ARCADIA, Calif. – For much of Mother Ruth’s career, trainer Bob Baffert has sent her out of town, to Churchill Downs, Belmont Park, Saratoga, Aqueduct, Lone Star, and Calder, desirous of keeping her on dirt. Now that Santa Anita has returned to a dirt surface, Mother Ruth can feel right at home.

Apriority punched his ticket into the Sunshine Millions Sprint at Santa Anita on Jan. 29 after outgaming 9-5 favorite Groomedvictory to capture Thursday’s featured eighth race, a second-level optional $62,500 claimer.

“I thought he was beat down the stretch but he really dug in to hold off that other horse,” said trainer David Fawkes. “I absolutely loved seeing that.”

Apriority will now join his stablemate Wildcat Frankie in the Sunshine Sprint.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Stakes with $100,000 purses come in all degrees of difficulty, but it would be hard to find one much tougher or deeper than what Gulfstream Park will offer Sunday with the Grade 3 Marshua’s River.

ARCADIA, Calif. − One day after being named a finalist for champion 3-year-old filly of 2010, Blind Luck moved a step closer to her 2011 debut by working a sharp seven furlongs at Santa Anita on Friday morning. What was more impressive, though, was the gallop out. The relentless mighty mite went out another seven furlongs, coming around to the furlong pole, before finally stopping.

“We think we have her ready. She should be plenty fit now,” Jerry Hollendorfer, her trainer and co-owner, said in what, seven days into the year, ranks as the understatement of 2011.

After lucking out with weather during November and most of December, Fair Grounds has hit one of its drawn-out off-the-grass periods. Races were rained off turf four of five days last week, and grass racing was canceled again Friday. But rain or shine, turf or dirt, Sunday’s first race should showcase a strong 3-year-old prospect.

OZONE PARK, N.Y._–When John Parisella decided to take a three-month hiatus from training, his assistant, William Younghans, was basically out of a job. Having had some previous experience training horses himself, Younghans opted to try and go back out on his own again.

His three children – sons Jack and William and daughter Kristine – lent him some money to claim a horse and Younghans went shopping. On Nov. 6, he claimed Close to the Vest for $10,000 from David Jacobson. Close to the Vest won by 6 1/4 lengths, running six furlongs in 1:09.93 while finishing in hand at the wire.

ARCADIA, Calif. – A strategic miscalculation that contributed to the defeat of May Day Rose one month ago in the Grade 1 Hollywood Starlet will not be repeated Sunday in the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Santa Anita.

The 1 1/16-mile race drew five entrants; Zazu is expected to scratch. Win or lose, trainer Bob Baffert said May Day Rose this time will assert her speed. In the Starlet, May Day Rose pulled while rated in second position, made the lead into the lane, then faded.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainers Tom Bush and Gregory Fox, who send out favorites Get Stormy and Battle of Hastings in Sunday’s $100,000 Fort Lauderdale Stakes at Gulfstream Park, both agree on one thing. The first graded turf stakes of the meet has come up one tough affair.

“My goodness gracious it’s a strong race,” said Bush, whose Get Stormy makes his first start since finishing 11th and last in the Breeders’ Cup Mile. “It’s the real deal.”

Haynesfield, the most accomplished horse stabled in New York this winter, is in light training with no immediate plans, assistant trainer Toby Sheets said Thursday.

“He’s doing very well and he’s happy about it,’’ said Sheets, who oversees trainer Steve Asmussen’s Belmont Park string.

Jockey Omar Berrio, who suffered a mild stroke last week, was already back on horses on Thursday morning during training hours at Santa Anita, galloping a pair of runners for trainer A.C. Avila.

“He still needs to go back to the doctor to get cleared to ride races,” said Avila, who is Berrio’s biggest booster. “He’s going to have to change his diet, cut out all the salt and junk food. He has high blood pressure. But thank God he’s going to be okay.”

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