Their credentials are impeccable. Jess You and I was the champion aged horse and champion aged gelding in 2008. Noconi was the champion 3-year-old gelding of 2008 and champion aged gelding of 2010.

Between them, they give trainer Paul Jones a formidable team for Sunday’s $226,050 Los Alamitos Winter Championship for older Quarter Horses. At stake is an automatic berth to the Champion of Champions in December.

On Friday, a diplomatic Jones was not ready to make a prediction among his two champions.

“I think it’s a toss-up between them,” he said.

In contrast to Mucho Macho Man’s easy half-mile drill, his younger stablemate Silver Menace just blistered the same distance in 45.67 seconds after the renovation break Friday morning at Gulfstream Park, posting splits of 11.62 and 22.65 before galloping out five-eighths in 59.02.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Mucho Macho Man has been one of the most popular horses stabled at Gulfstream Park over the past two seasons and his legion of fans will get one more chance to watch him compete here this winter in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Handicap on March 10.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Her Smile drew an outside post and paid the price in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, finishing third while beaten just more than a length by eventual Eclipse Award winner Musical Romance after being forced to race wide and losing considerable ground the entire trip.

Leg 2---Second Division

Turntable Bay

Owner: Charles Allen

Trainer: Chris Sutton

Jockey: EliskaKubinova

Was claimed out of the first leg and was a very disappointing sixth place finisher as the favorite.  Gets a new rider and saves five pounds with the apprentice on board, also goes for new barn.  Do take note that this runner ran one time at today’s mile and one eighth distance before, and that was a win.

Little Mordi

Owner: De Jesus Racing Stable

Leg 2---First Division

Meshuguna

Owner: Patti Harris

Trainer: John Harris

Jockey: Luis Torres

Comes off a very disappointing effort in the first leg of the Route Claiming Series when finishing seventh as the 4/5 favorite.  Was however out wide in a race with a slow pace and a day when it was good to be inside, so certainly improvement is possible for new connections that claimed this one out of that heat.  Luis Torres takes over the mount and has been enjoying a fine season.

On Portland Meadows's biggest day of racing, a 10-race card that includes the $20,000 Oregon Thoroughbred Breeders Derby and other stakes, the track's popular Route Claiming Series carries on with its second leg.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Jockey Julien Leparoux confirmed Thursday that he plans to move his tack to New York on a regular basis sometime in early May.

Leparoux said he will ride out the current Gulfstream Park meet, which concludes on April 8, before heading to Keeneland where he was the leading rider at each of the last three meets dating back to the fall of 2010.

Smoking G is entered in a one-mile allowance race on turf for 3-year-olds on Saturday, but will start in Sunday’s $150,000 San Vicente Stakes over seven furlongs on the main track, trainer Peter Miller said.

The Grade 2 San Vicente is led by Creative Cause, the winner of the Grade 1 Norfolk Stakes here in October. Trained by Mike Harrington, Creative Cause has not started since finishing third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs in November.

Rose’s Desert will be out to build on a perfect 2011 season Saturday, when she makes her first start of the year in the $110,000 Sydney Valentini Handicap at Sunland Park. She will be chasing her fifth straight win after a year in which she won two stakes while going 4 for 4.