ELMONT, N.Y. – When Bill Mott scratched Flashy Gray from the Kentucky Oaks, the Hall of Fame trainer hoped he could have the filly ready to run in the Grade 1 Acorn on May 27. But on Monday, Mott said the foot bruise sustained by Flashy Gray has developed into a quarter crack, and she won’t make the race.

Mott said Close Hatches, the Grade 2 Gazelle winner who finished seventh in the Kentucky Oaks, is possible for the Acorn. She worked a pedestrian half-mile in 54.54 seconds Sunday over a “good” Belmont main track that had orange cones up to protect the inside.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Verrazano, who suffered his first loss when 14th in the Kentucky Derby, will make his next start in the Grade 3, $150,000 Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park on June 16, trainer Todd Pletcher said.

The Pegasus, at 1 1/16 miles, will serve as a prep for the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational at Monmouth on July 28.

“It’s six weeks before the Haskell – I like that spacing,” Pletcher said. “It’s seven weeks out from the Derby, which gives him enough of a freshening.”

ELMONT, N.Y. – One horse trainer Todd Pletcher is not considering for the Belmont Stakes is Dreaming of Julia, who instead will run in the Grade 1, $300,000 Mother Goose Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Belmont on June 22.

Dreaming of Julia finished fourth with a brutal trip in the Kentucky Oaks on May 3.

Though Pletcher won the 2007 Belmont with the filly Rags to Riches and is likely to run Unlimited Budget in the Belmont this year, he said Dreaming of Julia is a lightly built filly and would be better served by skipping the Belmont.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Jockey Mike Luzzi was scheduled to undergo surgery Wednesday to repair a torn left shoulder and likely will be out four months.

Luzzi was to be operated on by Dr. Richard Alfred, an orthopedic surgeon based in Albany, N.Y. Alfred operated on Luzzi when he broke his leg at Saratoga in July 2004.

Luzzi said he banged his shoulder on the starting gate aboard Lady On the Run, who ran third in the No Reason Stakes at Belmont on May 10. Though he rode five races May 11 – including piloting Incognito in the Peter Pan Stakes – Luzzi has not ridden since.

ELMONT, N.Y. – After running five horses in the Kentucky Derby and none in the Preakness, trainer Todd Pletcher is preparing another small army for the $1 million Belmont Stakes on June 8.

Pletcher is likely to run four horses in the Belmont and possibly more, depending on owner Mike Repole.

ELMONT, N.Y. – For the second time in 12 days, Battier and Declan’s Warrior are entered in the same race, but their connections have different paths mapped out for their 3-year-olds moving forward.

Battier and Declan’s Warrior head a field of five entered in Wednesday’s seven-furlong, $85,000 Gygistar Stakes at Belmont Park. The Gygistar, was originally in the condition book for May 15 at 7 1/2 furlongs but did not have enough entries to be carded. The Gygistar, which goes as race 2, is not part of Wednesday’s pick six, which begins with a $30,513 carryover.

The drop from a Grade 1 race to an overnight stakes on a Wednesday at Delaware Park is usually a steep plunge. But not this time, in the $50,000 Winter Melody for fillies and mares going 1 1/16 miles.

Yes, Bryan’s Jewel is the one to beat following a traffic-hampered fifth-place effort in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park on April 12. But the Winter Melody is hardly easy pickings.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Corey Nakatani, billed as bulwark of the Arlington season before the meet began, won’t be moving his tack here from California, according to the jockey agent Jay Fedor, who was to represent Nakatani at Arlington.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Willcox Inn has returned to Arlington Park no worse for the wear after contesting the Dixie Stakes on Saturday at Pimlico, but with another tough loss hung on his résumé.

The upset victory by Oxbow in the Preakness on Saturday at Pimlico extinguished the Triple Crown chances of Orb, the Kentucky Derby winner.