Ken Ramsey kept insisting that Pleasant Prince was a Derby horse. Ramsey meant the Kentucky Derby, of course, but the colt he owns with his wife, Sarah, failed to garner sufficient earnings to make the field. Surely none of it mattered, given the poor performance Pleasant Prince gave when 11th of 12 two weeks later in the Preakness.

A foot problem kept Hawks Dream Girl out of the Childers Ranch consignment at a Quarter Horse yearling sale at Los Alamitos last fall.

“They didn’t want to sell her in that condition,” trainer Dan Francisco recalled earlier this month.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Trainer Robert VanOverschot is hoping his strategy of not pushing Don’twaitforme and Texas Buccaneer early in their careers will pay off when they run in the $50,000 Stellar’s Jay on Monday at Hastings. The Stellar’s Jay is one of seven stakes races that make up the bulk of the card on B.C. Cup Day. Since it’s inception in 1995, B.C. Cup Day has traditionally been the biggest day of the year in terms of handle and attendance.

Raynick’s Jet was overmatched against Grade 3 stakes company and his first stakes try against fellow New York-bred 3-year-olds. But based on his recent Beyer Speed Figures, a change of scenery from metropolitan New York to Finger Lakes may be all he needs to secure his first stakes victory.

Shipping in for the powerhouse stable of Steve Asmussen, Raynick’s Jet looks like a standout against six rivals, including a coupled entry for trainer M. Anthony Ferraro, in Saturday’s $50,000 Ontario County at six furlongs.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Forever Together has lost five straight starts since successfully defending her title in the 2009 Diana. That has led many observers to suggest she might not be the horse she was during her Eclipse Award-winning 2008 campaign or even last year when she banked nearly $800,000 and concluded the season by finishing third in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – El Cugat will try and rebound from a dull performance when he drops into a $35,000 optional claiming race in Saturday’s feature at Hastings. The 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-olds and up drew eight horses and goes as race 7 on an eight-race card that begins at 1:40 p.m.

AUBURN, Wash. – Saturday’s feature race at Emerald Downs attracted an eclectic group of seven. Among the probable starters are former six-furlong track-record holder Starbird Road; Bijou Barrister, whose seven-race winning streak ended with his last start; and Polish Dollar, a four-time winner at the meeting who is jumping five class levels for Saturday’s race.

The nine-race card begins at 2 p.m. Pacific and the feature, a $12,500 claimer for older horses at one mile, is the eighth.

Cardashi, who was running for a $10,000 claiming price early last year, and Heros Reward, a three-time graded stakes winner, will both be looking to capture the $200,000 Pennsylvania Governor’s Cup for the second time Saturday night at Penn National Race Course.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Even with Richard’s Kid likely to scratch in favor of Friday’s Cougar II Handicap, trainer Bob Baffert has a formidable team for Saturday’s $200,000 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar in Mythical Power and Sangaree.

This is not a year when a stable needs a top-class runner to win the Grade 2 San Diego, run over 1 1/16 miles. The race lacks a standout, such as Hollywood Gold Cup winner Awesome Gem, or Rail Trip, who won two stakes at Hollywood Park and has since been shipped East.

OCEANPORT, N.J. – Rose Catherine appears to have found her niche in turf sprints.

The runner-up in last year’s Breeder’s Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, Rose Catherine has really blossomed at distances ranging from 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 furlongs. She is 3 for 3 in those spots, and looks to add another Saturday in the $100,000 Mongo Queen for 3-year-old fillies at Monmouth Park.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, Rose Catherine faces seven rivals in the 5 1/2 furlong sprint.