POMONA, Calif. – She may have been named after a convicted felon, but the honest filly Madoffwiththemoney has developed into one of the circuit’s most trustworthy California-bred sprinters.

Madoffwiththemoney races six furlongs Thursday at the Los Angeles County Fair, where the 4-year-old – named after investment swindler Bernie Madoff – is favored in the race-9 feature, a first-level optional claimer for California-bred fillies and mares.

Eight were entered in the sprint on a quiet Barretts at Fairplex card.

Sam Houston Race Park will again pack its richest stakes into a single program next year when the $400,000 Houston Ladies Classic shares a card with the Grade 3, $200,000 Connally Turf Cup on Jan. 25. The races will anchor a schedule of 20 stakes worth nearly $1.7 million during the meet, which opens Jan. 17. Sam Houston will race 32 dates through March 9.

They saved the best for first on Thursday’s card, when the featured opener is an optional claimer with third-level allowance conditions.

Seven older males were entered in the one-mile race, worth $81,000, including the David Jacobson-trained entry of Cease and Pratereo, who were both entered for the $100,000 claiming price.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Wise Dan, the defending champion and marquee player, is slated to arrive early Friday morning for Sunday’s Grade 1, $1 million Woodbine Mile.

Trained by Charlie LoPresti, Wise Dan breezed four furlongs in 48.20 seconds at his Keeneland base Tuesday morning, six days after breezing five furlongs there in 59 and galloping out six furlongs in 1:11.

“He’s really fit and ready to go,” LoPresti said. “Maybe we’ll take him over to the paddock and school him, and he will have a gallop day, probably on Saturday like we did last year.”

Groupie Doll rebounded from a defeat in her 5-year-old debut to set a track record Monday night in repeating as the winner of the Grade 2, $400,200 Presque Isle Downs Masters, the annual showcase at the Erie, Pa., track

With Rajiv Maragh aboard, Groupie Doll ran down Purely Hot to win by 1 1/2 lengths, completing the 6 1/2-furlong distance in 1:14.88 over the Tapeta synthetic and returning $3 to win as the heavy favorite. Judy the Beauty, the 3-1 second choice, was another three-quarters of a length back in third in a field of nine fillies and mares.

The first full week of Belmont’s fall meet begins with a salty first-level allowance for fillies, and also includes a pick six with a $137,011 double carryover after the bet went un-hit opening weekend.

The opener – which is also now the first leg of a 50-cent minimum pick five with a 15 percent takeout – drew a field of just five, but among them are Cue the Moon and Galloping Giraffe, who drop from respective fourth-place finishes behind division leader Princess of Sylmar in the Coaching Club American Oaks and Alabama.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Dale Romans was smack in the middle of quite a few wild scenes in the winner’s circle last year, when he earned the Eclipse Award as top trainer, but such celebrations have not been nearly as frequent this year.

Fortunately for Romans, the good feelings were rekindled Saturday night during an eventful Downs After Dark program at Churchill Downs, where he sent out Cleburne and Smart Cover to finish first and second at 34-1 and 26-1 in the Grade 3 Iroquois Stakes. Both colts are owned by Donegal Racing.

POMONA, Calif. – Echo Zulu could have waited for a richer race later this week, with double the purse that he runs for Wednesday at the Los Angeles County Fair.

Then trainer Peter Miller figured, “Why wait?” He will start Echo Zulu in the $50,000 C.B. Afflerbaugh Stakes on Wednesday rather than the $100,000 Barretts Juvenile on Sunday.

“We were looking at the Barretts, but we thought this spot would be easier,” Miller said. “It’s half the money, but we thought we would give him a break.”

POMONA, Calif. – Increased competition in the simulcast market and a punishing local heat wave were key factors responsible for a significant decline in handle on opening weekend of the Los Angeles County Fair race meet.

Barretts at Fairplex handled only slightly more than $13 million the first three days of the meet, Friday through Sunday. It was a 13.7 percent drop from the corresponding period in 2012, when opening weekend handle exceeded $15 million.