LEXINGTON, Ky. - John Salzman long ago made his peace with Kentucky. A quarter-century after being soured by a bizarre series of events that went against him, the Maryland horseman is looking to notch another graded stakes victory at Keeneland.

The Grade 1 futurity season in New Mexico starts on Friday afternoon at Sunland Park when 11 trials are held for the Grade 1, $300,000 West Texas Futurity, headed by an interesting matchup in the second trial.

Meeting in the second trial are LS Separatist and Jesstifiable, each coming off a maiden win. The Carl Draper-trained LS Separatist won his maiden at first asking by a length, while the Blane Wood-trained Jesstifiable prevailed by a neck in his career debut.

"LS Separatist is a nice colt who could qualify," said Draper.

CALGARY, Alberta – On a program liberally dotted with races for maidens, Sassy Sarah’s eight wins stand out here at Stampede Park on Friday. A 5-year-old Lake Austin mare, Sassy Sarah heads a field of 10 in the featured seventh race, an optional $40,000 claimer which is by far the most appealing sprint on the eight-race card.

Sassy Sarah will appreciate the stretch-out to six furlongs following a solid second-place effort at four furlongs here on opening weekend. She drew post 3.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Georgie Boy is out of the Santa Anita Derby and off the Kentucky Derby trail with a pulled muscle in his back.

Trainer Kathy Walsh announced Monday afternoon that Georgie Boy would be sidelined indefinitely. Walsh and owner George Schwary were scheduled to meet Tuesday at Hollywood Park to discuss Georgie Boy’s recovery process.

Walsh told the Santa Anita publicity department that Georgie Boy came out of a six-furlong workout Saturday at Hollywood Park with a pulled muscle.

ARCADIA, Calif. - A pulled muscle in his left hind end does not end Georgie Boy's career, but the injury will prevent California's leading 3-year-old from running Saturday in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby and it has knocked him off the Kentucky Derby trail.

Keeneland Race Course will open its 16-day spring meet Friday with a 10-race program highlighted by the $150,000 Transylvania Stakes and the first race of the year in Kentucky for 2-year-olds.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - The undefeated Zenyatta put away a pair of Grade 1 winners in her third start last out. Saturday, she has her sights set on a champion.

Zenyatta figures to start as second choice to Ginger Punch, the champion older filly or mare of 2007, when she makes her Grade 1 debut in the $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park.

STICKNEY, Ill. - It is hard to be the Kentucky Derby prospect of the moment when you don't race during an entire month.

Denis of Cork had pundits yapping when he sharply won the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park, but come on, that was, like, a lifetime ago. Since the Southwest's running Feb. 18, we have seen Pyro cement his top-end status in the Louisiana Derby, War Pass flop at Tampa Bay Downs, and most recently, Florida Derby winner Big Brown come screaming onto the scene.

Denis of Who?

ARCADIA, Calif. - B.J. Wright first met Michael Pender when Pender was a 12-year-old kid running around a Glendale, Calif., ball field, playing flag football with Wright's son.

Wright got hooked into coaching the youngsters and made a quick assessment of Pender.

"I decided to make Pender my quarterback," he said. "He looked like he was a kid with confidence."

Thirty years later, Wright's confidence in Pender continues, but in a different sport.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trainer Bennie Stutts Jr.'s phone has been ringing off the hook since Smooth Air finished an easy second behind runaway winner Big Brown in Saturday's $1 million Florida Derby. And rightly so since the 70-year-old Stutts will be one of the more engaging stories when he arrives in Louisville later this month with his first Kentucky Derby starter.