HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Necker Island won a stakes-quality allowance at a mile Monday at Oaklawn, and trainer Chris Hartman said Tuesday he’s not sure whether Necker Island will continue to run at two turns or turn back to a sprint. He won the $300,000 Bet On Sunshine at six furlongs in November at Churchill with a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 93 and equaled that number at two turns Monday.

Necker Island came into the feature off a fourth-place finish in the $150,000 Fifth Season at a mile at Oaklawn.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Barber Road had his final work for the Grade 2, $1 million Rebel on Monday, breezing a half-mile in company at Oaklawn Park. He is the probable second choice to Newgrange after finishing second to that one in last month’s Southwest Stakes.

Barber Road worked in 48 seconds under jockey Reylu Gutierrez, who will be aboard in the Rebel.

“It was nothing but a maintenance workout, just for him to stretch his legs,” trainer John Ortiz said Monday. “He broke off behind his company and he stayed behind up until the eighth pole, when he joined him.”

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – The $1 million Rebel Stakes will go as the 11th-race on a 12-race card Saturday that has special first post of noon Central.

The field from the rail with riders is: Kavod, Francisco Arrieta; Newgrange, John Velazquez; Cairama, Geovanni Franco; Un Ojo, Ramon Vazquez; Texas Red Hot, Ricardo Santana Jr.; Stellar Tap, Cristian Torres; Ben Diesel, Jon Court; Chasing Time, Tyler Gaffalione; Barber Road, Reylu Gutierrez; Ethereal Road, Luis Contreras; and Dash Attack, David Cohen.

Oaklawn officials said Newgrange was supplemented to the Rebel.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Willis Horton is not your typical 82-year-old.

The owner has about 25 horses in training. He’s hands on with a sizable cattle operation at his farm in Arkansas. And’s he’s looking to win the Grade 2 Rebel for the third time since 2013 on Saturday at Oaklawn Park.

Horton will be represented in the $1 million race by Ben Diesel, who is a son of his 2013 winner Will Take Charge. Horton also won the Rebel with Long Range Toddy in 2019.

ARCADIA, Calif. – The only drama on the turf course at Santa Anita on Monday was courtesy of photo finishes.

A day after three riders, including leading jockey Flavien Prat, refused to ride Sunday’s final race because of concern over the condition of the course, four turf races were run without incident Monday.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Glass Ceiling, a hard-fought half-length winner of Saturday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Barbara Fritchie Handicap at Laurel Park, will likely make her next start in the Grade 3, $150,000 Distaff Handicap here on April 9, trainer Charlton Baker said.

The victory was the third straight and fourth in the last five starts for Glass Ceiling, a 5-year-old daughter of Constitution. Her only loss came by a head in a division of the Pumpkin Pie Stakes.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Express Train, the winner of two Grade 2 races at Santa Anita this winter, worked five furlongs in 59.20 seconds on Monday in advance of the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 5.

Trainer John Shirreffs took a different approach to Express Train’s workout under jockey Victor Espinoza. Express Train began alone and was joined at the end of the backstretch by stablemate Union Train, who accompanied Express Train for three furlongs.

“He wanted to relax a bit, and the other horse hooked him and he dug in,” Shirreffs said.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The connections of Pirate’s Punch are hoping a change of scenery will do the 6-year-old gelding some good when he makes his New York debut in Saturday’s $125,000 Stymie Stakes at Aqueduct.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Early Voting and Un Ojo, the first- and second-place finishers from the Grade 3 Withers Stakes at Aqueduct on Feb. 5, both returned to the work tab on Monday at Belmont Park as they prepare for their next assignments.

While there has been no decision yet on where Early Voting will start next, Un Ojo was entered Monday for Saturday’s Grade 2, $1 million Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The up-and-coming Florida-bred 3-year-old fillies Hot Peppers and Spirit Wind turned in big performances here last week and could be on a collision course to meet in the $110,000 Sophomore Fillies at Tampa Bay Downs on March 27.