The old “give-‘em-one” strategy can be a bane to a horseplayer’s existence. Trainer intent is often difficult to decipher when a horse is returning from a layoff and obviously pointing to a more important race in the future. Just what result the “prep” might yield is anyone’s guess and clearly makes gambling on that horse a tricky venture.

Trainer Patrick Biancone may have a 2-year-old to follow at Del Mar this summer.

On March 4, Biancone paid $570,000 for a War Front colt at the Barretts March sale of selected 2-year-olds in training, buying on behalf of Southern California owner Kin Hui. The colt was sent to Washington state for the early spring and is likely to return to Biancone’s stable for training next month.

“He can get a good break,” Biancone said. “I’d say he’ll be back at the end of April. We can relax him a little bit.”

ARCADIA, Calif. – More Chocolate won two races, placed in graded stakes, and earned $92,790 while racing exclusively on turf in 2012. She may have been running on the wrong surface.

In her main-track debut, More Chocolate won the Grade 2 La Canada Stakes at Santa Anita on Jan. 20.

“She handled the dirt so well first time on it,” trainer John Sadler said. “I thought she was turf only.”

Titletown Five, a promising 3-year-old for trainer D. Wayne Lukas who finished second in the $60,000 Gazebo in his seasonal debut at Oaklawn on March 2, is possible for the Grade 3, $800,000 Sunland Park Derby on March 24. Lukas said another option for the horse is the Louisiana Derby on March 30.

“I’m strongly considering the Sunland Derby if his next two works fall into place like I think they will,” Lukas said Friday.

Lukas said part of the appeal of the Sunland Derby is its timing in comparison to the timing of the Louisiana Derby a week later.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Real Estate pressed the pace before finishing a tiring seventh in Friday’s fourth race. But the 9-year-old had every reason to come up just a little short considering he was making his first start in 4 1/2 years in the $40,000 claiming dash.

Real Estate, a homebred son of High Yield owned by Peter Blum, had not started since winning the $100,000 James B. Moseley at Suffolk Downs on Sept. 20, 2008 with trainer Bruce Levine. A winner of 4 of 7 career starts, Real Estate is trained by Hall of Famer Allen Jerkens.

A Toss Up will launch his season Sunday in the Grade 2, $50,000 Eastex Handicap for Quarter Horses at Remington Park. He is the 125-pound highweight in the 350-yard race, which is part of the opening weekend action at the Oklahoma City track.

STICKNEY, Ill. – The bad news is that only 63 horses were entered on Sunday’s nine-race card at Hawthorne, the fourth day of the first four-day racing week of the 2013 season here. The good news is that among those 63 are the best horses to make an appearance since racing resumed here after a midwinter break on Feb. 15.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Apropos looked like a budding star Thursday at Oaklawn Park, when she won a first-level allowance sprint by more than 10 lengths to earn a Beyer Speed Figure of 101. She is a 4-year-old daughter of First Samurai.

“She’s a filly we’ve been high on from a long, long time ago,” said Al Stall Jr., who trains Apropos for her breeders, Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider.

Caixa Eletronica, unraced since winning the Fall Highweight last Thanksgiving over Aqueduct’s inner track, heads a field of five entered for next Thursday’s $75,000 Uncle Mo Stakes. Caixa Eletronica is owned by Mike Repole and trained by Todd Pletcher, the same connections who campaigned Uncle Mo.

Javier Castellano will be up from Gulfstream to ride Caixa Eletronica, who is using this race as a prep for the $1.5 million Charles Town Classic on April 20. Caixa Eletronica won last year’s Charles Town Classic when it was a mere $1 million.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Bill Mott’s stable is loaded this winter in all areas, but specifically when it comes to 3-year-old fillies. The Hall of Fame horseman continued his roll with young female runners when he sent out Calistoga and White Rose to popular victories on Thursday and Friday’s programs and will hope to continue the run Sunday with the undefeated Close Hatches.