NOTEWORTHY PERFORMANCES

ARCADIA, Calif. - The kid would not go away.

Every time Martin Garcia saw Bob Baffert last fall, he would barrage the Hall of Fame trainer with questions. When are you going to give me a ride? When can I work horses for you? Please give me a chance.

"I bothered him a lot," Garcia said. "I think he got tired of me."

Baffert found a way to quiet Garcia. He began using Garcia to work horses, which led to a few mounts in the fall, which led to Garcia riding some of Baffert's best 3-year-olds.

Garcia had nothing to lose. Now, he may have everything to gain.

Trainer Jonathan Nance set a Portland Meadows record by winning six of the nine races on Wednesday. Nance, who spent the day at the Keeneland January sale in Lexington, Ky., won the first three races and the sixth, seventh and eighth races.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Churchill Downs on Wednesday released its 2010 stakes schedule for both the spring and fall meets, with some of the minor revisions being attributable to the 27th Breeders' Cup championships being run here Nov. 5-6.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - A wire-to-wire victory by Sun Pennies ($26.40) in the finale of Gulfstream Park's nine-race program Wednesday meant there were no winners in the pick six again. There will be a carryover of $91,169 heading into Thursday's card.

Sun Pennies was one of only four horses uncovered going into Wednesday's ninth race. Five of six winners returned $208. The pick six has not been hit since the meet opened on Jan. 3.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Summer Bird had never raced when he arrived at Oaklawn Park a year ago. By Monday night, he could be a champion. Summer Bird is the favorite to win an Eclipse Award for outstanding 3-year-old colt of 2009, following a season in which he took down the Belmont Stakes, Travers, and Jockey Club Gold Cup.

Turfway Park will gladly accept any good news. In the face of another long winter and a racing schedule reduced to just three days a week, the Florence, Ky., track continues to struggle, especially as the perennial hot-button issue of slots at racetracks founders for yet another year in the Kentucky legislature.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - The Maryland-bred and -based Ah Day has won 10 stakes races in his career, with the only graded victory coming over Aqueduct's inner track last March.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Arson Squad, who has made only two starts since finishing fourth as the 2-1 favorite in the 2009 Donn Handicap, is about ready to return to action on the local front. There will be no chance for redemption, though, in this year's edition of the Grade 1 Donn.

Arson Squad has not missed a beat in the morning since arriving in south Florida a little over a month ago. His most recent drill came here Wednesday morning when he worked six furlongs from the gate in 1:13.65, according to Daily Racing Form.

ARCADIA, Calif. - One of these days Mr. Hot Stuff will live up to his reputation as a full brother to the retired five-time stakes winner Colonel John and win an important stakes himself.

At least that's what WinStar Farm and trainer Eoin Harty are hoping. It could happen in Saturday's $150,000 San Fernando Stakes for 4-year-olds at Santa Anita, or WinStar and Harty could spend all of 2010 waiting for a breakthrough performance. Just like they did in 2009.