ARCADIA, Calif. – This truly is a spring of personal and professional revival for California trainer Mike Mitchell.

Three of his stakes winners from 2012 – turf marathoner Dhaamer, turf miler Obviously, and sprinter Camp Victory – are nearing their first starts of the year. Dhaamer will have his 2013 debut in Saturday’s $100,000 Tokyo City Cup at Santa Anita.

Mitchell has been at Santa Anita on a regular basis in recent weeks to oversee their preparation. That would not have been possible last fall.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Just when you’d think trainer Todd Pletcher had exhausted his supply of stakes-caliber horses to bring off the bench before the 2012-13 Gulfstream Park meet runs its course early next month, here come two more, Peace Preserver and Dancing Solo, to take on eight other older fillies and mares in Friday’s $65,350 feature.

The main event will be decided at a mile on turf under high-level optional-claiming conditions.

Led by trainer Bob Baffert's duo of Shakin It Up and Govenor Charlie, as well as local hero Dry Summer, a field of nine was entered on Wednesday for the Grade 3, $800,000 Sunland Derby at Sunland Park on Sunday.

The field, from the rail out, is Just Win Baby (Alonzo Quinonez the rider), Abraham (John Velazquez), Stormdriver (Ry Eikleberry), Shakin It Up (David Flores), Saint Prado (Rafael Bejarano), Dry Summer (Carlos Madeira), Govenor Charlie (Martin Garcia), Mudflats (Edwin Maldonado), and Show Some Magic (Luis Contreras).

The 5-year-old mare Withgreatpleasure, dropping sharply in class after facing Grade 2 stakes company in her last two starts, powered her way to a 2 1/2-length victory in Tuesday night’s $35,000 St. Patrick’s Day Handicap for fillies and mares at Charles Town.

CINCINNATI - A full field of 12 3-year-olds was drawn today at the new Horseshoe Casino in downtown Cincinnati for the annual showcase event set for Saturday at nearby Turfway Park, with Uncaptured being listed as a lukewarm 3-1 morning-line favorite for the 1 1/8-mile Polytrack race.

ARCADIA, Calif. – John Sadler and Jerry Hollendorfer are in hot pursuit of Bob Baffert in the trainers’s race at Santa Anita, and both Sadler and Hollendorfer will try to gain ground in Friday’s featured second race, where Hollendorfer’s horse Blueskiesnrainbows and the Sadler-trained Phantom Lover will meet for the second time this season.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Fresh faces are always a welcome sight at Aqueduct at this time of year, and there are two such animals entered in Friday’s quasi-featured second-level allowance for fillies and mares at six furlongs.

Silverette, who arrived this week from southern Florida, looms as the horse to catch and beat, while Chance Encounter appears to be the major off-the-pace threat in the $64,000 race, which also carries an optional-claiming clause of $62,500.

At the Pulpit is only 4, but already he has the look of a tried-and-true warrior. The gelding battled his way to a nose victory in his last start at Fair Grounds, continuing a string of solid efforts that have come to define him in just 14 starts.

Trainer Michelle Lovell called At the Pulpit “a gamer” earlier in a four-month Fair Grounds meet that is quickly winding its way to an end. When At the Pulpit steps up into second-level allowance company Friday at the New Orleans track, he will be looking to keep plugging away.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Six new horses are in the lineup of 23 separately listed wagering interests and Verrazano is a lukewarm morning-line favorite in Pool 3 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager, which opens its customary three-day run Friday at noon Eastern.

Churchill Downs linemaker Mike Battaglia has listed Verrazano as the 7-2 choice for Pool 3, with the mutuel field, the 24th or “all others” option, next at 6-1.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Justin Phillip returns to the overnight ranks for the first time in close to a year in Thursday’s eighth race at Oaklawn, a $50,000 optional claimer at six furlongs that figures to produce starters for next month’s Grade 3, $250,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap. In all, a field of seven older horses will start Thursday, including Humble Smarty, the 9-year-old who has won both of his starts this year, each with a Beyer Speed Figure of 94.