ELMONT, N.Y. – As he approaches one milestone this year and an even more significant one likely next year, jockey John Velazquez maintains that he still has “that fire” to compete at the highest level.

Velazquez, 41, entered Friday’s card at Belmont Park with 4,991 career victories and soon will become the 28th rider to win 5,000 races. Through Thursday, he ranked third all-time in career purse money won with $286,000,638, trailing leader Pat Day by $11.9 million.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Admiral Kitten finished second May 3 in the Grade 2 American Turf at Churchill Downs behind Noble Tune, one of the better 3-year-old grass horses in North America. While out west April 21 at Santa Anita, Procurement scored a comfortable victory in the La Puente Stakes. Mike Smith makes a rare Arlington appearance to ride Admiral Kitten for trainer Mike Maker, while Garrett Gomez is here to pilot Procurement.

AUBURN, Wash. – I Keep Saying, disqualified from an impressive victory in his last start, will try to make amends Saturday in the feature race at Emerald Downs. A $25,000 claimer for older horses who have yet to win twice, the feature is the eighth of nine races on a program that begins at 2 p.m. Pacific.

MIAMI – Csaba may have stepped a bit out of his class when finishing fifth earlier this winter in the Grade 1 Donn Handicap. But the multiple graded stakes winner will be back in the proper element and is strictly the one to beat when he returns from a well-deserved vacation Saturday at Calder in the $75,000 Memorial Handicap.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Gary Stevens, the Hall of Famer who won the Preakness Stakes for the third time in his career on May 11, will ride primarily in California this summer, beginning this weekend at Betfair Hollywood Park.

With the exception of traveling for major stakes, such as Oxbow’s scheduled appearance in the Belmont Stakes on June 8, and an occasional trip to Saratoga later this summer, Stevens plans to spend the summer riding at Hollywood Park and Del Mar.

“I’m going to be there permanently,” Stevens said of California.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Herbie D answered his skeptics when he put on another impressive display of speed winning the $50,000 John Longden 6000 going 6 1/2 furlongs last Monday.

There were no questions regarding how fast the talented sprinter is, but there were many who thought he didn’t have the class to beat the kind of field he was facing in the Longden. Leading up to the race a constant refrain of “he’s never beaten anything” echoed through the Hastings backstretch last week.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Obviously has earned his status as one of California’s top turf milers by taking control of races from the start.

The strategy worked with wins in two Grade 2 races last year – the Del Mar Mile and Arroyo Seco Mile – and a game third to 2012 Horse of the Year Wise Dan in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita last fall.

In Saturday’s $150,000 American Handicap over a mile on turf at Betfair Hollywood Park, Obviously will be favored to win his third stakes. To do so, he may need to display a more versatile running style.

[bc_video_id:293195:]ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer David Donk has always believed his mare Hessonite would be effective at marathon distances on the turf. But running primarily in New York-bred stakes, Hessonite never has truly had a chance to prove her trainer correct.

Yes, Hessonite competed in last September’s Grade 1 Flower Bowl at 1 1/4 miles, but was so hopelessly trapped inside that it’s an unfair barometer.

OCEANPORT, N.J. – Kelly Breen hopes to saddle both Ruler On Ice and Pants On Fire as a potent one-two punch on Saturday in the $75,000 Majestic Light Stakes at Monmouth Park.

The 12-race card starting at 12:50 p.m. Eastern kicks off the holiday racing weekend on the Jersey Shore. Monmouth will have a live card every day through Monday.

Thanks to the Breen duo of 5-year-olds, the Majestic Light has some unanticipated star power. The two runners are separate betting interests in the 10-horse field going one mile and 70 yards.

GROVE CITY, Ohio – After a nearly 7 1/2-year break, it took only three races for jockey Lori Wydick to win the first race of her comeback at Beulah Park on Wednesday.

The 48-year-old Wydick won on No No Nona ($5.80) in the first race. She had retired on Dec. 31, 2005.

Wydick began galloping horses recently for trainer Brian Waltz and decided to begin riding again, No No Nona is trained by Waltz.