Trainer John Locke, who leads the standings at Sam Houston Race Park, is closing in on career win 1,000. As of Tuesday, he had won 991 races. Locke will have five chances to add to his total Friday, with four horses in at Sam Houston Race Park and one starter at Oaklawn Park.

Locke has divisions of his stable at both tracks. He has won 44 races from 221 starters this meet at Sam Houston, and his starters at the track have earned $473,673. Last year was a banner one for Locke, who won 109 races and had career-best stable earnings of $1.5 million.

It doesn't seem to matter who's riding for trainer Murray Rojas these days at Penn National.

Rojas went 6 for 16 last week to pass Scott Lake and move to the top of the meet's trainer standings with 17 victories from 82 starters through March 22.

Four different jockeys rode winners for Rojas, including two apiece by Justin Kravets and 10-pound apprentice Manuel Chaves.

Fasig-Tipton Texas has cataloged 303 horses to its 2-year-olds in training sale, which will be held in the sales pavilion in the Lone Star Park stable area on Tuesday, April 1, beginning at 10 a.m.

The under-tack show is set for Sunday, March 30. The workouts will begin at 10 a.m. at Lone Star.

A broad base of stallions are represented by offspring, among them Dixie Union, Empire Maker, and Forestry.

Maryland-based jockeys Sheldon Russell and Oliver Castillo will each be sidelined four to six months as the result of injuries sustained in separate spills last Saturday at Laurel Park.

Russell, a 20-year-old apprentice who was tied for sixth at the meet with 21 winners from 90 mounts, fractured two vertebrae in his back when his mount, Positive Note, broke down on the backstretch of the fifth race and landed on him. Russell missed four months with a similar injury sustained last October.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The undefeated and untested Big Brown drew the outside post in a field of 12 3-year-olds entered Wednesday for Saturday’s $1 million Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park. No horse has ever won a race going 1 1/8 miles at Gulfstream from post 11 or 12 since the racetrack was reconfigured and lengthened to 1 1/8 miles in 2005.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Of the 182 horses that have been claimed in 40 days of racing this meet at Oaklawn, 23 were taken by Jan Haynes. She leads all owners in claims, and also has a clear lead atop the owner standings as she pursues her first title at Oaklawn.

Haynes's first leading owner title came last fall at Louisiana Downs. As the year came to an end, a number of her horses were claimed. Haynes has gone to work replacing her stock, and following Oaklawn will divide her 30-plus horse operation between Louisiana Downs and Lone Star Park.

SAN MATEO, Calif. - Bamaha Breeze, who ran his record to 4-0 with a victory in an optional-claiming sprint last Friday, may be heading for a stakes in his next race. In fact, trainer Steve Miyadi said he may stretch him out to 1o1/8 miles for the $250,000 Snow Chief for California-breds on the Gold Rush Day card April 27 at Hollywood Park.

Miyadi said the challenge will be to prepare Bamaha Breeze to run farther than six furlongs for the first time.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Tuesday was a busy morning for trainer Barclay Tagg. But when it was over, the man who won the 2003 Kentucky Derby with Funny Cide had gotten important works into two of his three current Derby prospects, including Elysium Fields, who will be among the favorites in Saturday's $1 million Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park.

Entries for the 1 1/8-mile Florida Derby were scheduled to be drawn Wednesday. Among Elysium Fields's main opponents will be Big Brown, Hey Byrn, and Fierce Wind.

Jet Away Jane went from last to first to capture Tuesday's $75,000 Langhorne Stakes for fillies and mares at Philadelphia Park.

Although she was sixth after the first quarter-mile and fifth following a half-mile in 44.83 seconds, Jet Away Jane ($8.80) was just three lengths off the hot pace set by Devil House, the 9-5 favorite.

ARCADIA, Calif. - It was only a simple workout Tuesday morning at Santa Anita, and nothing more. But good horses send positive vibes, and Colonel John is making people believe.

The likely favorite for the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 5, Colonel John sailed six furlongs Tuesday under exercise rider Karine Lhuillier. The colt's classy demeanor before and after the workout were as revealing as the work itself.