There is nothing like a little change of scenery to shake up one’s outlook on things. Just ask jockey Quincy Hamilton and his agent, Kevin Johnson.

ELMONT, N.Y. – For those in the sport that lament the lack of a star or the fact that horses are retired prematurely, perhaps it’s time to get reacquainted with Gio Ponti, the most accomplished horse in training.

A winner of 11 of 24 starts, including six Grade 1 stakes, and three Eclipse Awards, the 6-year-old Gio Ponti makes his North American seasonal debut in Saturday’s Grade 1, $400,000 Manhattan Handicap at Belmont Park. The Manhattan is one of five graded events on the undercard of the 13-race Belmont Stakes program that begins at 11:35 a.m. and ends close to 8 p.m.

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas – Trainer C.R. Trout has been debating which is the best path to get Shotgun Gulch to this fall’s Grade 2, $400,000 Presque Isle Downs Masters, and at one point had seriously considered a stakes at Arlington Park. But now, he’s changed gears and is going Hollywood.

ELMONT, N.Y. – In the span of five weeks, owner Mike Repole has gone from sought after to afterthought.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – With trepidation, trainer Art Sherman will start Haimish Hy in Saturday’s $250,000 Charles Whittingham Handicap at Hollywood Park.

“I don’t think we have the right scenario,” Sherman said.

Sherman is worried that Acclamation, who will go favored, will have an easy lead in the Grade 1 race over 1 1/4 miles on turf and prove impossible to catch, especially for a closer such as Haimish Hy.

AUBURN, Wash. -- No Flies On Doodle, 0 for the past 12 months, will try to get back on the winning track Friday in the feature race at Emerald Downs. She headlines a field of five fillies and mares in a first-level optional $25,000 claimer at one mile. It’s the sixth race on an eight-race card beginning at 6 p.m. Pacific.

ELMONT, N.Y. – If the field stays together for Friday’s $100,000 Poker Stakes at Belmont Park, it shapes up as a very competitive Grade 3 stakes. Multiple graded winners Courageous Cat and Court Vision will have to deal with the ever-improving Right One in the one-mile turf race scheduled for the Widener turf course.

The judges have called for a photo finish in attempting to determine which Arlington entity is hotter right now: The air, or trainer Larry Rivelli.

At noon on Wednesday, the thermometer read about 93 degrees near Arlington, the temperature expected to climb a few more degrees through the afternoon. Meanwhile, Rivelli’s barn entered Wednesday’s racing action just as scorching, with 14 wins from just 33 starters, a strike rate of 42 percent. Eight more Rivelli starters have finished second or third, giving him an in-the-money percentage of 67.

Though nominated to Saturday’s $250,000 Woody Stephens Stakes, J.P.’s Gusto will instead run in the $400,000 Red Legend Stakes on June 18 at Charles Town. Both races are at seven furlongs.

Trainer Doodnauth Shivmangal had seriously considered running recent allowance winner Harlan’s Hello in the Belmont, but ultimately passed in part because he didn’t want to run two horses in the race. Shivmangal entered Isn’t He Perfect instead.

BELMONT STAKES: Contender profiles, Watchmaker's odds »

Shivmangal said that Harlan’s Hello is nominated to a pair of Grade 2 stakes, including the Pegasus at Monmouth Park next Saturday.