santa Anita Handicap.

Hard Aces won the minor Louisiana Handicap at 1 1/16 miles at Fair Grounds on Jan. 17 for Dreamchaser Thoroughbreds and trainer Larry Jones. The Louisiana Handicap was the first stakes win for Hard Aces and put the 5-year-old horse on Sadler’s radar.

Far From Over, the Withers Stakes winner, will skip next Saturday’s Grade 3, $400,000 Gotham Stakes and will instead train up to the $1 million Wood Memorial on April 4, his connections confirmed on Sunday.

Also, Steven Marshall's Black Rock Thoroughbreds has sold a quarter interest in Far From Over  to James Covello and Sol Kumin, the latter of whom races under the moniker Madaket Stable.

Untapable, the 2014 3-year-old champion, and her stablemate, Tapiture, both worked six furlongs Sunday morning at Fair Grounds, and trainer Steve Asmussen said the horses are on course to make their 2015 debut in stakes races March 14 at Oaklawn.

Untapable will start in the Grade 2, $300,000 Azeri Stakes. Tapiture will race in the Grade 3, $250,000 Razorback. Both races, contested over 1 1/16 miles, long have seemed the logical spots for Untapable and Tapiture, but Asmussen was leery of announcing specific race targets before the horses were well along on their training.

ARCADIA, Calif. -- The turf stakes winners Dynamic Sky and Patriotricandproud are candidates for the $1 million Santa Anita Handicap on March 7, trainer Mark Casse said.

Dynamic Sky, a 5-year-old horse owned by John Oxley, finished fifth in the Grade 2 San Marcos Stakes at Santa Anita on Feb. 7. Dynamic Sky won the Grade 3 Red Smith Handicap at Aqueduct last November. The Big Cap would be Dynamic Sky’s first start on dirt since a fourth in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby in 2013. Saturday, Dynamic Sky worked five furlongs in 59.80 seconds at Santa Anita.

ARCADIA, Calif. -- Lexie Lou, the winner of the 2014 Queen’s Plate Stakes and five other in stakes in her career, has been turned out in Florida after being diagnosed with a quarter crack, trainer Mark Casse said on Saturday.

Lexie Lou has not raced since finishing second in the Grade 2 La Canada Stakes at Santa Anita on Jan. 17.

“She’s had some problems with her feet,” Casse said. “She’ll get a couple of months off so she can regroup.

“She’s been going long and hard for a long time. We decided that maybe this was giving us a sign to give her a break.”

ARCADIA, Calif. -- Verraco’s win in an optional claimer for 3-year-olds on Friday may lead to a start in the $800,000 Sunland Derby in New Mexico on March 22.

Trainer Jim Cassidy said on Saturday that Verraco emerged from his second career win on Friday in good order, and that Sunland Derby and the $550,000 Spiral Stakes at Turfway Park on March 21 were mentioned as possibilities by owner Deron Pearson.

Sr. Quisqueyano had his final prep for the Santa Anita Handicap shortly after the second renovation break Saturday morning at Gulfstream Park,, working six furlongs in 1:16.62 from the five-eighths pole in company with stable mate Recharged. Sr. Quisqueyano, who won the Sunshine Millions Classic in his previous start, posted splits of 26.37, 39.52, and 1:04.37 to the wire then galloped out well, pulling up seven-eighths in 1:30.99.