LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. – It’s becoming automatic. Each spring, the winners of the El Primero Del Ano Derby for Quarter Horse colts and geldings and the La Primera Del Ano Derby for fillies earn a vacation.

This year’s winners – Flame N Flash in the La Primera last Friday and New Look in Saturday’s El Primero – will have lengthy breaks. Flame N Flash will not race again until September, or more likely October, trainer Juan Aleman said. New Look will return for the Governor’s Cup Derby trials in July, according to trainer Dan Francisco.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Another Sovereign Award winner will be making her seasonal bow on Saturday as Tu Endie Wei, Canada’s champion 2-year-old filly, faces five rivals in the $150,000 Star Shoot Stakes.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - The dash for graded cash is on at Oaklawn Park.

The Arkansas Derby, which is the final $1 million prep for the Kentucky Derby, drew a field of 11 when entries were taken on Wednesday. And most in Saturday's 1 1/8-mile race will need a significant finish to advance on the road to Louisville.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Gypsy Ring, runner-up to Essence Hit Man in the Sovereign Award voting, also was nominated to the Jacques Cartier but instead faced Ontario-sired company here in the $100,000 Debut on opening day. Despite trainer Paul Buttigieg’s concerns about the Debut’s five-furlong distance, Gypsy Ring was the prohibitive choice under regular rider Justin Stein. Gypsy Ring prevailed but, as his wont, his victory did not come easily.

There is a perception, whether accurate or not, that when a track is fighting to preserve its purse account, a racing office will do its best to card its cheapest races whenever possible, and avoid using richer allowance races.

Well, no one can say that’s what the Lone Star Park racing office did for its Friday evening program, where three of the nine races are allowances.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Essence Hit Man was a double winner here in the opening week of racing.

Last Thursday evening, Essence Hit Man took home for the Sovereign Award as Canada’s outstanding sprinter for his owner, trainer, and breeder Audre Cappuccitti. On Saturday afternoon, Essence Hit Man picked up where he left off with a front-running victory in the $168,300 Jacques Cartier at six furlongs.

Hansen was assigned post 4 as a heavy favorite in the biggest field in years for the Grade 1, $750,000 Blue Grass Stakes, which will be run Saturday for the 88th time at Keeneland.

Thirteen 3-year-olds were entered in the 1 1/8-mile Polytrack race, the most since 14 went postward in 1974. Hansen, the nearly white colt who was the 2-year-old champion of 2011, will be ridden by Ramon Dominguez in his final prep for the May 5 Kentucky Derby.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Oaklawn Park has a stakes doubleheader Thursday as part of its annual Racing Festival of the South series, and trainer Bret Calhoun has capable starters in both of the races. He will send out Beat the Blues and Gleaming in the $75,000 Carousel, while Cascabella will be seeking her third straight win when she runs in the $100,000 Redbud.

When Global Gaming Solutions, a subsidiary of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma, purchased the license to operate Lone Star Park, the company essentially bet on Texas racing and Lone Star’s upside should Texas tracks receive legislative approval for casino gambling.

Now, when Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie opens for its 16th Thoroughbred season Thursday night, Global Gaming and Lone Star hope horseplayers bet on them – because for 2012, that’s all the gambling there is.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Kentucky Oaks winner Plum Pretty flew into Arkansas from her Southern California base Tuesday morning, and not long afterward drew post 5 in a field of five for the Grade 1, $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park. She will be the 117-pound starting highweight in Friday’s race following the defection of Horse of the Year Havre de Grace.