OZONE PARK, N.Y - Morello, a horse named for a guitarist, is rising up the charts in the 3-year-old division. If he can play just a little longer, he may have an engagement on racing’s biggest stage come the first Saturday in May.

Brad Cox is contemplating pulling the old stakes switcheroo with a couple 3-year-olds.

The Cox-trained Cyberknife took a sizeable step forward winning a first-level dirt-route allowance race Feb. 19 at Fair Grounds. Meanwhile, Zozos, who won his sprint debut in January at Fair Grounds, crushed first-level allowance rivals in a two-turn dirt race Feb. 11 at Oaklawn, winning off by 10 1/4 lengths.

Sunland Park has increased overnight purses by 25 percent in a boost that went into effect Friday, the track announced. The increase translates to an additional $50,000 in purse money each card, according to the press release.

Sunland has experienced strong business over the first two-thirds of its meet, which runs 55 dates through April 3.

Sunland also has started putting on 10-race cards. First post daily is 12:25 p.m. Mountain.

Catalog out for Texas sale

Straight Up G has returned to Santa Anita following his win in last Sunday’s $100,000 Mine That Bird Derby at Sunland Park, but he could be returning to New Mexico.

Trainer Richard Baltas said Thursday that the Grade 3, $500,000 Sunland Derby is a consideration for the horse. The Kentucky Derby points race will be run over 1 1/8 miles March 27.

Strong handle last year has pushed purses to record levels at the 31-day summer meeting at Del Mar, which runs from July 22 to Sept. 11.

In a statement released Thursday, the track announced that daily purse distribution will surpass $800,000 for the first time, with increases to several stakes, overnight races and bonus programs designed to lure runners to Southern California.

Trainer Bennie “Chip” Woolley, who gained fame after winning the 2009 Kentucky Derby with Mine That Bird, has been granted a stay of a 180-day suspension while he appeals the penalty, according to the Arizona Department of Racing and his attorney.

The stay was signed by the department of racing’s executive director, Rudy Casillas, on Feb. 18. Woolley was suspended by the stewards at Turf Paradise in Phoenix on Feb. 15, the same day they conducted a hearing into an incident on Feb. 8 in which a state regulatory veterinarian found Woolley in the stall of a horse with a syringe.

Santa Anita has postponed an eight-race program from Friday to Monday out of concern over expected rain throughout Friday.

With the revised schedule, the track will run three consecutive days from Saturday through Monday. The Saturday program includes six graded stakes.

Racing secretary Chris Merz said Wednesday that about a half-inch of rain is expected on Friday and that the cancellation was done on a precautionary basis.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Venti Valentine, runner-up in December’s Grade 2 Demoiselle, is back in New York for Saturday’s $250,000 Busher Stakes for 3-year-old fillies. The Busher offers its top four finishers qualifying points to the May 6 Kentucky Oaks (50-20-10-5).

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – There were not enough entries to fill the $125,000 Heavenly Prize Stakes for filles and mares scheduled for Saturday. The race was to be brought back for Sunday with entries retaken on Thursday.

It is possible the race could draw a few horses scheduled to run in Sunday’s $100,000 Biogio’s Rose Stakes, meaning that race wouldn’t be run.

If you have a stakes-quality older female turf sprinter, Fair Grounds is the place to be. The track hosts five races in the division during its 80-day meet.

Elle Z ran in four of them and won her third stakes of the Fair Grounds season with an easy tally Tuesday in the Mardi Gras Stakes.

Elle Z finished second by a head in the Pan Zareta on Dec. 4, skipped the Richard Scherer Memorial, won the Nelson Menard Memorial by five lengths, won the Fred Aime Memorial by a nose over Change of Control, and was 1 1/4 lengths best in the Mardi Gras, which she also won in 2021.