GRAND ISLAND, Neb. – The spring migration of horsemen to central Nebraska is under way, signalling the return of live racing to the state, as Fonner Park opens for a 31-day stand on Friday that runs through Kentucky Derby Day on May 7.

Following the meet here, racing will move to Lincoln Race Course for a 32-day meet that runs May 13 to July 17. Horsemen’s Park in Omaha will then offer a four-day festival of racing July 21-24 before the season winds down with a 23-day session at Columbus from July 29 to Sept. 11.

It’s not all that often that a horse wins as the favorite when making its career debut in a two-turn race. There are a number of promising things to be inferred from such a scenario, and trainer Mike Stidham is hoping the Jan. 30 victory at Fair Grounds by a 3-year-old filly named Harbor Fox portends some of those.

“Her works were good, and we felt like the way she was doing it, and looking at her pedigree, there wasn’t any reason to sprint her first time out,” Stidham said. “We thought she’d be sitting in a good spot going long, and we felt like we had enough work in her.”

It’s entirely possible that the most talented 3-year-old to race on the Risen Star card Saturday at Fair Grounds wasn’t in the Risen Star at all. Bind made his career debut in a maiden special weight sprint, race 3, and was absolutely sensational. Bind sat third behind a scorching early pace, seized command at the top of the stretch after being roused at the three-furlong pole, and went on to win by 9 1/4 lengths. His six-furlong time of 1:08.80 produced a Beyer Speed Figure of 105, a number that seems completely legitimate.

ALBANY, Calif. – Even when he had a storybook apprentice year, Francisco Duran knew that being a jockey was a tough job.

He had no racetrack experience growing up and didn’t begin his riding career until he was 23.

In 2002, Duran rode 202 winners and was an Eclipse finalist as the nation’s leading apprentice. That year he beat out Russell Baze and Jason Lumpkins to win the San Mateo County Fair riding championship at Bay Meadows.

Duran has always been one of Northern California’s hardest working riders, and became a solid journeyman in the best sense of the word.

A minority interest in Soldat, who is scheduled to run on Saturday in the Grade 2, $400,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park, was purchased this week by Paul Braverman and the Namcook Stables of Terrence Murray and Jack Conley, Kiaran McLaughlin, the trainer of Soldat, said Wednesday morning.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Leading rider Paco Lopez will remain sidelined for at least another week due to injuries sustained in the spill here last Friday that also left Eibar Coa hospitalized with a broken neck.

In her most recent race two months ago, Maryland-based filly Southern Squall won a third-level allowance at Charles Town as the 3-5 favorite.

Back at the same 4 1/2-furlong distance in Tuesday night’s $35,200 overnight handicap for fillies and mares, Southern Squall was a surprising 14-1 when she held off Lori Z’s Punch by a nose to make it back-to-back victories over Charles Town’s bullring.

Beulah Park has added three days to its racing calendar on March 11, 18, and 25 to make up for lost racing days this season. Live racing will be held on the last three Fridays in March, making a four day racing week.

It’s possible that the top four finishers in Saturday’s Risen Star could all meet up in the Louisiana Derby on March 26 at Fair Grounds, though for now, the connections of Rogue Romance, the Risen Star third, appear to have made the strongest early commitment to the race.

“At this point, I think we’re coming back for the Louisiana Derby,” trainer Ken McPeek said of Rogue Romance, who returned to McPeek’s winter base in Florida on Monday, and came out of the Risen Star in good physical condition, McPeek said.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – After the pick six that had a $100,093 carryover into Thursday is either hit or missed, there will still be one more significant handicapping puzzle on the program at Oaklawn Park.