Jockeys Tyler Baze and Patrick Valenzuela, who have missed time this year because of suspension and illness, respectively, are exercising horses at Santa Anita in preparation for a return to riding at the winter-spring meeting.

Baze, 31, was suspended for four months in June for failing a breath test for alcohol. He underwent 60 days of in-house counseling from mid-August to mid-October and continues to attend counseling session for alcoholism. Hollywood Park stewards issued a ruling Dec. 13 allowing Baze to immediately begin exercising horses and return to riding on Jan. 1.

NEW ORLEANS – A New Orleans native who has a home in the French Quarter and roots for the Saints, veteran Fair Grounds trainer Richie Scherer looks forward to coming to his hometown track.

Because of health concerns, his homecoming this season has been more emotional than usual.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Time almost certainly has run out for Peter Miller to win the training title at the final meeting at Betfair Hollywood Park.

With three days of racing remaining before the end of the meeting on Sunday, Miller trails leader Bob Baffert by four wins, 16-12, and was in pursuit of Doug O’Neill and John Sadler, who had 13 wins each.

CYPRESS, Calif. – Last to Fire’s win in Saturday’s $750,000 Champion of Champions followed by Foose Cash Sr’s victory in Sunday’s $1,989,525 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity was the highlight of the year for Quarter Horse trainer Jose De La Torre.

Whether De La Torre is the trainer of Last to Fire and Foose Cash Sr when they resume racing in 2014 is unclear.

In recent months, De La Torre has had two horses test positive for the bronchodilator clenbuterol, resulting in the redistribution of purses.

Most of the stakes horses of note from Saturday's Louisiana Champions Day card will continue to take advantage of their Louisiana-bred status. One exception is String King, who finished second by about an inch in the $150,000 Champions Day Classic, a stinging loss for owner-breeder-trainer Charlie Smith, who chose that spot over the $100,000 Turf, in which String King, a more proven grass horse, would have been heavily favored.

Six Thoroughbred stakes races highlighted the all-Louisiana-bred Louisiana Champions Day card this past Saturday at Fair Grounds, but the most impressive horse to race during the program might have been a maiden winner.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Teddy’s Promise, winner of Sunday’s $100,250 Playa del Rey Stakes at Betfair Hollywood Park, will be sent to Kentucky to be bred to Smart Strike in 2014. But first there is one more objective.

She will attempt to surpass $1 million in career earnings with a win in the $200,000 Santa Monica Stakes at Santa Anita on Jan. 25.

Teddy’s Promise won the 2013 Santa Monica Stakes, and the race next month is expected to be her final start. Tuesday, trainer Ron Ellis said that Teddy’s Promise has emerged from the Playa del Rey “in excellent shape.”

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - She’s a Tiger, who finished first in the BC Juvenile Fillies but was disqualified to second for causing interference in the stretch, will return to racetrack training this week after a late autumn break, trainer Jeff Bonde said.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trainer Chad Brown will have one of his top 2-year-old fillies in action in Thursday’s featured ninth race when Ready to Act makes her first start since the Breeders’ Cup going a mile on the turf under optional-claiming conditions.