The Texas Thoroughbred Association is bringing the owners and trainers of ready-to-retire racehorses together with a number of re-homing organizations at an event March 8 at Sam Houston Race Park in Houston, the organization announced. The inaugural Roses to Ribbons Old Fashioned Horse Fair is being put on by The Paddock Foundation, a nonprofit for Thoroughbred aftercare launched by the Texas Thoroughbred Association. It will start at 11 a.m. Central.

Ride On Curlin is the 119-pound starting highweight for the $100,000 Essex Handicap, which drew eight older horses for Saturday at Oaklawn Park. Ride On Curlin will break from post 7 under Jon Court.

The field, from the rail with riders, is: Joy Boy, Ramon Vazquez; Rocket Time, Calvin Borel; I Got It All, Channing Hill; Code West, Chris Landeros; For Greater Glory, Joe Rocco Jr.; Luv Bandit, Shaun Bridgmohan; Ride On Curlin, Court; and Golden Lad, Ricardo Santana Jr.

Larry Jones has trained good horses for a long time, but it’s possible that he’s never looked down his shed row and seen quite the depth of talent that exists right now at Fair Grounds.

Jones has several horses pointed to the multi-stakes day of racing Feb. 21 at Fair Grounds, and there is more still coming down the pipeline. Coup de Grace, unraced since last fall, is working toward his 4-year-old debut. Normandy Invasion is galloping and jogging, on his way back from an injury that sidelined him early last summer.

 War Story and Mr. Z were among a handful of Southwest Stakes workers Wednesday at Oaklawn. It was sunny and in the 30s, and the track was listed as “fast.” War Story and Mr. Z breezed in the first set, with Lecomte Stakes runner-up War Story going a half-mile in a bullet 47 seconds in his first drill at Oaklawn.

:: ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY: Prep races, point standings, replays

Heitai’s connections are determining their next move with the crack Louisiana-bred sprinter after he won his second straight stakes race last Saturday night at Delta Downs. Heitai was one of the main attractions on the Louisiana Premier Night program of divisional stakes, and he accounted for the $100,000 Sprint with a Beyer Speed Figure of 100. The horse since has returned to his base of Fair Grounds, trainer Tom Amoss said Wednesday.

“We’re mulling over our options,” said Amoss, who trains the horse for Rowell Enterprises.

There are eight fillies and mares expected to run in Saturday’s $200,000 Santa Maria Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita and all are stakes winners – Awesome Baby, Legacy, Sweet Marini, Thegirlinthatsong, Tiz Midnight, Valiant Emilia, Warren’s Veneda, and Yahilwa.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – J S Bach will make his stakes debut Monday in the Grade 3, $300,000 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn following a flashy win at Gulfstream Park. He rolled by 8 1/2 lengths in a maiden special weight at the same 1 1/16-mile distance of the Southwest, and late Wednesday morning, he touched down in Arkansas aboard a flight from Florida.

Lord Nelson, winner of the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes for sprinters on Feb. 1, worked a half-mile in 48 seconds at Santa Anita on Wednesday.

Trained by Bob Baffert for John Fort’s Peachtree Stables, Lord Nelson is being prepared for the $400,000 San Felipe Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita on March 7.

“He came out of the race sharp,” Baffert said. “I was happy with the work. He’s right on schedule for the San Felipe.”

:: ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY: Prep races, point standings, replays

You might say that Dale Romans is going out of his way to try to get Indianaughty some Kentucky Derby qualifying points.

On Tuesday, Romans sent the Indian Charlie colt clear across the continent on a Federal Express flight from south Florida to Memphis, Tenn., then on to San Francisco for the El Camino Real Derby on Saturday at Golden Gate Fields. The 1 1/8-mile Tapeta race is worth 10 Derby points to the winner.

Protonico was eased in the stretch of the Grade 1 Donn Handicap last weekend, but trainer Todd Pletcher said the Giant’s Causeway colt came out of the race “super” and that he has been unable to find a reason for such a poor performance as the 5-1 third choice in a field of nine.

“I don’t have any excuse to offer,” he said.