Garry Simms made it to the next year, just like everyone else on this side of the ground. He is extremely thankful for that, having suffered from multiple myeloma for the last three years while inspiring an untold number of fans and colleagues with his faith and perseverance.

Fair Grounds Oaks candidate Dancinginthecircle will start her 3-year-old season Friday night at Delta Downs in the $100,000 By the Light. She is shipping in from New Orleans for the seven-furlong race to be run around two turns. Others making up the seven-horse field include Unhedged, winner of the $100,000 Presque Isle Debutante in September, and Portales, who in her most recent start defeated males in the $50,000 Winnipeg Futurity at Assiniboia Downs.

ARCADIA, Calif. – When Luxuriance made a winning start to her career in a maiden race on turf in November, the surface was not trainer Kory Owens’s first choice.

“That was the race that came up,” he said.

Luxuriance followed that win at Betfair Hollywood Park with a game second in an optional claimer on the same course last month.

Friday at Santa Anita, the 4-year-old Luxuriance makes her first start on dirt, a surface that Owens expects will work in her favor. Luxuriance trains at Santa Anita on a regular basis.

Daily all-sources and ontrack handle at the 2012 Golden Gate Fields fall meet declined from the corresponding meet in 2011, but account betting continued to grow and field size was up.

The 35-day fall meeting ended Dec. 16. The 2012 meeting was one day shorter than the 2011 meet, and 15 fewer races were offered.

Daily betting from all sources and locations, including simulcast betting on other tracks, fell about 4 percent from the 2011 fall meet, to $2,784,071 per day.

ARCADIA, Calif. – She pulled her way into contention on the first turn, had a clear lead in early stretch, and fought off two rivals to stay in front at the wire. Sky High Gal made quite an impression when she made her stakes debut, and first start in California, in Tuesday’s $82,000 Blue Norther Stakes at Santa Anita.

Sky High Gal ($7.20) won the one-mile turf race for 3-year-old fillies by a nose over 5-2 Scarlet Strike, who was a nose in front of 19-1 Wittgenstein at the wire. Escape Act, a 15-1 shot, finished fourth, beaten two noses and a neck in the field of 11.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Itsmyluckyday made the first Derby of the new year a memorable one Tuesday when celebrating his third birthday with the easiest kind of victory in Tuesday’s $100,000 Gulfstream Park Derby.

Itsmyluckyday, a son of Lawyer Ron, stalked a fast pace  before drawing away under confident handling by jockey Paco Lopez to win the one-mile Gulfstream Park Derby by 6 3/4  lengths over Sr. Quisqueyano. Pacesetter Undrafted staggered home a tiring and well-beaten third.

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Rider Gallyn Mitchell, injured in a spill at Turf Paradise Dec. 23, is reportedly doing well and hopes to be back riding in a few weeks, according to his agent Denise Mitchell.

Mitchell, 50, was aboard Mark of Mischief in that day’s fifth race when his mount steadied in traffic turning for home and fell. Mitchell was then struck by another horse, You Make Me Blue, who couldn’t avoid the spill and fell as well.

Mitchell suffered a fracture in his spine, fractured ankle and some hearing loss in the accident.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Nicole H winning the $75,000 Interborough Stakes at Aqueduct is becoming a tradition akin to “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.”

For the third consecutive year, Nicole H kicked off her season with a victory in the Interborough, making her the first filly or mare to win this race three consecutive years in the 92-year history of the race. Among the five who had previously won it twice consecutively were champions Ta Wee and Affectionately.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Kauai Katie left little doubt who was boss in the first graded stakes of 2013 at Gulfstream Park after drawing off to a convincing eight-length triumph over Cor Cor and three other overmatched rivals in the $100,000 Old Hat Stakes.

With John Velazquez aboard for the first time, Kauai Katie stalked the early pace of the speedy Cor Cor, gradually eased away from that rival once settling into the stretch, and then steadily increased her advantage while less than all out to the wire. Cor Cor outlasted Power Lady by nearly seven lengths to finish second.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – New year, same result.

Arena Elvira began 2012 in March with a head victory over R Gypsy Gold in the Wayward Lass Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. On Tuesday, Arena Elvira kicked off her 2013 campaign with a neck victory over R Gypsy Gold in the $75,000 Ladies Handicap at Aqueduct.

It was 8 1/4 lengths back to Silver Prize in third. Villanesca was last. The Stronach Stables entry of Dial Direct and Smart Cash scratched.