Del Mar confirmed the racing dates for its summer and autumn meetings this year in a statement released on Wednesday.

The summer meeting will run for 36 days, from Thursday, July 17 to Wednesday, Sept. 3. The meeting will open a day later than normal to give the track an additional day to prepare the racing surface and grandstand for racing following the conclusion of the San Diego County Fair on July 6. The racetrack is situated on the property of the fair grounds.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Dice Flavor is due for an upset win in Saturday’s $200,000 Strub Stakes at Santa Anita.

Last February, Dice Flavor won his stakes debut as a 9-1 shot in the Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby on the synthetic track at Golden Gate Fields. He lost his next three races, including an eighth in the $2 million United Arab Emirates Derby in Dubai, before rebounding with a thrilling win as an 8-1 shot in the Grade 2 La Jolla Handicap on turf at Del Mar in August.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Jockey Norberto Arroyo Jr. has two goals for the Oaklawn meet that began last Friday: win the jockeys’ title and find a 3-year-old who can take him to the Kentucky Derby.

He made significant inroads toward those objectives over last week’s three-day opener, when he went 6 for 13 to take the early lead in the standings. Arroyo’s winners included an impressive pair of 3-year-olds in Bourbonize, now 2 for 2 following an allowance win Friday, and Paganol, who overcame adversity to win his debut in a maiden race Saturday.

NEW ORLEANS – Larry Jones does not believe in the separation of the sexes – not when it comes to working young horses.

On a sloppy Monday morning in New Orleans, Jones sent out the colt Albano and the filly Divine Beauty, his respective contenders for the Lecomte and Silverbulletday stakes here Saturday, for an in-company five-furlong workout. The pair was given the same time by Fair Grounds clockers, 1:00.60, the second-fastest among 34 works at the distance.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Normandy Invasion, who has not started since his fourth-place finish in the 2013 Kentucky Derby, continues to train regularly in preparation for his 2014 debut, which could come here at Gulfstream Park next month, trainer Chad Brown said this weekend.

Normandy Invasion breezed four furlongs in 49.20 seconds on Sunday at Palm Meadows. The work was the fourth for the son of Tapit since his arrival at the training center late in fall.

Trainer Shug McGaughey said he is eyeing a February return for his top Kentucky Derby prospect Honor Code, who will make his 3-year-old debut in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth here at Gulfstream Park  on Feb. 22.

McGaughey said Honor Code has done well since arriving at Payson Park shortly after he closed out his 2-year-old campaign with a game victory over Cairo Prince in the Grade 2 Remsen.

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

Saturday’s $100,000 California Derby looks as if it will have a small field, according to Golden Gate Fields racing secretary David Jerkens’s early canvas.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Whether it’s a Grade 1 race or an $8,000 claimer, Jerry Hollendorfer likes to be in action. The Hall of Fame trainer competes at all levels, one of the reasons he is tied for the lead in the standings at Santa Anita with 11 wins.

Hollendorfer will look to keep his hot streak rolling this weekend at Santa Anita, where he’ll send out leading contenders in the two biggest races of the week.

Emerald Downs will present 75 days of live racing in 2014, the suburban Seattle track announced Monday. Opening day is April 12, a Saturday, and the meeting ends Sept. 28.

Anticipating a possible horse shortage early in the meeting, Emerald officials eliminated Friday racing in April and will offer two cards per week for the first three weeks of the season before adding Friday racing on May 2. There will be three cards a week for the balance of the meeting.

Post times are 6:45 p.m. on Fridays and 2 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.