Jockey Kayla Stra, who gave birth to a son in November, won the first race of her comeback in Thursday’s fourth race aboard Wild in the Saddle.

The victory was not without a few anxious moments. Wild in the Saddle ($19.60) won the six-furlong race for $12,500 claimers by a head over No Tricks for Jack. The result was subject to a stewards’ inquiry regarding close contact between the two, but the order of finish was not changed.

The presence of a pesky No Tricks for Jack, who was ridden by Tyler Baze, was more of a fear for Stra than the inquiry.

New York Racing Association steward Braulio Baeza Jr. has been appointed chairman of the newly established Equine Safety Review Board, which will review and assess fatal equine racing and training injuries at Aqueduct, Belmont, and Saratoga.

Tampa Bay Downs has barred a private veterinarian, Dr. Orlando Paraliticci, from its grounds, the track’s general manager, Peter Berube, confirmed Friday.

Paraliticci was barred Feb. 3, Berube said. He declined to discuss the reasons behind the order, but said that the track’s decision will be discussed during a hearing that will be held “sooner rather than later.”

Paraliticci did not immediately respond to a phone message left at his veterinary practice.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Dale Romans picked up the pace a little earlier this week with Dullahan, sending his three-time Grade 1 winner out to breeze a half-mile in 48.68 seconds on Wednesday. It was just Dullahan’s second breeze since he returned to training here last month.

California sisters Dawn and Rhonda List were at the 2011 Ruidoso Quarter Horse yearling sale in New Mexico when their trainer Paul Jones insisted they inspect a Louisiana-bred prospect with modest bloodlines.

“Paul said, ‘I like this horse,’  ” Dawn List recalled on Thursday. “We didn’t know much about his breeding, but he was a good-looking animal.”

The “good-looking animal,” by Jess Louisiana Blue, cost $18,000 and is named Creole Williams. He’s turned out to be a good-looking racehorse.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Though his future may ultimately be as a distance horse on turf, West Hills Giant recorded the biggest victory of his 2-year-old season sprinting on the dirt.

Sunday, when West Hills Giant makes his 3-year-old debut, it will come in a dirt sprint in the $75,000 Java Gold Stakes at Aqueduct. Though cross-entered in Saturday’s one-mile Miracle Wood Stakes at Laurel Park, West Hills Giant will run in the Java Gold, trainer John Terranova said Friday. With only five entrants, the Java Gold is carded as race 3 on the nine-race program.

On a foggy Wednesday morning, Golden Soul worked five furlongs in 1:00.60 at Fair Grounds in preparation for the Risen Star on Feb. 23. Trainer Dallas Stewart said Golden Soul worked six furlongs in 1:14 and change.

Golden Soul, making his stakes debut in the Lecomte in his third start, made a late run to finish second to Oxbow, who set a comfortable pace and wasn’t threatened in an 11 1/2-length victory. Oxbow is expected back for the Risen Star.

Aqueduct canceled Saturday’s live racing program, the second straight card lost due to a winter nor’easter that brought heavy rain and heavy wind Friday and was expected to bring significant snow before ending Saturday.

Saturday’s $75,000 Dearly Precious Stakes for 3-year-old fillies will be run Sunday, Feb. 17, and will be re-drawn on Thursday and open to original nominees.

Aqueduct and Belmont Park will be open for simuclasting on Saturday.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Sunday at Santa Anita is the right time for good female sprinters to be practical, a statement not intended as a poke at either Nechez Dawn or Rumor.

But the truth is that they were ambitiously placed last out. Nechez Dawn was 34-1 in the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes; Rumor was considered an outsider in the Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes. Things did not go well for either.

Nechez Dawn pressed the La Brea pace Dec. 26, and weakened to fifth.

“Seven furlongs might have been a little far for her at that level,” trainer Jeff Bonde said.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Marty Wolfson entered four fillies and mares for Sunday’s $150,000 Hurricane Bertie Stakes at Gulfstream Park. But if his Golden Mystery runs like she did four weeks earlier on Sunshine Millions day, he’ll only need one.

Golden Mystery drew off to an impressive 5 1/4-length victory over Emma’s Encore with R Holiday Mood a tiring third in the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Sprint. The three will match strides again while stretching out an additional sixteenth of a mile, to 6 1/2 furlongs, for the Grade 3 Hurricane Bertie.