Though he won’t make a final decision until Sunday, trainer Kenny McPeek appears to be leaning toward running Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan in the $2 million Belmont Stakes on June 8 at Saratoga.

During a national conference call Thursday, McPeek said that if Mystik Dan works well this weekend at Saratoga and comes out of it well, he would likely run in the Belmont where he would face Preakness winner Seize the Grey. It would be the first meeting of separate winners of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness since Orb and Oxbow met in 2013.

Throughout California, April 27 was a rough afternoon for trainer Blaine Wright.

Clovisconnection finished last of 11 in the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile at Golden Gate Fields, shortly after Prince Abu Dhabi finished sixth of seven in the Kona Gold Stakes at Santa Anita.

Redemption may occur at the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton when the two 4-year-old geldings could start in the $150,000 Pleasanton Mile.

Jockey Umberto Rispoli, who won two Grade 1 races on the same program for the first time in his career on Monday, has only one mount at Santa Anita on Saturday, the first day of a three-day suspension for causing interference in a race on May 24.

Rispoli is booked to ride Shiloh’s Mistress in the Grade 3 Honeymoon Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles on turf. Rispoli is permitted to ride graded stakes during routine suspensions.

Johannes is a four-time stakes winner in one-mile turf races, the latest success occurring in Monday’s Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita.

His career will change slightly this summer.

On July 28, there is a high likelihood Johannes will start for the first time at 1 1/8 miles on turf in the Grade 2 Eddie Read Stakes, a $250,000 race at Del Mar.

“It should be within his wheelhouse,” trainer Tim Yakteen said of the distance. “Until you try it, you don’t know.”

A second option this summer is the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile, a $300,000 turf race on Aug. 31.

Anisette began her 2024 season with a win in Monday’s Grade 1 Gamely Stakes at Santa Anita.

“Hopefully, we can end the year with one as well,” trainer Leonard Powell said.

Powell and the Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners who own Anisette have the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Del Mar on Nov. 2 as a long-range goal with as few as three races likely in the interim.

Mr Fisk, pulled up on the turn after winning Monday’s Grade 2 Hollywood Gold Cup at Santa Anita, underwent successful surgery on Tuesday to stabilize a condylar fracture, trainer Bob Baffert said on Wednesday.

Baffert said the surgery required the insertion of two stabilizing screws, and that the injury will need four months to heal.

“It went well,” Baffert said. “It was routine. He’s back at the barn. He looks bright.

Book’em Danno, beaten a head by Forever Young in the Group 3 Saudi Derby in February, will make his next start in the Grade 1, $500,000 Woody Stephens on June 8 at Saratoga, trainer Derek Ryan said Wednesday.

Book’em Danno shows only two workouts since the Saudi Derby, though he was scheduled to breeze Thursday at Monmouth Park, Ryan said.

“Everything is good,” Ryan said. “If he runs his race, he’ll be tough.”