OZONE PARK, N.Y. – After finding open-stakes company a little too much for him to handle at this point, the New York-bred Eye Luv Lulu faces competition against whom he is a better fit in Friday’s $62,000 allowance feature at Aqueduct.

Though this six-furlong heat is a first-level allowance for open company, Eye Luv Lulu is one of three New York-breds in the five-horse field. Bass River Road and Geaux Mets, like Eye Luv Lulu, have all won first-level New York-bred allowance races over the inner track this winter with the same 74 Beyer Speed Figure.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Strong Mandate’s training for the Grade 2, $600,000 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park on Saturday has been designed to shake off the memory of the out-of-sorts trip he had when second in last month’s Southwest Stakes. He is one of eight horses that were entered in the Rebel when the race was drawn on Wednesday. Strong Mandate will break from post 4.

Vicar’s in Trouble will be returning to Fair Grounds for the Louisiana Derby on March 29, according to owner Ken Ramsey, after a foot ailment forced the horse’s connections to rule out the March 23 Sunland Park Derby.

The winner of the Jan. 18 Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds by nearly seven lengths, Vicar’s in Trouble was sent to trainer Mike Maker’s main winter base at Gulfstream Park after the colt ran third as the favorite in the Feb. 22 Risen Star at Fair Grounds.

WHO’S HOT

Ring Weekend, the winner of the Tampa Bay Derby, is one of four additions to this week’s Derby Watch top 20, along with Bobby’s Kitten, who won an allowance race at Tampa in his 2014 debut, and both Hoppertunity and Tamarando, who were “On the Bubble” horses in previous weeks and finally forged their way onto the list.

[ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY: Prep races, point standings, replays]

Jockey Anne Von Rosen underwent surgery Tuesday night for a serious spinal injury suffered in a spill at Turf Paradise earlier in the day.

Von Rosen, 43, was pulling up Panchita Bonita after a 400-yard Quarter Horse event, and on the backstretch, the horse took a bad step and went down, flipping over and ending up on top of Von Rosen.

The jockey, currently third in the riders’ standings, was rushed to the local John C. Lincoln Hospital for surgery, according to track officials.

Panchita Bonita, who had run second, was uninjured.

2014 Racing Dates

April 3 - June 7

Post Times

12:35 p.m. ET (Thursday - Sunday); Black-Eyed Susan Day (5/16, 12:15 p.m.); Preakness Day (5/17, 10:45 a.m.).

Handicapping Information

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The hottest topic around Gulfstream Park these days, other than the upcoming Florida Derby, is undoubtedly the Rainbow 6, with the jackpot eclipsing the $3 million mark last weekend.

With the daily pools regularly approaching or even exceeding $500,000, and field sizes starting to shrink as the championship meet nears an end, the chances of having the standalone, single winning ticket necessary to take down the jackpot continue to diminish. That means being able to ferret out a single or two during the sequence is of the utmost importance.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Jockey Patrick Valenzuela, who has not ridden since late January and was suspended Feb. 7 for failing to meet with track stewards, met with the same board of stewards Sunday, seeking an exercise rider’s license.

Valenzuela told Scott Chaney, Kim Sawyer, and Tom Ward that he no longer plans to ride but would like to stay involved in Southern California racing. He said he would like to work as an exercise rider or as a television commentator and has a long-term interest in training.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Trainer Bill Mott said Tuesday he will have two runners in Sunday’s $200,000 Santa Ana Stakes for fillies and mares on turf, including the three-time Grade 1 winner Emollient.