OZONE PARK, N.Y. − With disappointing efforts in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Remsen, Speightscity proved he wasn’t as good as he looked winning a maiden race by 11 1/2 lengths at Saratoga. By winning a first-level allowance race here by nearly two lengths Dec. 15, Speightscity hopefully proved he wasn’t as bad as he looked in his two graded stakes attempts.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Dialed In was the king of the local 3-year-old division last winter, winning both the Grade 3 Holy Bull and Grade 1 Florida Derby for owner Bob LaPenta and trainer Nick Zito. LaPenta and Zito are hoping history will repeat itself in 2012 with their latest 3-year-old prospect, Casual Trick, who makes his stakes debut against 10 rivals in Sunday’s inaugural edition of the Gulfstream Park Derby.

STICKNEY, Ill. – Whatever struggles the Hawthorne fall-winter meet has undergone this year, say this about the 2011 season: It’s going out with a bang.

If full fields are what bettors crave, then bettors would do well to tune into Saturday’s closing-day program at the Chicago-area track, where a whopping 144 horses (including also-eligibles) were entered in 12 races. Almost every race will go with a full gate, and while the card is short on quality, opportunities to make a lot of money on a little bet figure to abound.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Daddy Nose Best rebounded from a troubled sixth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Churchill Downs to win an allowance race there three weeks later.

He emerged from that race with even greater respect from Scott Blasi, trainer Steve Asmussen’s assistant.

“His last race was very impressive,” Blasi said Thursday. “He had to wait for room and he looked good winning.”

OLDSMAR, Fla. – If It’s Me Mom comes close to duplicating her last race, she will take some beating in Saturday’s $50,000 Minaret Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. The six-furlong Minaret drew a field of 10 fillies and mares.

It’s Me Mom, making her second start since June, blew to the lead, set fractions of 22.14 and 44.96 while in hand, then drew off to win a Dec. 7 allowance sprint here by 8 1/4 lengths. She earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 91 for that six-furlong race, one point lower than for her victory in the Robert M. O’Malley at Suffolk Downs in October.

Break Up will shake Louisiana-bred standout Star Guitar for the first time since July in Saturday night’s $60,000 B-Connected at Delta Downs.

“I think he’s happy about that,” said Brett Brinkman, Break Up’s trainer.

The B-Connected, which will share a card with the $60,000 Lookout, is a one-mile race for 3-year-olds and up who have not won a stakes in 2011. The condition excludes Star Guitar, who has won the last three stakes that Break Up has been in, dating back to the $100,000 Louisiana Showcase Classic on July 2 at Evangeline Downs.

ARCADIA, Calif. – In all likelihood, Turbulent Descent lost the Eclipse Award for the outstanding female sprinter of 2011 with a troubled fifth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Churchill Downs on Nov. 4.

The setback has not stopped trainer Mike Puype from campaigning on the filly’s behalf in advance of Saturday’s $300,000 La Brea Stakes at Santa Anita.

“Hopefully, the Eclipse Award voters haven’t filled out their ballots,” he said.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The last time they met, Icabad Crane needed every inch of the sloppy Saratoga stretch to beat Stormy’s Majesty by a nose in the Evan Shipman Stakes. Five months later, Icabad Crane and Stormy’s Majesty renew acquaintances in Saturday’s $75,000 Alex M. Robb, the featured event on the nine-race New Year’s Eve program at Aqueduct.

Icabad Crane, who won last year’s Robb, and Stormy’s Majesty are two of eight horses entered in this 1 1/16-mile race restricted to New York-breds. Stakes winners Inherit the Gold and Groomedforvictory add depth to the field.

The California Horse Racing Board has filed six complaints against Quarter Horse trainer Adan Farias after horses he started at Los Alamitos in late October, including four winners, tested positive for the banned medication zilpaterol.

Three of the positives were taken from runners in major stakes on the AQHA Challenge Championship program at Los Alamitos on Oct. 29 – T Gold J, the winner of the $200,000 Derby Challenge, and Illegal Smile and FDD Moon, who were first and third in the $150,000 Juvenile Challenge. Illegal Smile finished in a dead heat for first.

The much-improved gelding Jimanator, who went from a well-beaten seventh running for a $17,500 claiming tag last January to winning a Grade 3 stakes last month, will try to close out his 2011 campaign with a second straight stakes win in Saturday’s $75,000 Auld Lang Syne at Parx Racing.