From the looks of the nomination sheets for the 2012 Claiming Crown races, horseplayers can expect big fields to abound opening day at Gulfstream Park.

A total of 232 nominations were received for the seven Claiming Crown races, no fewer than 26 horses in any one race. The two turf races on the program proved the most popular with 50 runners made eligible for the $125,000 Emerald and 40 fillies and mares for the $125,000 Tiara.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Ultimate Eagle, a three-time stakes winner who was the beaten favorite in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap in March, is set to return to racing in the $250,000 Citation Handicap at Betfair Hollywood Park on Friday.

Owner B.J. Wright paid a $5,000 supplemental fee on Thursday to make the 4-year-old colt eligible for the Grade 2 Citation over 1 1/16 miles on turf.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Mucho Macho Man is back home. And he’s loving it.

Mucho Macho Man was back in his old stall at his winter base at Gulfstream Park less than 72 hours after finishing a game and hard-luck second behind Fort Larned in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. He has also returned to his regular training routine, jogging and galloping on a daily basis, while his connections begin mapping out plans for his 2013 campaign.

Many at Portland Meadows expected a two-horse showdown between Bill Wineberg Stakes winner Cantchaco and favored runner-up Captainnotsosober in the $25,000 Don Jackson Futurity, the feature race on Oregon Championship Day on Sunday. But when the Oregon Debutante failed to fill and was canceled, the field for the Don Jackson added a third contender in undefeated filly Calypsonoted.

Those three lead a field of 10, and while they are attracting most of the attention, the Don Jackson will mark the first two-turn race for all three.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Sparkling Style returns to her favorite footing Sunday at Betfair Hollywood Park, where she stands out in the $75,000 Cat’s Cradle Handicap.

A field of seven California-bred fillies and mares entered the Cat’s Cradle, a 7 1/2-furlong sprint on Cushion Track. The surface happens to be Sparkling Style’s favorite – 5 starts on the Hollywood synthetic produced 3 wins and a second.

Friend Or Foe, the 2010 Empire Classic winner who has been sidelined since a fourth-place finish in the 2011 Whitney Handicap, returns to the races against the win machine Saginaw at Aqueduct in Sunday’s $80,000 Fourstars Allstar for New York-breds.

Friend Or Foe, a 5-year-old by Friends Lake whose only losses from nine career starts have come in Grade 1 or Grade 2 stakes, will break from the outside post against five rivals in the one-mile overnight stakes, which is carded as race 3 at 1:18 p.m. Eastern.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario — Heading into the weekend, Hold That Echo was the only horse to have recorded as many as five victories at the current Woodbine meeting.

On Sunday, Hold That Echo will be gunning for the six-pack in the second race, which is a $25,000 claimer for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles.

Hold That Echo, who is conditioned by Steven Chircop, will be seeking her third straight victory after winning for $10,000 on Oct. 10 and then landing her first allowance condition on Oct. 26, with both races at 1 1/16 miles.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Larry Jones has confidence that Hamiltonian will represent his stable proudly when the feature race is run Sunday at Churchill Downs. Problem is, one of his former trainees could play a spoiler’s role.

“To be honest, I wasn’t real happy to see that Prince Silver was in against us,” Jones said with a smile.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Nipissing puts her unbeaten record on the line Sunday at Woodbine in the $125,000 South Ocean Stakes. She will be heavily favored in the 1 1/16-mile route, which lured just four other Ontario-sired 2-year-old fillies.

After graduating over Ontario-sired maidens in August, Nipissing won a seven-furlong allowance comfortably over favored Leinan, who subsequently took the open Glorious Song Stakes.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A prime example of why Corey Lanerie has become a top jockey came in the Thursday feature at Churchill Downs, a five-furlong turf allowance in which he displayed some subtle and savvy horsemanship in guiding Sweet Cassiopeia to victory.

Entering the turn about eight lengths behind the leading pack, Sweet Cassiopeia attempted to bolt for a few strides, but Lanerie shifted his weight and got the filly onto her left lead. From there, they quickly made up ground before going on to a three-length score.