ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Trainer Mark Casse plans to be back for this year’s running of the $150,000 Fury, with both Dene Court and Northern Passion on target for that April 29 race.

Dene Court, also owned by Melnyk, won over five furlongs at first asking here last June and then finished second to the invading Judy the Beauty in the Shady Well. Shortly afterwards, Dene Court was sent to trainer Todd Pletcher at Saratoga and has not started in the interim.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Going into the first turn of the $50,000 George Royal Stakes for 3-year-olds and up at Hastings last Sunday, trainer Dino Condilenios was confident Almost Time was going to win the six-furlong sprint. Usually a deep closer, Almost Time broke alertly under Frank Fuentes and was sitting just off the pace set by favored Winning Machine and Don’twaitforme. Horses who come from well off the pace don’t always have the same kick when they are asked to stay close early. That wasn’t the case with Almost Time.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – It was late February, and like many horsemen across the country, Charlie Lopresti was laying the groundwork for a big spring meet at Keeneland.

Only Lopresti wasn’t basking in the winter warmth of Palm Meadows or Gulfstream Park or Fair Grounds. He was at chilly Keeneland, nearly alone, on a Saturday morning when he sent his three best horses through serious workouts.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Mark Casse was tops in races won, money won and stakes won here last year en route to his Sovereign Award as Canada’s outstanding trainer. On Sunday, Casse will be looking to return to the infield winner’s circle here, with Roxy Gap ready to roll in the six-furlong Whimsical.

The Whimsical, which offers Grade 3 status and a purse of $150,000, attracted a field of 10 headed by Atlantic Hurricane, who was Canada’s champion sprinting female of 2011 and will be making her first start since Nov. 20.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Trainer Phil Hall is hoping his strong numbers with horses going from turf to dirt hold up when he runs The Gov in a $50,000 optional race for 3-year-olds at Hastings Saturday. The six-furlong dash drew seven horses and headlines an eight-race card that begins at 1:50 p.m. Pacific.

Since 2010 Hall has won with six of the 14 starters he has moved from turf to dirt. The median payoff has been $13.10 and the return on investment is an excellent $4.70.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The road to the June 24 Queen’s Plate begins in earnest Saturday at Woodbine in the $100,000 Wando, and the promising Perfect Tay will make his stakes debut in the 1 1/16-mile Polytrack route for 3-year-olds.

Perfect Tay has made both of his starts over 1 1/16 miles on the grass at Gulfstream. He was based at the Payson Park training center with trainer Roger Attfield prior to his debut for a $75,000 tag on Feb. 18, in which he rallied strongly for second.

Six months ago, Baltimore Belle, Dream Louise, and In the Rough ran one-two-three going 1 1/16 miles over yielding turf in the Lady Baltimore. The trio of 5-year-old mares could face similar conditions when they renew their rivalry in Saturday’s $75,000 Dahlia Stakes at Pimlico.

The advance forecast for Baltimore calls for scattered thunderstorms, which could create non-firm turf conditions or, as was the case a year ago when Baltimore Belle won this race, the Dahlia may get moved to the main track. The Dahlia has been shortened from 1 1/16 miles to one mile this year.

MIAMI – Monument Hill has never run a bad race throughout his injury-plagued career. He’s also never won a stakes, a blemish on the r é sum é the consistent gelding can rectify with another typically big performance in Saturday’s Grade 3, $125,000 Miami Mile Handicap at Calder.

OLDSMAR Fla. – Jr’s Exchange, who set the track record for five furlongs on the turf in his last start, goes after his 10th win and fifth local turf tally on Saturday as he tops a strong field of optional allowance sprinters in the five furlong turf feature.

Jr’s Exchange was making his second start since July last time out and came up with a dazzling performance. He set a blistering pace that included a quarter of 21.21 and half of 43.31, then pulled away to be more than two lengths clear of Conech and Tudor King while covering the five furlongs in 54.92.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – In Lingerie, an easy six-length winner of the Bourbonette Oaks in her latest race, will make her next start in the May 4 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs, it was announced this week by Aron Wellman, who heads the Eclipse Thoroughbred Partnership that co-owns the filly with Gary Barber.