HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – A year ago, trainer Shug McGaughey won the $400,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes from the rail with Orb. On Saturday, the Hall of Fame horseman will defend that title from the other end of the post-position spectrum after his Top Billing drew post 12 in a bulky field of 13 3-year-olds entered Monday for the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Will Take Charge, the champion 3-year-old male of 2013, will make his next start in the $750,000 Santa Anita Handicap on March 8, trainer D. Wayne Lukas told Santa Anita officials Monday.

“We’re coming,” Lukas said.

The Grade 1 Big Cap is run at 1 1/4 miles on dirt. The presence of Will Take Charge will give the race a rematch of the first two finishers of the Breeders’ Cup Classic here in November. Last Saturday, trainer Kathy Ritvo said that BC Classic winner Mucho Macho Man will be sent from Florida to California later this month for the Big Cap.

With the window of opportunity to get two workouts in before the March 1 Gotham Stakes starting to close, Withers runner-up Uncle Sigh worked five furlongs in 59.98 seconds over the Belmont Park training track on Monday afternoon, three hours after the usual morning training hours concluded.

The workout was timed by Uncle Sigh’s trainer Gary Contessa, who who said he caught the first three furlongs in 37 seconds and the final quarter in 22.98. Contessa said Uncle Sigh, ridden in the work by Nick Santagata, galloped out six furlongs in 1:12.96.

Red Outlaw won his first race on Cushion Track at Hollywood Park, his second race on Tapeta at Golden Gate Fields, and on Sunday won on the downhill turf course at Santa Anita, running his record to 3 for 3 when capturing the Baffle Stakes for 3-year-old sprinters.

Red Outlaw also had to survive a stewards’ inquiry into a series of bumps shared between he and runner-up Gangnam Guy in the stretch run. Red Outlaw crossed the wire best by a head. The stewards let the original result stand.

ARCADIA, Calif. – When jockey Joel Rosario was based in Southern California, one of his biggest supporters was trainer John Sadler. The band is back together, not quite as frequently, but still making hits.

With Rosario making a rare appearance at Santa Anita on Sunday, he and Sadler teamed to win the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes with Kobe’s Back, and on Monday, Sadler said Rosario had picked up the mount on Kristo for the Grade 2, $300,000 San Felipe Stakes on March 8 at Santa Anita.

Kristo worked six furlongs in 1:13 on Monday at Santa Anita.

Trainer Mike Pender was fined $2,500 by Santa Anita’s stewards after having two of his runners, Would You and Street Car, test for excessive amounts of the legal medication Phenylbutazone, commonly known as Butazolidin, in races at Hollywood Park on Dec.  1.

According to the ruling, these were the third and fourth violations of a similar manner for Pender in the past 365 days. The ruling went on to say that if Pender had another violation for a runner or a worker this calendar year, it is recommended his license “be suspended for a period of not less than seven days.”

OLDSMAR, Fla. – After a two-year absence, Dale Bennett is back on the scene at Tampa Bay Downs, developing young talent and winning races at a good clip.

Samantha Nicole, the 3-year-old full sister to 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra, finished second in her career debut Sunday at Fair Grounds.

The first foal from the mare Lotta Kim to race since Rachel Alexandra, Samantha Nicole went off as the 1-2 favorite in Sunday’s fourth race. Keyed up in the paddock, Samantha Nicole hit the gate as she broke and lunged at the start, spotting the leaders several lengths into the first turn, and the running position she took up – last in a five-horse field – turned especially disadvantageous when the early pace slowed to a crawl.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Mike Maker said all systems are go for General a Rod, who’s expected to be part of a large and very competitive field for Saturday’s Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes. The $400,000 Fountain of Youth is the final major prep at Gulfstream Park for the meet’s marquee event, the $1 million Florida Derby, on March 29.

ARCADIA, Calif. – On the Backstreets has mastered turf sprints this winter at Santa Anita. She won her first two starts on grass, including Saturday’s $81,650 Sweet Life Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on the hillside turf course.

The win has trainer Peter Miller ready to try On the Backstreets around two turns in the coming months.

“The way she rates, I think we can stretch her out,” Miller said.