HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Duke of Mischief is back at his Calder base after Saturday's impressive 2 1/2-length victory over Win Willy in the . The victory came in Duke of Mischief's first start since he finished eighth, 20 lengths behind Quality Road, in the Grade 1 Donn here two months earlier.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - About a year ago at this time, few had ever heard of trainer Tim Ice. But he certainly made a name for himself the rest of 2009 with Summer Bird, who won the Belmont Stakes, Travers Stakes, and Jockey Club Gold Cup, and the Eclipse Award as champion 3-year-old male.

It was here in the Arkansas Derby, though, that Summer Bird first showed the quality that would later put him and Ice on the national stage. Summer Bird finished third in the Arkansas Derby in only his third lifetime start. Two races later, he won the Belmont.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Seeking validation within the 3-year-old division - not to mention sufficient graded earnings to make the cut for the May 1 Kentucky Derby - a field of nine has been entered in the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes, which will be run Saturday for the 86th time at Keeneland Race Course.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Zenyatta on Wednesday morning took her first tour of the Oaklawn Park main track since her arrival 24 hours earlier, making one lap around the one-mile dirt oval with her regular exercise rider, Steve Willard.

Zenyatta went out shortly before the 8:30 a.m. renovation break, earlier than she usually trains at home at Hollywood Park. Both Willard and Zenyatta's trainer, John Shirreffs, said they went early because of threatening weather in the area on Wednesday morning, which was forecast to worsen as the day went on.

Pending anticipated approval of the Texas Racing Commission this summer or early fall, Global Gaming Solutions LLC, a subsidiary of the Chickasaw Nation tribe of Oklahoma, will officially become the new operator of Lone Star Park. In the meantime, the track remains part of Magna Entertainment Corp., and the 60-day Thoroughbred meet that begins Thursday night is expected to differ very little from those of years past.

Management is again focused on promoting racing, supplemented by entertainment, largely in the form of concerts and similar activities.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - The synthetic era has altered the Kentucky Derby landscape in recent years, for better or worse, with big-money races at California and Kentucky tracks affording virtually automatic entry into the Derby to horses whose dirt form is questionable at best.

AUBURN, Wash. - Most of the prominent players from the 2009 meeting will be front and center again Friday when Emerald Downs opens its 15th season of Thoroughbred racing.

Ricky Frazier, runaway winner of the 2009 riding title, is set to defend his crown after a winter campaign in Pennsylvania, where he primarily rode at Penn National. Tim McCanna begins the 89-day meeting with designs on his 10th Emerald training title. And Doris Harwood, whose horses earned an Emerald season record $931,916 last year, will attempt to top the trainer money list for the third consecutive season.

ALBANY, Calif. - Trainer Bill Morey Jr. got just the effort he needed from Bold Chieftain in his allowance victory over Monterey Jazz last Friday at Golden Gate Fields. The race should set up Bold Chieftain perfectly for the Grade 2 San Francisco Mile on April 24.

Bold Chieftain and jockey Russell Baze were content to sit farther off the pace than might be expected, just as they did in winning the Sunshine Millions Classic at Santa Anita on Jan. 30.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - There were signs and wonders all around. On the highway here from the Little Rock airport, a roadside sign read, "Warning: Prepare to Meet God." Closer to town, you almost felt like you were on Cloud Nine, especially if you were at the Cloud Nine RV Park. And on Tuesday morning, the faithful flocked to the Hot Springs airport, and there descending from the heavens was a large jet, from which racing's goddess emerged moments after it landed.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - It was all about Zenyatta on Tuesday at Oaklawn Park, where she arrived late morning and shortly afterwards drew post 4 in a field of five for the Grade 1, $500,000 Apple Blossom. The 1 1/8-mile race for fillies and mares will be run Friday.