The chief legal counsel for the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority will preside over a hearing on Monday involving a complaint that the authority acted improperly when it authorized a lease of Monmouth Park to the state’s horsemen’s group.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – A welcome influx of new faces peppers Thursday’s pick six sequence at Aqueduct. Here is a handy-dandy checklist to a steady stream of live shippers.

Fourth race: Bucheron was a twice-beaten favorite at Tampa Bay Downs off a year’s layoff at this level, but the Eric Reed-trained gelding can contend at a square price in a wide-open $25,000 “beaten” claimer scheduled for turf.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Successful Dan earned an 85 Beyer Speed Figure in his return from a 16-month layoff last Friday, a seven-furlong allowance victory at Keeneland  from which he emerged in good shape, according to trainer Charlie Lopresti. The 6-year-old gelding goes next in the Alysheba Stakes on the May 4 Kentucky Oaks undercard at Churchill.

Speaking of the Oaks, Karlovy Vary also exited her Ashland Stakes upset in fine fettle, according to trainer Rusty Arnold, and goes next in the filly classic at Churchill. Karlovy Vary got a 90 Beyer.

AUBURN, Wash. – It will be business as usual when Emerald Downs ushers in its new season Friday with an eight-race program. All of the familiar names from the 2011 jockey standings have returned. The wagering menu is unchanged, and most of the marquee stakes horses are back in their respective barns. Noosa Beach is among them; the two-time defending horse of the meeting worked four furlongs Saturday morning in preparation for his first start of the year.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Seven older turf horses were entered Tuesday for the Grade 1 Maker’s 46 Mile, which will be run Friday for the 24th time on the Keeneland turf. The $300,000 race had been known as the Maker’s Mark Mile before being renamed for the distillery’s first new product in more than 50 years.

Get Stormy, the 2011 winner, figures to vie for favoritism with Turallure in a field that will line up this way from the inner rail: Doubles Partner, Pressday, Hollinger, Big Blue Kitten, Get Stormy, Turallure, and Data Link.

ARCADIA, Calif – Reigning champion sprinter Amazombie will have two starts at the upcoming Hollywood Park spring-summer meeting, with one stakes for California-breds and two graded stakes later in the meeting among the choices.

Amazombie won his first stakes of 2012 in the Grade 2 Potrero Grande Stakes at Santa Anita last weekend. In February, Amazombie was third in the Grade 2 San Carlos Stakes.

Sagging handle during midwinter gave way to more robust betting in February and March, as Fair Grounds completed a 2011-2012 racing season April 1 with business figures very similar to the previous season.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – There has been one constant in the Arkansas Derby the last two years – Jon Court.

Court rode Line of David to victory in 2010 and last year won aboard Archarcharch. On Saturday, Court will be out to win an unprecedented third consecutive running of Oaklawn Park’s richest race when he teams with the D. Wayne Lukas-trained Optimizer.

“I love my chances,” said Court, 51. “I love the way the horse is training.”

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Owner-trainer Shauna Ferguson died Monday afternoon at age 58 from injuries suffered in a training accident at Keenebridge Farm in Langley, British Columbia.

According to Royal Canadian Mounted Police Constable Craig Van Herk, Ferguson was thrown from a horse and suffered serious head injuries.

ARCADIA, Calif. – The 3-year-olds not bound for Triple Crown races will be the focus of Thursday’s eight-race program at Santa Anita.

The maiden race winner Achilles and the recent Florida shipper Ransom Canyon are the two leading contenders in an optional claimer over a mile on turf for 3-year-olds. They could develop into horses to follow in turf stakes later this year, particularly when that division has ample opportunities at Del Mar.