OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Like many of her colleagues, trainer Linda Rice was at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. auction Monday, trying to find the 2-year-old who possibly could take her to the spring classics next year.

It appears as though she already has that base covered this year.

Rice could be headed to her first Preakness Stakes with Kid Cruz, who scored a 3 1/2-length victory in Saturday’s $100,000 Federico Tesio Stakes at Pimlico. The win came six weeks after Kid Cruz stormed from 22 lengths back to win the Private Terms Stakes at Laurel Park.

OLDSMAR, Fla. – Tests of speed and courage are what make racing so exciting and, at the same time, so heartbreaking. For every success story in the business, there are countless tales of what might have been, stories of horses who showed so much promise and potential but, for one reason or another, never put it all together when it counted.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Little Mike likely will make his 2014 debut in the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic on the Kentucky Derby undercard at Churchill Downs on May 3, owner and trainer Carlo Vaccarezza said Monday. Little Mike won the 2012 Woodford Reserve for Vaccarezza while trained by Dale Romans.

Two-time Horse of the Year Wise Dan also is being pointed for the Woodford Reserve.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – A trio of Canadian-bred fillies made their seasonal debuts in the Star Shoot Stakes on Saturday at Woodbine and used the race as a prep for the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks on June 15.

Paladin Bay, the runner-up, wintered in Ontario at Highwood Equestrian Center but had been training well at Woodbine this spring for owner and trainer Harold Ladouceur.

“I was very pleased,” Ladouceur said. “She did her job, she came running. [Zensational Bunny] had a bit of a fitness edge on us, but I think Paladin Bay is for real.”

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – For the second consecutive year, a winter claim at Gulfstream Park has resulted in a stakes win at Woodbine for trainer Nicholas Gonzalez and owner Tucci Stables.

Puntrooskie, a $50,000 claim in February, sat at the back of the pack early and looped the field en route to a five-length victory in Sunday’s $127,750 Woodstock Stakes.

“It didn’t surprise me that he won, but it was the way he won,” Gonzalez said. “There were some good horses behind him.”

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – After a couple of tough starts over the winter, a return to Woodbine appeared to suit Zensational Bunny well in last Saturday’s $144,000 Star Shoot Stakes, as she stalked the early pace and pounced in the stretch to win by 1 3/4 lengths over Paladin Bay.

“I was happy with [the race],” trainer Mark Casse said. “Her couple races this year, she’s had so many things go wrong, you don’t know how she’s going to react. We thought she trained well into the race, but not great, so I had some real concerns.”

Bolstered by a surge in offtrack business, Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., reported a double-digit gain in average daily handle during its 51-date meet that closed April 12. The track also reported record purses and a small gain in average daily attendance during the meet, which lost four full programs and two partial cards due to inclement weather.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Santa Anita finished its 69-day winter-spring meeting Sunday with an increase in average daily all-sources handle but a decline in average ontrack attendance, according to track president Tom Ludt.

The meeting, which began Dec. 26, had an increase in all-sources handle of approximately 4 percent. Attendance was down 8 percent, while ontrack handle was down approximately 1 percent, Ludt said.

The track did not release extensive business data after Sunday’s final day of the season.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Bayern was clearly best over his Bob Baffert stablemate Chitu in a team workout during a relatively quiet Monday training session reserved for Kentucky Derby and Oaks horses at Churchill Downs.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Earlier this year, Chuck Winner went on a horse scouting mission to France.

The goal was to buy Baby Foot, a three-time winner at the time who was stakes-placed last summer. When the price was higher than expected, Winner turned his attention to Flamboyant, who finished second to Baby Foot in an allowance race in January.

A private deal was reached and Flamboyant was sent to California, joining trainer Paddy Gallagher’s stable.

“I liked what I saw and what I felt,” Winner said.