LOUISVILLE, Ky. – For some trainers, an 8-for-101 meet isn’t that bad. But for the elite stable of Al Stall Jr., the four months at Fair Grounds in New Orleans this winter were sometimes difficult to get through.

“You just start hoping it’ll turn around for you,” Stall said Tuesday at Churchill Downs. “But sometimes you never know in this game.”

Twenty-six fillies and mares were nominated to Saturday’s $50,000-added Golden Poppy at 1 1/16 miles on the Golden Gate Fields turf. Fourteen 3-year-old males were nominated for Sunday’s $75,000 Alcatraz, which was recently added to the stakes schedule.

Golden Gate also is offering an optional $80,000 claimer at one mile on turf for fillies and mares Thursday, and six nominees to the Golden Poppy were entered in that race: Happybirthdaybaby, Vincenza, Sing and Tell, Rathmoon, Butterfly Soul, and Rathbaun.

Kentucky Oaks winner Untapable’s connections have resolutely declined to try her against males in the Preakness Stakes, but it appears that the Preakness will have a feminine touch nonetheless.

Ria Antonia, who finished sixth in the May 2 Kentucky Oaks, is being pointed to the Preakness on May 17 at Pimlico, owner Ron Paolucci said Tuesday.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Seek Again, who came within a head of upsetting Wise Dan in last Saturday’s Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic at Churchill, will likely make his next start in the Grade 1, $1 million Manhattan Invitational at Belmont Park on June 7, trainer Bill Mott said Monday.

Mott was pleased with the performance of Seek Again – who had not run since taking the Hollywood Derby last Dec. 1 – and marveled at Wise Dan’s will to win.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Watching My Wandy’s Girl zip through the stretch of Belmont Park’s main track Monday morning, trainer Mike Hushion said the mare is “typically not a good work horse, but she likes this main track.”

Apparently so. My Wandy’s Girl was credited with a half-mile time of 46.89 seconds by the Belmont clockers as she prepares for a start in Sunday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Ruffian Stakes at a mile. It was her second consecutive bullet work over the main track.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Win or lose last Saturday, trainer Todd Pletcher had to leave Churchill Downs quickly after the Kentucky Derby to make it back home in time for a family function Sunday.

His son Payton’s confirmation probably was a good diversion for Pletcher the day after what was a disappointing Derby Day for the six-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer.

Though Danza ran a respectable third in Saturday’s 140th Kentucky Derby, Pletcher’s other three runners – We Miss Artie, Intense Holiday, and Vinceremos – finished 10th, 12th, and 17th behind California Chrome.

ELMONT, N.Y. – With two more races and glorious weather, Belmont Park posted increases in attendance and handle on Saturday, Kentucky Derby Day, compared with 2013.

All-sources handle on Belmont’s 12-race card was $14,918,258, a 7.7 percent increase from $13,854,360 last year when Belmont had only 10 races. On-track handle of $2,314,803, was up 18.2 percent from last year’s figure of $1,958,871.

Attendance was 9,609, up 5 percent from last year’s crowd of 9,151.

NYRA’s handle on Churchill’s card was $4,046,707, up 2.3 percent from last year’s total of $3,957,352.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Christophe Clement had to surrender any Kentucky Derby aspirations he may have had with Tonalist when that 3-year-old got sick in late March, knocking him out of the Wood Memorial and any chance of qualifying for the Run for the Roses.

Back healthy again, Clement hopes Tonalist can catch the last leg of the Triple Crown, the June 7 Belmont Stakes, but must first get a good performance out of the Tapit colt in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont.

A total of 21 horses were entered in the Kentucky Derby, 19 ran, and of the 18 who chased home California Chrome on Saturday at Churchill Downs, it appears only a few will try him again in the Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the Triple Crown, on May 17 at Pimlico.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Jon Court broke his hand, while fellow jockey Jose Ortiz emerged body sore but otherwise uninjured in a two-horse spill in the 13th and last race of the Kentucky Derby program Saturday at Churchill Downs.

The incident occurred nearing the half-mile pole on the main track, where Canadian Winner, ridden by Court, broke down badly. Appealing Alex was trailing Canadian Winner and could not avoid him, throwing Ortiz.