BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. – The campaign that Coup de Grace will have in the next few months will be determined by how he performs Saturday in the Grade 2, $400,000 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park. Unbeaten in two starts, Coup de Grace will be making his first start around two turns in the Holy Bull. His aptitude at this endeavor will chart his course.

“I could see it going either way, but we have to try it,” said Chad Brown, who trains Coup de Grace. “To try the Kentucky Derby trail, you’ve got to try two turns, and he’s got the pedigree to suggest he can get two turns.”

OLDSMAR, Fla. – Back in the spring of 1976, Gerald Bennett bought a horse named Victoria Sun from a Kentucky horseman for $1,000. He ran the horse at Greenwood Raceway in Canada, and Victoria Sun won.

That victory was the first as a trainer for the native of Springhill, Nova Scotia, and last Friday, when the 72-year-old Bennett sent out Miss Twinkle Toes to win the nightcap, that tally marked the 3,400th career win for the veteran horseman, who now ranks 20th in career wins among North American trainers, active and retired.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Will Take Charge, who Saturday night was named champion 3-year-old of 2013, is likely to make his seasonal debut in the Donn Handicap following a sharp work in company Monday morning at Oaklawn Park. Trainer D. Wayne Lukas said the horse would shoot for the Feb. 9 race at Gulfstream Park if suitable travel arrangements could be made to Florida.

Vicar’s in Trouble came out of his romping victory Saturday in the Grade 3, $200,000 Lecomte Stakes in good condition, and if all continues to go well, he will make his next start Feb. 22 in the Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds, trainer Mike Maker said Sunday.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Shakin It Up has emerged as the dominant 4-year-old male in California this winter, with wins in the $301,500 Malibu Stakes over seven furlongs Dec. 26 and the $200,750 Strub Stakes on Saturday.

But comparisons to winners of those races from past years are impossible.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Shared Belief, the Eclipse Award winner as the champion 2-year-old colt of 2013, continues to recover from a grabbed quarter sustained earlier this month and will have a workout at Santa Anita on Wednesday or Thursday , trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said Sunday.

Hollendorfer considered giving Shared Belief a workout Sunday but postponed the exercise.

“I want to make 100 percent sure that we can breeze him and there won’t be an issue related to that foot,” Hollendorfer said. “We’ll try to do something on Wednesday or Thursday.”

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – General a Rod and Conquest Titan worked Saturday in preparation for the Grade 2, $400,000 Holy Bull Stakes next Saturday.

General a Rod, who is at Gulfstream Park, worked five furlongs in 59.40 seconds, with an opening three-eighths in 35.60 and a final quarter in 23.80. He galloped out six furlongs in 1:12.80.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Buff Bradley was hoping things would go as well for him and his star Groupie Doll at Saturday evening’s Eclipse Awards dinner as they had earlier that day.

Groupie Doll, the 2012 champion female sprinter and two-time Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint winner, worked a very impressive five furlongs in 59.86 seconds Saturday morning at Gulfstream Park, shortly after which Bradley confirmed that she’ll make her final start before being retired to the breeding shed in the Grade 3 Hurricane Bertie here Feb. 9.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Oaklawn leading trainer Cody Autrey has been a force in the overnight ranks for years. But this season he has more promising young horses than ever before, and on Monday will start Tanzanite Cat in the $150,000 Smarty Jones. The horse is one of two prospects Autrey currently has for the 3-year-old series at Oaklawn. The other is Paganol, an impressive debut winner now targeting the Grade 3, $300,000 Southwest on Feb. 17.

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

ARCADIA, Calif. – There were no smiles from Ben Cecil when Electric Eddie finished first in a maiden race for 3-year-old California-breds at Santa Anita on Jan. 2. A bumping incident in early stretch with runner-up Oh Billy Billy was foremost on the trainer’s mind.

“I knew he was coming down,” Cecil recalled.

Cecil’s intuition was correct. Electric Eddie, a 1-5 shot in a field of five, was demoted to second after an inquiry.

Although he is 0 for 7, Electric Eddie was second in two stakes around two turns in November.