The Texas Racing Commission on Friday approved Penn National Gaming's licensing request for 50 percent ownership of Sam Houston Race Park in Houston. The approval also extended to Sam Houston's other entities, Valley Race Park, a greyhound track in Harlingen, Texas, and a yet-to-be-constructed track in Laredo.

Penn National is entering into partnership with Maxxam Inc., which had previously held sole ownership in the facilities. The 50-50 agreement between Penn National and Maxxam was announced by the companies in September, and the license application was submitted in December.

An increase in handle less than a month into Remington Park's meet for Quarter Horses has led the Oklahoma City track to announce a $1,000 per-race purse increase beginning Thursday. It will be available on all overnight races for Quarter Horses.

Remington opened March 4, with the 50-date season to run through Memorial Day. Before the start of the Quarter Horse meet, the track announced purses were projected to average $250,000 a day. Remington, which operates an ontrack casino, is owned by Global Gaming.

Wilburn, the outstanding winner of a maiden race on March 5, makes his debut against winners, and first start around two turns, in a first-level optional $80,000 claimer for 3-year-olds going a mile on Sunday’s seventh race at Santa Anita.

Owned by Jess Jackson’s Stonestreet Stable and trained by Steve Asmussen, Wilburn won his debut over 6 1/2 furlongs by 3 1/4 lengths, closing from fourth in a field of seven before taking the lead in early stretch.

Trainer Bob Baffert said on Friday that he has yet to finalize a decision for Jaycito’s next start, with the options the $1 million Santa Anita Derby or the $1 million Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, both on April 9.

“I’ll see how he works,” Baffert said.

Jaycito, who is expected to work this weekend, was second to Premier Pegasus in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes over 1 1/16 miles on March 12.

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ARCADIA, Calif. – At 77, Bruce Headley admits to moving a little slower. His days of exercising horses and riding ponies are long behind him, replaced by mornings spent mostly at his Santa Anita barn.

Occasionally, he goes trackside to watch some of the 46 horses he has in training undergo workouts or gallops. The life of a man known for an active lifestyle has changed in recent years.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – All About Allie is an ‘A’ student when it comes to Arkansas-bred competition.

“She’s a pretty bright girl,” said her trainer, David Whited.

In two starts against statebreds, All About Allie has won two stakes. Sunday, she will be out to improve upon that record in the $50,000 Downthedustryroad. The six-furlong stakes for fillies and mares is one of two on the card for Arkansas-breds. The $50,000 Arkansas Breeders’ for 3-year-olds and up will be run at a mile and a sixteenth.

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HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The hurdles for Drosselmeyer in his return were not insignificant. He hadn’t raced in nine months since winning the Belmont Stakes, was running over a Tampa Bay Downs strip that can be a bit quirky to those who don’t train there, and was competing at a distance that was probably short of his best.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Ian Wilkes sounded far away when reached by phone on Friday to talk about Grade 1 winner Capt. Candyman Can’s appearance in Sunday’s $67,400 Sir Shackleton Handicap. And in fact he was.

Wilkes is presently in his native Australia visiting family with his wife Tracey. His mentor, trainer Carl Nafzger, will saddle Capt. Candyman Can on Sunday.

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OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Although five of the six 3-year-old New York-bred fillies in Sunday’s $60,000 Love Is Eternal overnight stakes are eligible for first-level allowance conditions, they’ve shown ability from top to bottom, having won or placed in 16 of 19 collective sprints.

Midnight Visit and Gambling Geraldine, uncoupled Todd Pletcher-trained fillies that appear loaded with potential, are likely to vie for favoritism in the six-furlong stakes.