ARCADIA, Calif. – Trainer Mel Stute won the 2,000th race of his career at Hollywood Park last Saturday, a win that caught him by surprise since he was unaware of the looming milestone.

The 83-year-old trainer was still glowing from the achievement Wednesday, largely because he is not sure when his next winner will arrive.

Stute has just five horses in his Santa Anita barn and plans to sell the horses owned by his wife, Annabelle, at Barretts in Pomona, Calif., in January. He will be left with just a few horses owned in partnership.

The physical changes Sorority Rush has gone through over the past several months have helped make her a better horse. She has stepped up in class with success and is the one to beat in Friday’s eighth race at Fair Grounds.

The first-level allowance for fillies and mares at six furlongs is one of two co-features on the program. The card opens with 2-year-old fillies going about a mile on turf, among those in the allowance Suave Voir Faire, who was third in the Grade 2 Golden Rod at Churchill Downs.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Hugs to All is best when allowed to set his own pace, a style that has worked for wins in three of his last five starts.

A 4-year-old gelding, Hugs to All will be after another win in a first-level optional $40,000 claimer at Hollywood Park on Friday, utilizing a style easy to predict. What is not certain is whether he will face enough early pressure to compromise his chances.

BY DRF Staff

Horseman Johnny T.L. Jones Jr. and the undefeated New Mexico-bred Peppers Pride, winner of all of her 19 starts, will be inducted into the Ruidoso Downs Racehorse Hall of Fame at a ceremony in June.

Jones gained international recognition by importing Nureyev to stand at his Walmac Farm in Kentucky in 1981. Jones is a director of the Keeneland Association and a 2010-11 Breeders’ Cup member and trustee.

Apollitical Jess’s record-setting performance in the $750,000 Champion of Champions at Los Alamitos last Saturday was probably the final race of his career.

Owner Juan Alberto Tirado Lizzarraga and trainer Juan Aleman were scheduled to meet this week to discuss 2011 plans for the 3-year-old Apollitical Jess – whether to continue racing or send the colt to stud.

Aleman said late Tuesday that he was advising his client to send Apollitical Jess to stud.

After the Al Stall-trained Blame won the Breeders’ Cup Classic, he quickly was whisked off to Claiborne Farm for post-racing life as a stallion. But the future looks a little different for the winner of Saturday’s Louisiana Champions Day Classic, Star Guitar.

“He’ll run in 2011,” Stall said Tuesday morning. “And hopefully in 2012 and 2013, too.”

Jockey Cliff Berry, who was aboard Grant Jack one day after tying a North American riding record by going 7 for 7 on Friday night’s card at Remington, will be based next at Oaklawn.

“I’m going to take a couple of weeks off, then go over and start working horses pretty soon,” Berry said. “I’ll be there probably the first few days” of the new year.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The long and the short of it is two $60,000 overnight stakes at the Big A on Thursday – the Sky Beauty at a mile and 70 yards, and the Only Queens at six furlongs.

Six older fillies and mares entered the Sky Beauty (race 8), including Wind Caper, Check Point, and Diva’s Gold, who all posted career Beyer Speed Figure tops in November.

Grant Jack has made his way to Oaklawn following a win in last Saturday night’s $250,000 Springboard Mile at Remington Park and is to begin his 3-year-old season in the Arkansas track’s $100,000 Smarty Jones on Jan. 17.

“That will be his spot,” said Bret Calhoun, who trains Grant Jack for Wayne Sanders and Larry Hirsch.

The undefeated Turbulent Descent will make two starts at the upcoming Santa Anita winter-spring meeting before being sent out of California for major stakes for 3-year-old fillies next spring, trainer Mike Puype said.

Turbulent Descent stretched her winning streak to 3 with a victory in the Grade 1 Hollywood Starlet Stakes on Saturday and will make her next start in the $250,000 Las Virgenes Stakes on Feb. 5, a Grade 1 over a mile. Puype also is planning a start in the $250,000 Santa Anita Oaks over 1 1/16 miles on March 5.