LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Jockey Kent Desormeaux said that when he crossed under the wire to win the Kentucky Derby aboard Real Quiet in 1998 “my life flashed before my eyes.”

Jon Court hasn’t even ridden in his first Kentucky Derby, and his life is already flashing before his eyes. Court, 50, has spent a whole lot of time reviewing his life and 30-year career as a jockey as he has prepared to make his Derby debut Saturday at Churchill Downs aboard Archarcharch for his father-in-law, trainer William “Jinks” Fires.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – On the main floor of the Arlington Park grandstand there’s a photo showing the rubble of recently burned-down Arlington captioned, “Quit? Hell no.” Arlington chairman Dick Duchossois referenced both photo and slogan last week. There has been no particular disaster like the 1985 fire, but Chicago racing has issues. Purses are stagnant and lag behind those in neighboring states. Average daily handle at the 2010 Arlington meet dropped 27 percent from 2009. Arlington exists under the Churchill Downs Inc.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Trainer Jodie Rawson is hoping to capture her first stakes win when she runs Tlaquepaque in the $50,000 Jim Coleman Province Stakes for 3-year-olds at Hastings on Saturday.

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The fine performances of one-two finishers Unrivaled Belle and Blind Luck in the Nov. 5 Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic – followed by the retirement of Horse of The Year Zenyatta – seemingly pointed toward their dominance in the filly and mare ranks this year.

AUBURN, Wash. – With the season’s first stakes race for fillies and mares here at Emerald Downs fast approaching, trainer Jim Penney has some whittling to do. Penney and his team have five legitimate contenders for the May 15 Hastings Handicap, an unwieldy and impractical number to be sure. No trainer has ever started five horses in a race at Emerald Downs. Only one trainer has ever started four. Penney, a member of the Washington racing Hall of Fame, has made a lot of history in his 57 years as a trainer. He could make a little more next Sunday.

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – For a Grade 3 event, Friday’s $300,000 Alysheba came up a pretty tough spot. Anybody who doesn’t agree with that assessment need only ask trainer Chris Block, who will send out the likely favorite, two-time Grade 1 winner Giant Oak.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – A group of 3-year-olds who did not make it to Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby have been on trainer Bob Baffert’s mind this week.

On Wednesday, Jaycito, who was taken out of consideration for the Kentucky Derby because of foot problems in late April, returned to racetrack training. He is a candidate for the Belmont Stakes on June 11, Baffert said.

Decent field size but short races figure to be the norm for the first two week s of the 2011 live racing season that begins Friday at Northlands Park.

The eight races carded for opening day are all set at 3 1/2 furlongs and that will likely be the case for the first couple of days of the 84-day meet that runs until Oct. 10.

“The horse population looks good,” said racing secretary Jason Teague. “We have fit horses shipping up from the south so hopefully we can put together a few six-furlong races next weekend.”

Mighty B Valiant, who is one of the nation’s top-ranked 2-year-old Quarter Horses, heads the list of entries for two nights of trials for the Grade 1, $1,039,400 Heritage Place Futurity at Remington Park. The finale is May 28.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Bryant McAfee, a former executive director of the Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association of British Columbia, died Monday at St. Paul’s Hospital in downtown Vancouver. He was 76.

McAfee was the executive director of the horsemen’s association from 1978 until his retirement last year. He also served in the same capacity for the national horsemen’s association of Canada.