ELMONT, N.Y. – As a former assistant to Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, trainer Todd Pletcher has tremendous respect for what he’s accomplished in Thoroughbred racing. So, when Pletcher passed Lukas on Monday as the North American-based trainer who has earned the most purse money, he put the accomplishment in its proper perspective.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – It’s that time of year – time for trainer Wesley Ward to dust off his ascot, tux, and tails and get ready for a trip to England for the Royal Ascot meeting.

Ward is the only American trainer to have won a Royal Ascot race, and he added to his groundbreaking pair of victories there in 2009 when No Nay Never won the Norfolk Stakes last June.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Medal Count, second in the Blue Grass and eighth in the Kentucky Derby, will run in the Belmont Stakes, trainer Dale Romans confirmed Tuesday afternoon. Robby Albarado will ride.

The decision to run was made Tuesday afternoon at a meeting between Romans and B. Wayne Hughes, owner of Spendthrift Farm, which owns Medal Count.

“He’s been training so well since the Derby,” Romans said. “He’s a Triple Crown horse, he should run in a Triple Crown race.”

ARCADIA, Calif. - Quick Casablanca, second in the Grade 2 Charles Whittingham Stakes here last Saturday, will be considered for the $200,000 San Juan Capistrano Invitational Handicap over about 1 3/4 miles on turf June 29.

Quick Casablanca was the 8-5 favorite in the Whittingham, run over 1 1/4 miles on turf. He closed from last in a field of nine to finish a half-length behind race winner Fire With Fire.

“He couldn’t make up that much ground,” trainer Ron McAnally said.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Kobe’s Back, a two-time stakes winner who was fourth in the Grade 3 Lazaro Barrera Stakes on May 10, will make his next start in the $500,000 Woody Stephens Stakes over seven furlongs for 3-year-olds at Belmont Park on June 7.

On Monday, Kobe’s Back worked five furlongs in 1:00.80 at Santa Anita.

Turf Paradise has named Mike Harlow director of racing. Harlow was the Phoenix track's racing secretary froim 1994-1999. He then moved to Santa Anita to serve in that capacity until 2011.

Former racing secretary Shawn Swartz will remain as Harlow's assistant. The two will be visiting racetracks in the western U.S. and Canada next month to promote the upcoming meet, which commences Oct. 18.
 

ELMONT, N.Y. – After driving through the night from Louisville, Ky., trainer Billy Gowan arrived in New York at around 2 a.m. Tuesday and, shortly thereafter, was reunited with his 3-year-old colt Ride On Curlin, whom he hadn’t seen since the morning after the Preakness.

Any fatigue Gowan may have had quickly dissipated after watching Ride On Curlin train over Belmont’s main track in preparation for the June 7 Belmont Stakes.

OPELOUSAS, La. – Sunbean and Heitai, who both won as prohibitive favorites on Saturday’s Louisiana Legends program at Evangeline Downs, could see action next month against open company on the inaugural Evangeline Turf Sprint card. Sunbean overpowered four outclassed rivals in the Legends Classic, while Heitai worked a bit harder to defeat 11 rivals in the Legends Sprint. The Louisiana Legends stakes were for statebreds.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Imperative, the upset winner of the $1.5 million Charles Town Classic in West Virginia last month, will skip Saturday’s $200,000 Californian Stakes at Santa Anita, trainer George Papaprodromou said.

Imperative will be pointed for the $500,000 Gold Cup at Santa Anita on June 28, the trainer said. The long-range goal is the Breeders’ Cup Classic here Nov. 1.

“We’ll go for the Gold Cup, and we’ll take it step by step,” Papaprodromou said. “Hopefully, we can get to the Breeders’ Cup.”

Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said Tuesday that Shared Belief appeared to have come out of his Monday comeback victory fine, and that he is in the process of plotting out the remainder of the Candy Ride gelding’s 3-year-old campaign. Making his first start since December, Shared Belief defeated older horses by 4 3/4 lengths in a six-furlong allowance race on the Tapeta main track at Golden Gate Fields.

After the race and again Tuesday, Hollendorfer talked of ending the year strong.