Ellis Park closed its 28-day meet Monday with a marginal decrease in all-sources handle, along with declines in ontrack handle and field size.

Jockey Silvio Amador is suddenly an overnight success at age 32.

Amador won with seven consecutive mounts last week to open plenty of eyes. The U.S. record for consecutive wins is nine, shared by Albert Adams in 1930, Tony Black in 1993, and Russell Baze in 2006.

Amador’s streak began Sunday, Aug. 24, when he guided Gabbro Glitz ($15.60) and More Champagne ($23.40) to victories in turf races. He won two more when racing resumed Thursday, Aug. 28, with Deep Reflection ($8.60) and Loveintheshadows ($4).

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Wayne Catalano, who was hospitalized more than three weeks with influenza and pneumonia that nearly killed him, has been back on a steady work schedule since Aug. 20, he said Tuesday from Saratoga.

“I’ve been out at 5 a.m. every day,” Catalano said.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Trainer Mike Stidham’s run of stakes success continued through Labor Day weekend, when the 3-year-old Pirate’s Trove remained unbeaten after three starts with her second stakes win at Woodbine, and the 2-year-old filly Her Emmynency came within a neck of capturing the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante.

Pirate’s Trove has returned to Arlington, but Her Emmynency will remain in California and could be pointed to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, Stidham said Tuesday.

Ide Be Cool will find himself in an unfamiliar position Saturday, when he starts in the Grade 2, $400,000 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs. He will be seeking a return to the win column after suffering his first defeat in eight career starts in last month’s local prep for the race, the $100,000 Prelude.

Stanley Gold dominated the opening legs of the 2014 Florida Sire Series at Gulfstream Park, and the veteran trainer figures to do more of the same Saturday, when sending out the heavy favorites in the middle legs of the series – Sing Praises in the $250,000 Affirmed division and Leap Year Luck in its filly counterpart, the $250,000 Susan’s Girl.

The Affirmed and Susan’s Girl top an outstanding 12-race program Saturday at Gulfstream that attracted 147 entries. Seven of the races, including both stakes, will be for 2-year-olds. First post is 12:50 p.m. Eastern.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Well before the curtain came down Monday on Saratoga’s 146th meet, rumors began flying about next year’s Saratoga season.

For more than a week, there has been chatter about changing the structure of the 40-day meet from 6 1/2 weeks at six days a week to eight weeks, racing five days a week.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Lord Nelson, a debut winner July 19, was expected to be one of the leading contenders in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity on Wednesday. But trainer Bob Baffert kept him out of the race, saying he was not satisfied with the way Lord Nelson had trained in recent weeks on Polytrack.

:: Del Mar closing day: Get PPs, watch Wednesday's card live

DEL MAR, Calif. – When the Del Mar meet started July 17, Rafael Bejarano had not ridden a race in more than two months, owing to multiple injuries sustained in an accident on the downhill turf course at Santa Anita in May. It took him a while to find his groove, but he found it all right.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Winning a Grade 1 race like the Spinaway is a great thrill for any trainer. But for Rudy Rodriguez, Condo Commando’s 13 1/4-length triumph over a sloppy track here Sunday was doubly special, coming as it did in the last race ever called by legendary announcer Tom Durkin.

“Condo Commando was splashtastic!” were the final words of Durkin’s memorable career – words that Rodriguez said he and his family will savor forever.