HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Golden Yank worked a bullet five furlongs over the weekend as he prepares to defend his home turf against a host of shippers in the Grade 2, $1 million Arkansas Derby. The 1 1/8-mile race is expected to draw a full field of 14 horses when entries are taken on Thursday, with four starters from California arriving here Monday and four already having flown in Sunday.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Pyro turned in his final major workout for the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes by breezing a half-mile under the cover of darkness early Monday at Keeneland, finishing in 50.60 seconds over the main Polytrack surface.

Pyro will be a solid favorite Saturday in the Grade 1, $750,000 Blue Grass, a crucial Kentucky Derby prep race for which Keeneland officials are expecting a field of eight to 11.

]Trainer Joe Orseno capped off a dream day when his Mean Demand rallied to victory in Monday's eighth race at Gulfstream Park to give the veteran trainer his fifth victory on the card.

Orseno swept the first three races on Monday's nine-race program with Royal Goliath, Wyatt's Appeal, and Wild Ones Event. Wyatt's Appeal was part of an entry in the second event with stablemate Reata's Tsavo. Orseno continued his streak with the favorite Collie Z. in the sixth race before completing his five-bagger with Mean Demand.

OLDSMAR, Fla. – For handicappers, the three main-track races among the six stakes on Florida Cup Day Saturday were notable for the intense speed bias of the racetrack. Not one runner who led into the stretch of those races, all sprints, lost on a track that has been kinder to speed runners than usual this meeting.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Barclay Tagg was quite confident he had a Kentucky Derby horse in Tale of Ekati. Any lingering doubts were erased after the colt rallied past War Pass to win Saturday's Grade 1, $750,000 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct.

While the final time of 1:52.35 was the slowest Wood since 1952, Aqueduct's main track was a heavy, drying out surface. Moreover, Tale of Ekati was making just his second start of the year. In his first, he finished sixth in the Louisiana Derby following a troubled start.

Mighty Bodacious hadn't won since 2006, but he picked a good day to turn back the clock, posting a 20-1 upset in Sunday's $31,300 Wildcat Handicap at Turf Paradise.

Stonestreet Song ($3.60) had been facing tougher horses at Fair Grounds and Oaklawn, and it showed as he shipped to Sunland Park and easily captured the $50,000 Daylight Sprint Stakes. Owned by Stonestreet Stables LLC and trained by Steve Asmussen, Stonestreet Song stalked the pace in the six-furlong race for 3-year-olds, took over in midstretch, and drew off to win by 1 1/4 lengths under Casey Lambert.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Despite finding herself further back than usual, Karakorum Starlet ($7.20) rallied to win the $68,400 Personal Girl Stakes at Aqueduct on Sunday by a half-length over Starship Cruiser. It was 6 1/2 lengths back to Margies Smile in third.

ARCADIA, Calif. – The full sisters Tiz Elemental and Tiz a Blend swept the two stakes at Santa Anita on Sunday, the first time that full siblings had won stakes on the same day at Santa Anita since 1994.

Tiz Elemental won the $150,000 Las Flores Handicap, a Grade 3 for female sprinters, while Tiz a Blend won her stakes debut in the $110,300 Valentine Dancer Handicap for statebred fillies and mares on turf.

Both were bred by owner Warren Williamson, are trained by Carla Gaines, and were ridden by Victor Espinoza. They are by Cee's Tizzy out of Blending Element.

OPELOUSAS, La. - Evangeline Down kicks off its 43rd season of racing Wednesday night and, unlike at many tracks, full fields are the rule at this one-mile dirt track in southern Louisiana. A total of 113 horses were entered for 10 races on opening night, and Thursday's card did even better with 121.