Midnight Bourbon and Mandaloun faced each other five times during their 3-year-old seasons of 2021 and are on course to meet again in their first races at age 4.

Both colts are aimed toward the Jan. 22 Louisiana Stakes at Fair Grounds and the two could hook up again in the $20 million Saudi Cup.

Mandaloun has been out of action since being placed first via Hot Rod Charlie’s disqualification in the July 17 Haskell Stakes. On Dec. 27 at Fair Grounds, Mandaloun posted the fifth timed workout of his comeback, going a bullet five furlongs in 59.60 seconds.

Midnight Bourbon won the 2020 Lecomte Stakes for trainer Steve Asmussen and owner Ron Winchell’s Winchell Thoroughbreds and will make his 4-year-old debut at Fair Grounds on the same Jan. 22 card as the 2022 Lecomte. Moreover, owner and trainer, if all goes to plan, will have a leading Lecomte contender in Epicenter, who won his stakes and two-turn debut Sunday in the inaugural edition of the $100,000 Gun Runner.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The old year will go out and the new year come in with a flourish, at least on the racetrack at Gulfstream Park, with nine stakes races to be decided in little more than a 24-hour period here Friday and Saturday afternoons.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – On Dec. 18, Geno, after making his first three starts on turf, tried dirt for the first time and won the $500,000 Great White Way division of the New York Stallion Series.

The connections of Ohtwoohthreefive are hoping the same surface switch works for their son of Union Rags when he tries dirt for the first time in Saturday’s $150,000 Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct. The Jerome, at a mile, is the first stakes for newly turned 3-year-olds and does offer its top four finishers points (10-4-2-1) toward the May 7 Kentucky Derby.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Even a week after the best week of her fledgling training career, it was still impossible to wipe the smile from Michelle Giangiulio’s face.

From Dec. 9-19, Giangiulio won with all three of her starters at Aqueduct. Considering she has only five horses in her stable, it was quite the accomplishment.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Todd Pletcher spent the holidays with family in Ocala but his imposing presence was felt here nonetheless with the Hall of Fame trainer capturing two of the three stakes decided at Gulfstream Park over Christmas weekend – the two-mile Allen Jerkens on Friday with Abaan and the Tropical Park Derby 48 hours later with the up-and-coming 3-year-old turf specialist Never Surprised.

ARCADIA, Calif. – The undefeated Flightline will have a limited campaign in 2022 expected to include the Grade 1 Metropolitan Mile at Belmont Park in early June, trainer John Sadler said.

Making his third start on Sunday, Flightline won his stakes debut in the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs at Santa Anita. Flightline took the lead shortly after the start and drew off by 11 1/2 lengths. Flightline ran seven furlongs in 1:21.37 and earned an astonishing Beyer Speed Figure of 118, the best of the year.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Santa Anita has amended its racing schedule for the forthcoming weekend because of significant rain forecast for Wednesday and Thursday, cancelling racing on Thursday and shifting three stakes scheduled for Friday to the Saturday and Sunday programs.

Racing will be held Friday through Sunday.

Saturday, Santa Anita will run four stakes, including the Grade 3 Robert Frankel Stakes for fillies and mares on turf, which was originally scheduled for Friday.

Eduardo Inda, who was a longtime assistant for Hall of Fame trainer Ron McAnally during the glory days of John Henry and went on to train Eclipse Award winner Riboletta, died last week, his family reported to the Santa Anita publicity department. He was 78.

Inda, a native of Chile, was instrumental in the care of John Henry and also South American imports such as Bayakoa and Paseana, who won two Eclipse Awards each for McAnally.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Seven of the last 10 horses to finish first in the Kentucky Derby spent the bulk of their winter racing or training at Santa Anita, and this year’s crop of locally based Derby prospects offers similar possibilities, with a deep group underscored by uncertainty of the plans for some of the marquee names.