Ice Box, idle since finishing fifth in the Grade 2 Monmouth Cup last October and winless since upsetting the 2010 Florida Derby, worked a half-mile in 49.80 seconds over the Oklahoma training track on Saturday and should not be long in making his 2011 debut.

Ice Box was sidelined after having a chip surgically removed from his right knee. He was close to returning this past winter in Florida but suffered a series of what trainer Nick Zito called “minor interruptions” which delayed his comeback.

Travers hopeful Brilliant Speed will race next weekend in Saturday’s Grade 2 Jim Dandy. Brilliant Speed, trained by Tom Albertrani, has not started since finishing third in the Belmont Stakes.

Brilliant Speed got in his final prep for the Jim Dandy here on Saturday morning, going five furlongs in 1:02.56 immediately after the renovation break. Brilliant Speed posted splits of 12.91, 25.26, and 37.66 seconds before galloping out six furlongs in 1:16.46 over a track rated fast but dulled a bit by overnight rain.

Sloane Ranger and Blue Notion, both repeating patterns that produced good performances earlier this season, will break from adjoining stalls as they attempt to clear their second allowance condition in Tuesday’s featured ninth race at Parx Racing.

The six-furflong sprint, which carries a purse of $48,000, attracted a field of nine, including a trio of 3-year-olds challenging older horses.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – A year ago, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin took Trappe Shot to Monmouth Park to finish second behind Lookin At Lucky in the Grade 1 Haskell. But Trappe Shot was unable to repeat that effort four weeks later in the Travers, finishing a well-beaten ninth after encountering trouble at the break.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Smiling Tiger will face a small field when he attempts to defend his title, and win his fourth stakes of 2011, in the $250,000 Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar next Sunday.

Friday, Smiling Tiger had his final major workout for the Grade 1, six-furlong Bing Crosby, working five furlongs in 1:00.80 under jockey Joel Rosario at Del Mar. Trained by Jeff Bonde for Alan Klein and Philip Lebherz, Smiling Tiger won the Grade 1 Triple Bend Handicap at Hollywood Park on July 2, his most recent start.

“He’s doing great,” Bonde said. “He continues to train well.”

Lighthouse Sound and Fagedaboutit Sal, a pair of well-accomplished turf runners with black type on their r ésumés, are among five horses rematched from a blanket finish last month in the second leg of a starter handicap series Monday at Monmouth Park.

The 12-race program, which begins at 12:50 p.m. Eastern, was shifted from Friday due to excessive heat and humidity in the region that created conditions intolerable for racing.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer John Kimmel has big plans for his New York-bred colt Friend or Foe this fall, and he wants to have the horse as prepared as possible to tackle a schedule he hopes will include the Woodward, Jockey Club Gold Cup, and the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

BOSSIER CITY, La. - Jockey Justin Shepherd has appealed a ruling issued by the Louisiana Downs board of stewards that has prevented him from riding since last Saturday. In the ruling, which was dated July 21, Shepherd was “suspended 30 days beginning July 16 for testing positive for amphetamines (first offense).”

Welcome to Spa Babies! I'll break down the statistics for every juvenile contest at the meet and hope for a tidy profit.

In past years, I would list the stats for each horse before writing up my analysis, selections and wagering strategy. In order to streamline the content, this year's Spa Babies will showcase written analyses of each juvenile race. Each analysis will include relevant statistical information. Following the analysis, top three selections and wagering strategy will be provided.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Christian Santiago Reyes, the champion apprentice jockey of 2009, won his first stakes since March aboard Heleonor Rugby in Friday’s $98,000 California Thoroughbred Breeders Association Stakes at Del Mar.

Reyes, 20, expects to win more aboard Heleonor Rugby, who is owned by Luiz Fernando Dannemann and trained by A.C. Avila.

"She sat back and made a move,” Reyes said. “She can go for better races.”