LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Hard to say what is hotter: the triple-digit heat index that was supposed to hover over Churchill Downs through Memorial Day weekend, or the pressure a trainer feels when it takes a $1.3 million purchase four races just to make it through a maiden condition.

For the ever-cool Graham Motion, however, there have been few worries with the aptly named Onepointhreekarats, a 4-year-old filly who steps up into first-level allowance conditions Monday at Churchill after notching her first career victory over the local turf course during Kentucky Derby week.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Belle Royale starts in Monday’s $250,000 Gamely Stakes at Betfair Hollywood Park as a leading contender on the basis of her four-race winning streak since last August.

The Grade 1 Gamely will be her first start in a race at the highest level, and a far cry from her group stakes debut back in 2010 in England. Belle Royale was a 200-1 shot in the Group 3 Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot and finished last in a field of 22.

Two years later, it is safe to say that Belle Royale has grown up nicely.

ELMONT, N.Y. –Trainer Tom Albertrani said he believes Zo Impressive has the quality to win a Grade 1 race. He’s hoping to be proven right Monday when Zo Impressive takes on five other 3-year-old fillies in the $300,000 Acorn at Belmont Park.

ELMONT, N.Y. – There may have been races run in the handicap division this year that have drawn bigger fields, but it would be hard to argue there have been any with a better field than the one assembled for Monday’s Grade 1, $750,000 Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park.

The six horses entered to run in the 119th Met Mile have combined to win 56 races, 17 of which were graded stakes, including five Grade 1s. The combined earnings of the sextet is $7.95 million.

MIAMI – With a little racing luck, Where’s Sterling would have surely hit the board and possibly even won the Grade 1 Donn Handicap earlier this winter at Gulfstream Park. But after a very disappointing performance seven weeks later in the Skip Away, Where’s Sterling remains a bit of a question mark as the starting highweight and heavy favorite in Monday’s $75,000 Memorial Day Handicap at Calder.

AUBURN, Wash. – Some of the story lines on a holiday Monday at Emerald Downs:

* In the featured eighth race, a $12,500 claimer for 3-year-olds bred in Washington, He’s a Cruiser profiles as the horse to beat. Just six runners were entered in the six-furlong affair and He’s a Cruiser is the quickest of the bunch -- he helped set a fast pace in a $17,500 claimer in his last start despite getting away a couple of lengths slow. The winner that day, War Wizard, was a formidable opponent, and He’s a Cruiser is a candidate to benefit from some class relief for trainer Vince Gibson.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – One might think, considering she hasn’t raced since Jan. 22, that the filly Ready to Unleash is coming into Monday’s featured third race at Arlington Park after an injury layoff. Not so, reports trainer David Carroll. The problem has not been getting Ready to Unleash ready to race again; the problem has been finding a race in which to run her.

Haya’s Boy, who began the year running for a $7,500 claiming tag against nonwinners of two lifetime but has improved enough to most recently finish second against open company in a first-level allowance at Aqueduct, may be the horse to beat in Monday’s first stakes of the season at Finger Lakes, the $50,000 George Barker Handicap.

ELMONT, N.Y. – On a humid but dry and sun-filled morning, a trio of Belmont Stakes contenders put in workouts over a drying-out Belmont Park main track.

Meanwhile, Triple Crown candidate I’ll Have Another appeared to have another good morning, galloping seven furlongs over a main track labeled good for morning training.

Street Life, the third-place finisher in the Peter Pan, worked four furlongs in 47.82 seconds under exercise rider Richard Johnson.

ALTOONA, Iowa -- Salty Strike's determined late bid was good enough for a nose victory over the game pacesetter Starlite Starbrite in Friday night's co-featured $60,000 Prairie Rose Stakes at Prairie Meadows.

Under a stiff drive from jockey Shane Laviolette, favorite Salty Strike ($3.80) registered her fifth lifetime tally and her first outside of her favored Churchill Downs main track. Trained by Ken McPeek for owner Craig B. Singer, Salty Strike managed a rally over a sloppy track, covering the six furlongs in 1:09.85.