VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Prior to 2009, trainer Steve Henson did what most trainers at Hastings do after the meet closes. He stayed in the Vancouver area either working on a farm or breaking babies before coming into Hastings near the end of January to get his horses ready for the traditional mid-April opening.

In 2009, however, he decided to take a string of horses to Turf Paradise, where he admittedly struggled, winning just three races from 56 starters.

“I had the wrong kind of horses,” Henson explained.

A summer stakes plan for the Kentucky Oaks runner-up, St. John’s River, has been mapped out, and her first serious work for the Delaware Park and Saratoga races will come Sunday at her Louisiana Downs base, said Andrew Leggio Jr., who trains St. John’s River for Dede McGehee.

“She worked an easy half-mile last week and she’ll work a good five-eighths Sunday,” Leggio said Friday. “We’ll pick up the momentum from this point on.”

OCEANPORT, N.J. – Trainer Alan Goldberg is strongly considering the Grade 3, $250,000 Monmouth Stakes on June 12 for Straight Story.

The Monmouth, at 1 1/8 miles on turf, is the prep for the meet’s biggest grass event: the Grade 1, $750,000 United Nations Stakes on July 2.

“It’s a good possibility,” Goldberg said of the Monmouth.

Straight Story captured his season debut May 7 in the Grade 3 Fort Marcy at Belmont Park.

“He ran well,” Goldberg said. “He came back fine.”

MIAMI – First there was Big Drama, then came Little Drama, and now say hello to the newest member of the family, Queen Drama, a 2-year-old filly who, like her older siblings, is a homebred out of Harold Queen’s prolific broodmare Riveting Drama.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Mike Mitchell’s lead in the trainer standings at Hollywood Park was halved to two wins on Thursday when trainer Bob Baffert won twice.

Mitchell was not too concerned about that statistic early Thursday afternoon, focusing more on his success that day. Mitchell had one starter, The Whammer, who overcame trouble to win a $25,000 claimer for sprinters, the stable’s 16th win of the meeting from 35 starters. There were no claims.

“I didn’t lose him,” Mitchell said. “It was a good day.”

ELMONT, N.Y. – Sunday’s $60,000 Easy Goer overnight stakes is so tough that Convocation, coming off a second straight runner-up finish in the Westchester, may be fifth choice in the betting behind Friend Or Foe, Mission Impazible, Rail Trip, and Tahitian Warrior.

“There should be a ‘G2’ next to that 60 thousand,” quipped John Kimmel, who has Friend Or Foe set to launch his 4-year-old season in the 1 1/16-mile race.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – The second-place finisher in the 2011 Illinois Derby is scheduled to see action Sunday at Arlington Park. In a maiden race. Where he might not be favored.

Frank Sinatra’s recording of “New York, New York” will once again be played over the Belmont Park public address system during the post parade for the June 11 Belmont Stakes. It had been used as the race’s signature song from 1997 until last year, when a version of the Jay-Z/Alicia Keys song “Empire State of Mind” was performed live by another vocalist.

Written by John Kander and Fred Ebb for a film of the same name, “New York, New York” had taken the place of the traditional “Sidewalks of New York,” a collaboration between Charles Lawlor and James Blake dating to 1894.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – While the Woodbine Oaks and the Plate Trial will be in the spotlight Sunday afternoon, the stakes action will begin early with the Alywow.

The $100,000 Alywow, an open overnight stakes for 3-year-old fillies, is scheduled for 6 1/2 furlongs of turf and will go as the fourth race with a field of eight.

And the Alywow looks like a perfect spot for New Normal to get back on track for owner Robert S. Evans and trainer Mark Frostad.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Kentucky Derby history can come in all degrees, and two of the six 3-year-olds in the Sunday feature at Churchill Downs can claim tiny ones to the 2011 running.

Meistersinger owns something of an ignominious stake – he was part of a botched workout at Keeneland with Animal Kingdom two Saturdays before his Team Valor International stablemate captured the Derby.