Angry Bird, who was a $62,500 claim, and Affable Amy, a $2,500 yearling purchase at auction, appear to be the main players in the $50,000 El Paso Times at Sunland Park on Sunday.

The 6 1/2-furlong race is for 3-year-old fillies.

Angry Bird was claimed out of her second career start, a fourth-place finish in a Del Mar maiden race Sept. 5. She turned up six weeks later at Zia Park and won a maiden special weight from off the pace while making her first start for new connections, Jeffrey and Chris Meyers and trainer Owen Bringhurst.

Here's my race-by-race rundown of Saturday's Guaranteed $100K 50-cent Pick 4 at Fair Grounds. I'm building my wager with TicketMaker, found exclusively on DRF.com.

Here's my race-by-race rundown of Saturday's Pick 4 at Aqueduct. I'm building my wager with TicketMaker, found exclusively on DRF.com.

Jockey Don Simington won the 3,000th Thoroughbred race of his career Thursday night at Delta Downs in Vinton, La., when he guided Madam Dream ($20) to victory in the second race. Simington has had 24,508 Thoroughbred mounts in his career to date, and they have earned more than $39 million.

Simington is a multiple title winner at Louisiana Downs and ranks fourth in the current standings at Delta Downs. His milestone win Thursday night came in a $7,500 conditioned claiming sprint for trainer Charles Begnaud. Simington registered the 2,000th win of his career in 2005.

The first of six stakes comes early on the Road to the Derby Kickoff Day card on Saturday at Fair Grounds, with race 4, the $75,000 F.W. Gaudin Memorial Stakes, which drew just five entrants from 12 nominations.

Gantry, Cash Refund, and Joe Hollywood, the respective 1-2-3 finishers from the Thanksgiving Handicap on opening day of the 2011-12 meet, are all back for the six-furlong Gaudin.

Arcadia, Calif. - Liaison, trainer Bob Baffert’s top Kentucky Derby hope, worked six furlongs in 1:11 at Santa Anita on Thursday, the fastest of 16 recorded works at the distance.

Working in company with stablemate Sir Allison, Liaison started about five lengths behind and trailed by as many as six lengths on the backstretch. Ridden by jockey Martin Garcia, Liaison reduced the margin quickly in early stretch and finished in front of Sir Allison.

Baffert timed Liaison galloping out seven furlongs in 1:23.40

NEW ORLEANS - Fast Alex beat Gleam of Hope by a nose in the Dec. 17 Tenacious Handicap, but there are new players Saturday in the $100,000 Louisiana Handicap, the next local step on the road to the New Orleans Handicap on April 1.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – There are two sons of Kitten’s Joy amongst the eight 3-year-olds entered in Saturday’s $100,000 Kitten’s Joy Stakes at Gulfstream Park. But it is an offspring of another prolific turf sire, Cozzene, who may prove the one to beat in the 1 1/16-mile race formerly known as the Hallandale Beach.

NEW ORLEANS – The older-male turf ranks at Fair Grounds look thin this season, so much so that a 4-year-old who never has beaten older horses, a New York-bred, and a last-out mid-level claiming winner look like contenders in the Grade 3, $100,00 Colonel E.R. Bradley Handicap on Saturday.

The 1 1/16-mile Bradley drew a field of eight, but expect only seven to run if the race stays on grass, with Glenwood Canyon expected to scratch in favor of the Louisiana Handicap unless there’s a rain-off.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Celestial Kitten might be forced into her main-track debut in Saturday’s $75,000 Megahertz Stakes at Santa Anita.

The one-mile race for fillies and mares is scheduled for a mile on turf, but rain is expected early Saturday. That could lead to a transfer of the race to the main track. Trainer Ben Cecil is willing to along with that.

“She might like it,” he said. “I might run her.”