ARCADIA, Calif. - The Pamplemousse, the morning-line favorite in Saturday's Grade 1, $750,000 Santa Anita Derby, was scratched from the race Saturday morning after a confab between Dr. Jill Bailey, the track veterinarian, trainer Julio Canani, and Canani's vet, Dr. Helmuth von Bluecher.

According to Bailey, she noticed "a very subtle change in the horse" Saturday morning during a routine prerace exam that is required of all runners. Alex Solis II, a bloodstock agent and co-owner of The Pamplemousse, said The Pamplemousse had heat in a tendon in a front leg.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - There are eight early probables for the Grade 2, $1 million Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park on Saturday, and all are on the grounds following the Thursday arrival of Danger to Society for trainer Rick Dutrow.

Old Fashioned, the winner of last year's Grade 2 Remsen at Aqueduct, has been based at Oaklawn for much of the meet. He won the Grade 3, $250,000 Southwest here Feb. 16, then came back and ran second in the Grade 2, $300,000 Rebel in his most recent start March 14. He is scheduled to work five furlongs Monday in his final prep for the Arkansas Derby.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Clouds and cold are not exactly what make for the most ideal opening day at Keeneland. But 14,639 fans braved the final grips of winter's chill Friday to witness what amounted to a fine start to the 15-day spring meet.

The downward spiral continued unabated this winter at Turfway Park, where officials reported substantial decreases in virtually every business category, including all-sources handle, at the winter-spring meet that ended Thursday.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - At a time when businesses of every kind are feeling the crunch of the prevailing economic climate, including most racetracks throughout the country, Gulfstream Park has proven the exception to the rule this winter.

According to Gulfstream Park president Bill Murphy, business is up not only on the racing side of the ledger, but in the casino as well since the 2009 meet began on Jan. 3.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Last year, Steve Asmussen became the first trainer based in the United States to have a meet-long satellite division at Woodbine.

The Asmussen outfit was responsible for 264 starters and 40 winners, ranking sixth in each of those counts.

Asmussen again will have a Woodbine base this year, having been granted the same 32 stalls.

But he will be no longer be unique amongst U.S. trainers intending to have full-time divisions here as Vladimir Cerin, Dale Capuano, Steve Klesaris, and Michael Pino all have stalls for the 2009 meeting.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Matto Mondo, winner of the Grade 3 Thunder Road Handicap in February and third as the favorite in the Santa Anita Handicap last month, is out for the rest of 2009 with a tendon injury, trainer Richard Mandella said.

The injury was detected shortly after Matto Mondo finished 1 1/4 lengths behind Einstein in the Big Cap.

"When I galloped him, he had a thick edge on that tendon," Mandella said.

Mandella said that Matto Mondo has a tear in a tendon and recently underwent a surgical procedure.

STICKNEY, Ill. - Lord of the Game seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime claim. Trainer Tom Tomillo and owner Bill Slevin plucked him out of a $10,000 maiden claimer in his career debut at Hawthorne on Dec.o31, 2004, and Lord of the Game went on to win two graded stakes and more than a half-million dollars. The Tomillo barn has done it again with Hurta, although he has not yet hit Lord of the Game territory.

OLDSMAR, Fla. - Supporters of the Florida breeding industry will shoot for a lucrative payday here Saturday when the seventh annual Florida Cup Day will be held. The card includes six $85,000 statebred stakes.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The 150th running of the Queen's Plate, North America's oldest continuously run stakes, will be among the highlights of the 167-day Woodbine meeting, which commences with a 10-race card Saturday.

The $1 million Plate, a 1 1/4-mile Polytrack event for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds, will be run June 21. It is the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, which concludes with the $500,000 Breeders' Stakes here Aug. 2. The second leg, the $500,000 Prince of Wales Stakes, is scheduled for July 12 at Fort Erie.