ELMONT, N.Y. – Jockey John Velazquez, who fractured a rib in a spill at Aqueduct on April 7, said everything is on schedule for him to return to the saddle next Wednesday, four days before he is to ride Verrazano in the Kentucky Derby on May 4.

Velazquez said Thursday that he is scheduled to meet with his orthopedist on Monday to get final clearance and he hopes to get on a horse or two Tuesday morning at Belmont.

In a phone interview Thursday, Velazquez said he is “doing really good” and that he has been working out for several days.

[bc_video_id:290322:]LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The rain was gone, but remnants of Wednesday’s downpours remained as the racetrack still had moisture in it and was designated as good during training hours Thursday at Churchill Downs. The rain, which disrupted normal training to some degree the previous morning, was replaced by frigid temperatures, low enough for frost to form on windshields and horses to be on their toes.[:slideshow-right:]

One recent arrival, Orb, especially relished the cooler air, having trained extensively throughout the winter in southern Florida.

Beholder, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2012, worked seven furlongs in 1:27.80 at Santa Anita on Thursday, her final workout before the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on May 3.

Trained by Richard Mandella, Beholder was ridden by Garrett Gomez and worked in company with a stablemate, starting a few lengths behind. Beholder ranged on the outside in the stretch and finished in front.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The days until the big race have dwindled into single digits, and with most of the major players having settled in comfortably at Churchill Downs, only a few things are left to be done toward the Kentucky Derby.

Chilled, a 5-year-old gelding who was featured by numerous media outlets last May when captured in an exquisite photograph attempting to savage a rival during the final yards of a race at Churchill, died of an apparent heart attack Wednesday morning at Churchill when galloping out from a half-mile workout.

Calvin Borel, who was aboard for the work, was unhurt. Chilled was owned by Deerfield Farm Racing and Carl Pascarella.

The purse for the All American Derby for Quarter Horses is projected to be $2.8 million when it is run Sept. 1 at Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico, making the 440-yard classic the richest race ever put on for the breed. Last year, the All American Derby was worth $2.2 million when Ochoa won and moved to the top of the all-time earnings list for Quarter Horses.

Ruidoso, which on May 24 opens a mixed meet featuring Quarter Horses, released its stakes schedule on Thursday.

The All American Derby is a Grade 1 for 3-year-olds. Trials for the race will be held on Aug. 16.

OLDSMAR, Fla. – Several fillies who look as though they could have bright futures will meet at Tampa Bay Downs on Saturday in the one-mile allowance feature on turf.

Heading the group is Street Gem, who led into the final furlong of the $70,000 Secret Grace Stakes at Gulfstream Park before weakening to finish fourth in her first try against stakes company for trainer Kathleen O’Connell.

A quick-stepping sort, Street Gem raced in close attendance to the early pace, took the lead, and then continued well until late in the race won by Swear Me In.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – The $300,000 purse of the Snow Chief Stakes is not a poor consolation for ex-Kentucky Derby candidate Tiz a Minister to chase.

And though the Derby remains a slim possibility, the immediate focus is on Saturday at Betfair Hollywood Park, where owner Steve Young and trainer Paul Aguirre start Tiz a Minister in the headline race on California Gold Rush Day.

Lynn Whiting sure wouldn’t mind having a horse in the Kentucky Derby again, but it won’t be this year with Officer Alex, a four-time winner who runs Saturday night in the Derby Trial.

Whiting, who won the 1992 Derby with Lil E. Tee, said the new points system that would appear to allow the Derby Trial winner to run back in seven days in the Derby is irrelevant to his agenda with Officer Alex, a Pennsylvania-bred who was a nose winner of the six-furlong Bachelor Stakes at Oaklawn Park earlier this month.

There are several intriguing 3-year-olds in the lineup for Saturday’s $75,000 Federico Tesio Stakes at Pimlico, a two-turn race that occasionally has served as a springboard to the Preakness and two years ago produced Ruler On Ice, winner of the Belmont Stakes.