HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - With the Kentucky Derby ruled out of Big Drama's future, trainer David Fawkes and owner-breeder Harold Queen have mapped out tentative plans for their colt's next start. The itinerary could still find Big Drama involved in this year's Triple Crown.

"Right now, the Withers looks like our top priority, and if all were to go well we would probably consider the Preakness after that," Fawkes said on Wednesday. "Our backup plan if we don't go to the Withers would be the Lone Star Derby."

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Flat Out's come-from-behind win in the $50,000 Smarty Jones at Oaklawn in January was impressive. A month later, his stock went up again when he made up more than 10 lengths to finish a good fourth to Old Fashioned after significant trouble in the Grade 3, $250,000 Southwest Stakes.

"The way he got left in the gate and still ran fourth, it was a big race," said Scooter Dickey, who trains Flat Out for Oxbow Racing.

The Nebraska Racing Hall of Fame will welcome four new members to its ranks next Thursday evening at Fonner Park. The Nebraska Racing Hall of Fame was relocated to Fonner Park following the close of Ak-Sar-Ben after the 1995 season, and the inductions were resumed in 2006.

The new members are racing official Bob Pollock, jockey Wayne Anderson, trainer Marv Johnson, and the mare Falls Amiss.

STICKNEY, Ill. - There may yet be a Kentucky Derby contender stabled at Hawthorne Race Course. Giant Oak went to the track to train Wednesday morning for the first time since his second-place finish in the Illinois Derby, and nothing about the colt's physical condition should deter his connections from taking the plunge and shipping to Churchill Downs for a shot at the Derby.

"He's doing real well," trainer Chris Block said. "He doesn't seem knocked out from the race at all. He seems like he came out of the race better than he did the two races at Fair Grounds."

Quarter Horse distance specialist Gone to the Mountain smashed the world record with a powerful win in last Sunday's Grade 3, $57,600 Red Cell New Mexico Challenge. Racing as the 1-2 favorite, Gone to the Mountain shot to the front early in the 870-yard event and was in total control en route to a seven-length win, stopping the timer in 43.02 seconds.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Trainer Greg Gilchrist never expected that Arden Park could sneak his way into the Triple Crown picture this spring. The colt started his career in January, too late for that discussion to take place.

Instead, Arden Park will stay in California this spring, attempting to extend his unbeaten streak. He won his first two starts, both at Golden Gate Fields earlier this year, and will make his stakes debut in Saturday's $100,000 La Puente Stakes at Santa Anita.

"There really isn't much else for him," Gilchrist said.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - If any horse other than the odds-on Evita Argentina was going to win the Grade 2 Beaumont Stakes on Wednesday at Keeneland, it figured to be Selva in front-running style.

Right thought, wrong particulars. War Kill, with red-hot Julien Leparoux aboard, outfought Selva in a nearly race-long duel, while Evita Argentina labored home fourth in a field of six 3-year-old fillies.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Trainer Malcolm Pierce, in the midst of his annual stopover at Keeneland after racing at Fair Grounds this winter, wasn't on hand for the opening weekend here at Woodbine.

But Pierce's wife and assistant, Sally, was a more than able deputy as she sent out Mullins Beach and True Vindication to win the top two races on the program.

Mullins Beach became a stakes winner by capturing the $100,800 La Voyageuse, a five-furlong race for Ontario-foaled 3-year-old fillies.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - There have been quite a few one-sided runnings of the Blue Grass Stakes in its distinguished history. Over the last 30 years, Spectacular Bid, Alydar, Holy Bull, and Pulpit are some of the odds-on winners to use the Blue Grass as little more than a dress rehearsal for the Kentucky Derby.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - The rematch is on.

Win Willy and Old Fashioned will break side by side on Saturday at Oaklawn Park when they meet in the 73rd running of the Grade 2, $1 million Arkansas Derby. The pair finished one-two last month at Oaklawn Park in the Grade 2 Rebel, with Win Willy upsetting Old Fashioned by 2 1/4 lengths at 56-1.

Post positions for the 1 1/8-mile race were drawn on Wednesday, with Old Fashioned getting gate 8 in the field of 10, and Win Willy set to break right beside him, in post 9.