More Chocolate, upset winner of the Grade 2 La Canada Stakes on Sunday, will start in the $300,000 Santa Margarita Stakes over 1 1/8 miles on March 16, trainer John Sadler said. He plans to skip the $200,000 Santa Maria Stakes on Feb. 16 to have More Chocolate ready for the richest race of the meeting for older females.

“She’s already run twice at the meeting,” Sadler said. “I want to try her at a mile and an eighth.”

Beholder, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2012 trained by Richard Mandella, will be pointed to the $250,000 Las Virgenes Stakes on March 2 after her surprising second to Renee’s Titan in Monday’s $150,000 Santa Ynez Stakes over 6 1/2 furlongs.

Renee’s Titan ($43.80) closed more than five lengths in the final furlong to win the Grade 2 Santa Ynez Stakes by three-quarters of a length over Beholder, the 1-5 favorite who finished a nose in front of pacesetter Dawn’s Charm.

Larry Jones didn’t win a Saturday stakes at Fair Grounds, but the losses he took left him optimistic. Mark Valeski finished second in the Louisiana Handicap, a race he probably needed for fitness, while 3-year-old filly Smitten rallied for third in the Silverbulletday, a race she probably needed for experience.

Mark Valeski, unraced since May 12 because of a knee injury, pressed Hurricane Ike’s slow pace in the Louisiana Handicap, but could not hold clear Infrattini while drifting out in the final furlong.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Oxbow and Will Take Charge have put their Hall of Fame trainer, D. Wayne Lukas, front and center on the Kentucky Derby trail after a holiday weekend in which they won 3-year-old preps at two different tracks. Oxbow romped by 11 lengths in the Grade 3, $200,000 Lecomte at Fair Grounds on Saturday, while Will Take Charge fought for a neck win in the $150,000 Smarty Jones at Oaklawn on Monday.

After combining to win 30 of 54 races run at Aqueduct last week, what will the Ortiz brothers do for an encore? That question will be answered in part Thursday, when apprentice Jose Ortiz rides the entire card and older brother Irad rides the first eight races, capped by a return call on Tug of War, the 8-5 morning-line choice in a first-level allowance that serves as the feature.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Cautious bettors can play it safe Thursday at Santa Anita by wagering on Gladding, an honest 6-year-old who is as real as real can get.

“What you see is what you get,” trainer Mike Mitchell said.

That might be good enough. Runner-up 12 days ago in a fast sprint from which he was claimed for $62,500 by Mitchell and owner Jeffrey Sengara, Gladding wheels back as one of the favorites in race 7, a second-level optional claiming mile race.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trainer Bill Mott reported that both Flat Out and his recently crowned older female champion Royal Delta remain on target to make their 2013 debuts here at Gulfstream Park next month.

Flat Out will return in the Donn Handicap on Feb. 9. Flat Out captured the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup and finished third behind Fort Larned to close out his 2012 campaign in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Royal Delta will likely make her much-anticipated 2013 debut eight days later in the Grade 3 Sabin, the same race she used to begin her championship season a year ago.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Jimmy Creed, winner of the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita on Dec. 26, will miss a scheduled start in the $200,000 Strub Stakes on Feb. 2 because of a recent illness.

Trainer Richard Mandella said Tuesday that Jimmy Creed will be pointed to the $200,000 San Carlos Stakes over seven furlongs Feb. 23 as a substitute.

Jimmy Creed missed training earlier this month because of an elevated temperature. Mandella had hoped that Jimmy Creed would rebound quick enough to start in the Strub Stakes, but said Tuesday that he was “leaning toward not running.”

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – What Chee lacks in experience he may well make up for in pure talent when he goes postward among the favorites in Thursday’s $54,500 optional claiming feature carded at a mile at Gulfstream Park.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Take Charge Indy, the reigning Florida Derby champion, gave every indication he will be a force to be reckoned with when he returns to the scene of his finest hour to launch his 2013 campaign in the Grade 1 Donn Handicap after working five furlongs in 1:01.18 at Palm Meadows early Tuesday morning.