INGLEWOOD, Calif. – The last few weeks have kept jockey Mike Smith on the road for the Triple Crown and away from his weekly appointment to work the turf miler Mr. Commons.

For Smith, Saturday’s $150,000 American Handicap at Betfair Hollywood Park will be a chance to get reacquainted with Mr. Commons for the first time in a race since early March. It is a partnership he hopes will flourish in coming months, as the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita in November slowly draws closer.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Simmard is a known quantity in turf marathons, having earned most of his $537,391 in such races. Tahoe Lake and Harrods Creek also are comfortable fits as both have been consistently competitive in graded company within the niche.

But for the five other older horses set to race Saturday in the 75th running of the Grade 3, $100,000 Louisville Handicap at 1 1/2 miles over the Churchill Downs turf, there is little to no data on which to base their chances. Perhaps one of the more accomplished of those, a 5-year-old gelding named Cease, can make an immediate impact.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Pender Harbour, last year’s Canadian champion 3-year-old, returns from a six-month layoff Saturday at Woodbine in the Grade 3, $150,000 Eclipse Stakes.

Hollywood Dreams ran into a couple of tough horses in his two starts in California last winter and he will certainly appreciate being back at Northlands Park, where he has compiled a 4-1-1- record from 7 starts. He looks like the one to beat in a $40,000 optional claiming race for 3-year-olds and up that will serve as Saturday’s feature. The six-furlong sprint drew a solid field of seven older horses and goes as the eighth race.

Navy Chapel, a three-time stakes winner against West Virginia-breds last season, returns from a lengthy layoff in Saturday night’s $50,000 It’s Binn Too Long at Charles Town.

Although she has been away since finishing third against open company in an allowance at Laurel Park on Jan. 16, Navy Chapel is listed at 1-2 on the track’s morning line against five other 3-year-old West Virginia-bred fillies in the 4 1/2-furlong It’s Binn Too Long.

John Jacinto, a past title winner at Louisiana Downs, is back at the Bossier City, La., track after spending some time at Prairie Meadows.

“He starts riding here Friday,” said his agent, Richie Price. “He’s riding the meet here.”

Jacinto has spent the past few summer seasons at Evangeline Downs. He was last based at Louisiana Downs in 2008.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Tom Amoss might make quite a few folks happy Friday evening at Churchill Downs  - or he might disappoint them, too. The veteran trainer has five scheduled starters in the final six races of the twilight Friday card (first post, 2:45 p.m. Eastern), and all of them look like they could win and thus figure to draw strong action.

While trainer Nick Zito won’t be participating in the Belmont Stakes, he will have a major player for Monday’s Grade 1, $750,000 Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park in Jackson Bend.
Jackson Bend is one of five Grade 1 winners pointing to the Met Mile, which is expected to draw a six-horse field when entries are taken and post positions assigned on Friday.

Jackson Bend is coming off a nose victory over Caleb’s Posse in last month’s Grade 1 Carter at seven furlongs. Caleb’s Posse is also pointing to the Met.

Both stakes races on Saturday’s program, the Grade 3, $150,000 Matron and the $125,000 Arlington Classic were drawn with appealing fields Wednedsay.

The Arlington Classic, the first leg in Arlington’s loosely linked Mid-America Triple for 3-year-old grass horses, drew 10 entrants headed by Silver Max, the Dale Romans-trained winner of the American Turf on Oaks Day at Churchill in his most recent start. Others of note in the race are Monastic, Sachem Spirit, Najjaar, and Hero of Order, who has lost twice since his monumental upset of the $1 million Louisiana Derby.

Bodemeister and Creative Cause, second and third behind I’ll Have Another in the Preakness Stakes, will pass the Belmont Stakes in New York on June 9 and will be on different career paths this summer.

Trainer Bob Baffert said Wednesday that Bodemeister will be pointed to the $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park on July 29.

“He could use a breather,” Baffert said.

Owned by Zayat Stables, Bodemeister won the Arkansas Derby in April and was second in the Kentucky Derby.