For Saturday’s $150,000 San Fernando Stakes, trainer Doug O’Neill is starting Handsome Mike, who was fourth in the 2012 Sham Stakes and won the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby in September.

The last two starts have not gone as well for Handsome Mike, who was ninth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic here on Nov. 3 and 10th in the Hollywood Derby on turf on Nov. 25.

In recent weeks, O’Neill said that Handsome Mike has undergone a tougher training schedule.

“He was off form but we’re trying him a little bit,” he said. “You might see a fitter and stronger horse.”

Goldencents, the winner of the Grade 3 Sham Stakes at Santa Anita on Saturday, will have “one or two more” starts leading to the Kentucky Derby in May, trainer Doug O’Neill said on Sunday.

O’Neill said a plan will be made on Goldencents’s late winter and spring  season in coming weeks, with the intent of keeping the colt separate as much as possible from three of his other Triple Crown prospects – Avare, He’s Had Enough, and Mudflats.

The Maryland Jockey Club managed to post healthy gains in wagering on both its live racing product and its signal sent to other betting outlets during the 2012 season. The year featured 145 live racing dates and 206 simulcast days.

Based on figures released by the organization on Saturday, total ontrack handle at Pimlico and Laurel rose 6.6 percent from $176.3 million in 2011 to $186.7 million in 2012.

Wagering on Maryland races via simulcast climbed 17.5 percent from $243.8 million to $286.3 million.

Vyjack came out of his hard-fought head victory over longshot Siete de Oros in Saturday’s Grade 2 Jerome Stakes in good order, according to trainer Rudy Rodriguez, but the undefeated gelding will likely not run again until the Grade 3, $400,000 Gotham Stakes on March 2 at Aqueduct.

In winning the $200,000 Jerome, Vyjack won for the third time in as many career starts, all coming in a 67-day period.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Paynter, who has not raced since taking ill following last year’s Haskell Invitational, returned to the track for training at Santa Anita on Saturday morning, the first steps toward what months ago seemed like an improbable comeback.

Paynter had to be hospitalized in clinics on the East Coast, once immediately following the Haskell, and then anew after becoming seriously ill a month later at Saratoga. But after months of rehabilitation, and apparently staving off laminitis, he has returned to training.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Bob Baffert began the day at Santa Anita watching Paynter go to the track for the first time since his return to training, and ended it by watching Coil outduel Ultimate Eagle in a thrilling stretch drive to win his career finale in the Grade 2, $150,000 San Pasqual Stakes for older horses.

“One superstar leaves, another comes back,” Baffert said.

PHOENIX – E Z Kitty confirmed herself the top female horse at Turf Paradise with an easy victory in Saturday’s $35,000 Kachina Handicap.

Not only does Lovely Vin seem to be getting better race by race, he also appears to be getting smarter.

Lovely Vin’s two wins and two seconds since owner Maggi Moss claimed him for $20,000 last summer all came via pacesetting trips. Saturday, in the Dixie Poker Ace at Fair Grounds, Lovely Vin rated patiently in second while the filly Sunday’s Child led. When jockey Rosie Napravnik asked him to go, Lovely Vin quickly overhauled Sunday’s Child at the top of the stretch, going on to a 5 ¼-length romp in the $60,000 Dixie Poker Ace for Louisiana-bred grass horses.

Making her first start in eight months, Hard Not to Like got through along the rail and proceeded to outrun Channel Lady in the final 100 yards Saturday in the Grade 3, $100,000 Marshua’s River at Gulfstream Park.

With Joe Rocco Jr. aboard, Hard Not to Like got a good trip from her outside post in the field of eight fillies and mares, lurking in midpack before making her winning run. She returned $17.60 when finishing the 1 1/16-mile distance in 1:41.70 over a firm course.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Thanks in large part to the highest-priced winner on the New York Racing Association circuit in nearly 14 years, there will be a pick-six carryover of $99,787 into Sunday’s card at Aqueduct.

The Sunday sequence will begin with race 4 (1:54 p.m. Eastern) and include the $75,000 Cat Cay Stakes.

There was a $20,827 carryover entering Saturday’s card and an additional $138,579 was wagered into the pool.