ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Woodbine will begin broadcasting in high definition beginning with tonight’s Thoroughbred card. Initially, it will only be offered in-house and on the TVG network in the United States.

“The fans will love watching the races on the hundreds of HD TVs we have around the facility,” said Doug Flaherty, Woodbine Entertainment Group’s senior director of broadcasting. “The sport is shot so beautifully in high-def, and it will also provide sharper graphics and odds displays for the bettors.”

ARCADIA, Calif. – William Antongeorgi III is coming home, with confidence.

Two days after riding Longview Drive to victory in the $100,000 Oak Tree Handicap at Pleasanton, the biggest win of his riding career, Antongeorgi arrived Monday at Santa Anita to give it another shot in Southern California.

“It’s a risk when you give up good business, but I’ve always been hungry to make it back here,” Antongeorgi said at Santa Anita Clocker’s Corner. “When you make a move, it’s good to make it with a lot of confidence.”

ARCADIA, Calif. – Gary Stevens is the new rider for Fury Kapcori, the front-runner whose presence Saturday in the Gold Cup at Santa Anita presents a challenge for likely favorite Game On Dude, a horse with the same style.

Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer confirmed Tuesday that Stevens will replace Corey Nakatani on Fury Kapcori. Two other Hollendorfer stakes entrants on Saturday also will have rider changes – Joe Talamo rides Sahara Sky in the Grade 1 Triple Bend, Elvis Trujillo will ride Parranda in the Grade 2 Royal Heroine.

Heitai is being freshened following his win in Saturday’s inaugural Evangeline Downs Turf Sprint, a $300,000 race that Boyd Gaming plans to renew next season after the program, which included four other stakes, produced near-record handle figures for its Opelousas, La., track.

Heitai won his sixth stakes of the year in the Turf Sprint, a five-furlong race for 3-year-olds and up in which he led throughout. He finished 3 3/4 lengths clear of runner-up Whiskey Bravo and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 98.

This week is the calm before the holiday storm as the only stakes scheduled in the Mid-Atlantic are relatively minor ones at Monmouth Park and Delaware Park. Both of those tracks will take a big step forward on the national calendar over the July 5-6 weekend when Monmouth puts on the Grade 1 United Nations (July 6) and Delaware serves up its Grade 2 Oaks (July 5).

Still, as of Tuesday morning there were some interesting races to take a look at early in the week:

Delaware, Thursday, June 27

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – D. Wayne Lukas will turn 79 on Sept. 2 but continues to exude the enthusiasm of a far younger man – especially when he’s winning.

Lukas, the Hall of Fame trainer honored with the 2013 Eclipse Award of Merit, sent out a 2-year-old filly named Take Charge Brandi for a winning debut Sunday at Churchill Downs and was all smiles at his Barn 44 headquarters the following morning.

“How’d ya like that one?” he grinned. “She might be okay, that filly.”

OPELOUSAS, La. – Having achieved both midseason goals set forth by his connections, Sunbean is going to get the rest of the summer off.

The Daily Racing Form’s Matt Bernier admitted, “I never thought in a million years I’d be saying, ‘I’m going to Pleasanton this weekend.’ ”

But he is and will appear at this weekend’s handicapping seminars at the Oak Tree at Pleasanton meeting. The free seminars are held at 11:30 a.m. daily in front of the paddock.

The opening week for Oak Tree at Pleasanton brought mixed results. Conducted at the Alameda County Fair, the Pleasanton meet began last Thursday and will run through July 6.

As usual, racing officials were wishing for stronger business, and that is something they should get Thursday, with carryovers in the pick six ($20,208) and super high five ($23,664). Thursday’s card includes a 2-year-old maiden special weight race and a pair of strong starter-allowance races.

On Tuesday, a day after allegedly assaulting jockey Trevor McCarthy in the winner’s circle following the fourth race at Delaware Park, trainer Juan Vazquez was apologetic and expressed remorse for losing his temper.

Both Vazquez and McCarthy will be present at a stewards’ hearing at Delaware Park on Wednesday morning, at which Vazquez could be fined or suspended. Vazquez was arrested by Delaware State Police for his role in the altercation and faces assault charges.