OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Be Bullish, who quickly won himself out by winning his first two starts for Rick Dutrow, will shoot for his third straight win – and second in five days – in Wednesday’s $60,000 Hamlet overnight stakes.

One of a handful of gray New York-breds that has been in raging form here lately along with Inherit the Gold and R Betty Graybull, Be Bullish was haltered from a midwinter optional claimer for $75,000 – a not inconsiderable sum for a gelding who was making his 45th start and had won just once from 16 starts dating back to October 2009.

After a promising start to its season, Fair Grounds experienced more betting declines during its 2010-2011 race meet, which ended March 27.

Total average daily handle fell to $2.97 million, a drop of 4.5-percent from the $3.11 million total average daily in 2009-2010, according to figures supplied by the Louisiana State Racing Commission. (Fair Grounds, like all Churchill Downs Inc. racetracks, does not publicize handle figures.)

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – One year after finishing a troubled-trip second in the Kentucky Derby with Ice Box, owner Robert LaPenta and trainer Nick Zito are positioned to make another charge at the blanket of roses with Dialed In, who, like Ice Box in 2010, enters the race off a last-to-first victory in the Florida Derby.

Turfway Park has reported moderate gains in gross all-sources and ontrack handle at the winter-spring meet that began Jan. 1 and ended Sunday.

All-sources handle totaled just over $95 million, an increase of more than 3 percent over comparable 2010 dates, while ontrack wagering grossed over $5.6 million, an increase of 6 percent. The per-day all-sources average of $2,021,570 on 47 programs was down less than 1 percent from last year, when only 45 cards were held, while the average ontrack handle of $120,162 was up 2 percent.

STICKNEY, Ill. – He’s not exactly Uncle Mo, but Watch Me Go will be the horse with at least a hint of name recognition in Saturday’s Illinois Derby.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The gamble of moving Gulfstream Park’s marquee event, the $1 million Florida Derby, to a Sunday for the first time this season proved an unequivocal success.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – More than likely, Anthony’s Cross must finish in the first three in Saturday’s $1 million Santa Anita Derby to have sufficient earnings to earn a berth in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 7.

SANTA ANITA DERBY DAY: See Brad Free’s video previews and watch full card live on DRF.com

OPELOUSAS. La. – Evangeline Downs calls itself “home of the biggest fields,” and while it officially lost that distinction in 2010 when surpassed by Remington Park in the average number of starters per race, it looks poised to make a run at regaining the top position.

Evangeline Downs, which averaged 9.7 starters per race last year compared to Remington’s 10.1, opens its 2011 meet Wednesday with a total of 110 horses entered for its 10-race program. Another 115 are slated for Thursday night’s card, and Friday’s 11-race slate drew a whopping 129 runners.

OLDSMAR, Fla. – Earlier last week, Pat Scanlon, owner of Jr’s Exchange, had a wary eye on the weather forecast for the weekend as he talked about his horse’s chances in Saturday’s $30,000 overnight handicap at five furlongs on the Tampa Bay Downs turf.

Sunland Park's leading rider, Alejandro Medellin, won six races at the track on Sunday. His wins came aboard both Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds at the New Mexico track that operates a mixed meet.

Medellin won the first race, at 350 yards, with Wonwabbitwon ($8). He then took the sixth through ninth races, which were for Thoroughbreds. His winners, beginning with the sixth race, were Vera's Key ($2.60), Watchin Senorita ($9), Brother Louie ($6) and Get Down Wanda ($3) Medellin then won the 11th race with Dunn Slinger ($4.40).