OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Crossbow appeared on his way to a promising 3-year-old season after winning a maiden race in New York and a first-level allowance race at Gulfstream Park last January.

Purses for maiden special weight races and allowance races will be marginally higher at the forthcoming Santa Anita winter-spring meeting, while most claiming races will remain the same compared to the 2010-11 season.

Santa Anita released its first condition book Thursday, detailing the races likely to be run in the first two weeks of the meeting, from the Dec. 26 opening day through Jan. 8.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The last time Trip for A.J. and Askbut I Won’ttell met, they finished a half-length apart in that order fighting for the winner’s share of a $300,000 purse in the 2011 Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf. The pair will square off again for a lot less swag – a mere $60,000 – when they head a full and well-matched field of filly and mare turf specialist in Sunday’s 7 1/2-furlong South Beach Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Even though the 3-year-old Tiz Flirtatious is undefeated after winning two sprints at Santa Anita in October, trainer Marty Jones thinks she is more suited to run long.

She gets her chance in Sunday’s $80,000 Cat’s Cradle Handicap for statebred females over 7 1/2 furlongs at Hollywood Park.
“I’ve always thought she wants to run farther,” he said. “She’s not built like a sprinter and she doesn’t run like a sprinter.”

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Reigning Florida Derby winner Dialed In is back on familiar grounds at Palm Meadows with trainer Nick Zito, who said he is not going rush his star back into action this winter.

Portland Meadows holds its biggest day of stakes racing on Sunday’s Oregon Championship Day, with five Oregon-bred stakes races. L G Jet will gun for his third straight victory in the $15,000 Bill Wineberg for 2-year-old males, while Forty Something has a good chance to win for the first time in the $15,000 Janet Wineberg.

The other stakes on the card are the $10,000 Oregon His for 3-year-olds and $10,000 Oregon Hers for 3-year-old fillies, and the $10,000 Lethal Grande Sprint Championship.

LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. – Trainer Juan Aleman’s biggest fear is that Last to Fire won’t be able duplicate his trial race in Sunday’s $2,236,300 Los Alamitos Two Million, the richest race in track history.

Last to Fire was the fastest qualifier for the Los Alamitos Two Million. He won his division of the Nov. 20 trials by three lengths, finishing 400 yards on a wet-fast track in 19.72 seconds. I Like the Odds had the second-fastest qualifying time of 19.86, or nearly a length slower than Last to Fire.

Here's my race-by-race rundown of Saturday's Guaranteed $250K Pick 4 at Aqueduct. 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 Fair Grounds. I'm building my wager with TicketMaker, found exclusively on DRF.com.

Turfway Park has amended the date of the $50,000 Gowell Stakes for 2-year-old fillies from Friday, Dec. 23, to Monday, Dec. 26.