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By David Grening

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Chuck Zacney says he still watches the replay of the 2005 Preakness a couple of times a year. Who could blame him?

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - If Sunday's opening-day program is any indication, the 2010 Gulfstream Park meeting should be an unequivocal success.

A total of 105 horses were entered for Sunday's nine-race program, including a field of nine in the main event, the $100,000 Hal's Hope, which features the return of 2009 Florida Derby winner Quality Road. The card also features a pair of high-level optional claiming races for older horses and three maiden special weight tests, two of which are carded for 3-year-olds.

Mountaineer Park and its horsemen have reached a three-year agreement that will allow trainers to remain at the track during a two-month dark period this winter and put in place a per-start fee to fund backstretch operations, according to the track.

Lava Man, the seven-time Grade 1 winner who finished last in Sunday's Grade 2 San Gabriel Handicap in his first start in 18 months, was scheduled to be sent to the Alamo Pintado Equine Clinic in Los Olivos, Calif., on Wednesday for a precautionary examination, trainer Doug O'Neill said.

Lava Man was retired in summer 2008 and underwent stem-cell therapy to regenerate cartilage tissue in an ankle earlier this year. Dr. Doug Herthel, of Alamo Pintado, oversaw the procedure.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Take Control, a $1.9 million purchase out of 2002 Horse of the Year Azeri, won his career debut in Wednesday's third race, rallying in the final furlong to score an impressive victory.

Take Control ($7.80) ran a mile in 1:37.64 under jockey Martin Garcia. Fifth in a field of seven on the backstretch, Take Control made up 3 1/2 lengths in final furlong to finish 1 1/2 lengths in front of pacesetter Ivory Fudge.

STICKNEY, Ill. - Chris Emigh, who for years has been among the top Chicago jockeys, had his foray into Kentucky racing cut short by a spill in November at Churchill Downs. Now, Emigh is back at Hawthorne Race Course, but his stay here will be brief, according to Emigh's agent, Jay Fedor.

Emigh suffered a slight fracture of his collarbone when he went down at Churchill. Fedor said the injury was minor enough that X-rays failed to detect it and that the fracture only showed up on a CT scan.

WHO'S HOT

Bill White

After three weeks without being able to run a horse because of the recent quarantine, Calder's perennial training champion came out firing once he got back into action Dec. 21. Despite missing nearly 30 percent of the 10-week Tropical meet, White is still in the hunt for another title after sending out five winners in as many programs since all restrictions were lifted from his 42-horse stable.

Antonio Gallardo

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - There aren't many chinks in the Todd Pletcher armor. Be it young or old, male or female, turf or dirt, short or long, the four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer usually has a horse for the category.

It has been a while since trainer John Parisella has had the luxury of having to decide in which stakes races to run his young horses. But in the first two weekends of 2010, Parisella plans to have runners in both the Ruthless and Busanda stakes, New York's first two stakes of the year for 3-year-old fillies.

Parisella will run Wild News in Sunday's $65,000 Ruthless at six furlongs, and on Jan. 9 he will start She'll Be Doggone in the $65,000 Busanda at a mile and 70 yards,

WHO'S HOT

Mike Miceli

Some folks are referring to Miceli as "The Ladies Man," after the jockey-turned-trainer sent out three winning fillies from his first five starters on the inner track, in addition to another at the Fair Grounds.