Wet weather has caused more cancellations than racing days in the opening weeks of the current Santa Anita winter-spring meeting.

That is about to change.

The forecast in Southern California in the next week is for fine weather, just in time for a four-day week of racing beginning Thursday. A five-day racing week is scheduled from Jan. 15-19. The Thursdays of those weeks are replacement days for recent cancellations.

“We’re looking forward to getting back into some racing,” track general manager Nate Newby said Monday.

Grande and River Thames, two stakes-placed 3-year-olds in 2025 trained by Todd Pletcher, are working their way back toward the races.

Grande, the Grade 2 Wood Memorial runner-up who was scratched from the Kentucky Derby with a foot bruise, has worked five times since Dec. 8, including a half-mile in 50.77 seconds Monday at the Palm Beach Downs training center. Pletcher said Grande had a series of setbacks following the foot bruise that led to him getting the remainder of the year off.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainers Brad Cox and Todd Pletcher had Commandment and Nearly, a couple of newly turned 3-year-olds, put themselves into the Kentucky Derby picture with big performances here last week. In the process, they’ve become potential candidates for the Grade 3 Holy Bull later this month.

Commandment registered an eye-catching, 6 3/4-length victory punctuated by a huge gallop-out in the one-mile Mucho Macho Man on Saturday, while Nearly notched an equally impressive five-length entry-level allowance win the previous afternoon.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The first invitation list for the $3 million Pegasus World Cup was released late last week. The group consists of six local runners and six others currently scattered about the country. The South Florida-based contingent is likely to be well represented in the starting gate if things go according to plan between now and Pegasus World Cup day on Jan. 24.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The first invitation list has been released for this year’s $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational on Jan. 24. The group of a dozen horses is topped by White Abarrio, the runaway winner of this event a year ago, and Florida Derby winner Tappan Street, the only horse to finish in front of likely Horse of the Year Sovereignty during the 2025 season.

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen and his wife, Julie, spent December celebrating some personal milestones in the lives of their sons, jockey Keith Asmussen and the stable’s accountant and bookkeeper, Darren Asmussen.

Darren was married on a recent Saturday in Texas.

“Darren’s wedding was one of the most significant events I’ve ever witnessed in my whole life,” Steve Asmussen said. “It was beyond emotional.”

Keith agreed.

“It was a beautiful wedding,” he said. “I was in awe the whole time. It was very special.”

Apprentice jockey Amir Mendoza ventured to the United States from his native Panama this winter and is making his mark in the standings at Oaklawn Park – all while getting to know a jockey from his country that he has long admired.

“He’s a huge Luis Saez fan, and they have the same valet at Oaklawn,” said agent Jose Santos Jr., the son of retired Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Jose Santos. “We got lucky. Mark Kelly, his valet, is an awesome guy and takes great care of him, and we were lucky to get in with him. Julien [Leparoux] recommended him.”