LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Zulu Alpha, an Eclipse Award finalist among turf males last year, continues on a steady work pattern ahead of his 8-year-old debut. Unraced since September, the $2.26 million-earner could return in the Grade 1 United Nations on the July 17 Haskell undercard at Monmouth, according to owner Michael Hui.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Hidden Stash was never a factor when 14th in the Kentucky Derby, but that’s okay. A good time was had by all.

“We’d do it all over again,” said Brian Klatsky, who with Brendan O’Brien heads the Big Blue Nation Racing partnership that owns Hidden Stash. “It was a great experience.”

Warrior’s Charge has some stakes options in July following his troubled sixth-place finish in the Grade 3, $400,000 Steve Sexton Mile on May 31 at Lone Star Park.

Trainer Brad Cox said the horse will be considered for the Grade 3, $300,000 Cornhusker on July 2 at Prairie Meadows. Another option is the $85,000 Michael G. Schaefer Memorial on July 7 at Indiana Grand.

Warrior’s Charge is a multiple Grade 3 winner of nearly $900,000. The front-runner came in from Kentucky for the Sexton Mile. He was one of the top choices in the race, won by Mo Mosa.

Winning Romance, who was a 20 3/4-length winner of the $100,000 Louisiana Legends Soiree for 3-year-old fillies on Saturday night at Evangeline Downs, will be getting a little downtime in Kentucky, trainer Bret Calhoun said Tuesday.

“We’ll freshen her, give her about 30 days turn out, and point toward the Louisiana-bred races in the fall,” he said.

Mr. Wireless will see more stakes action this summer following his runner-up finish to Warrant in the $300,000 Texas Derby on May 31 at Lone Star Park.

Mr. Wireless was second by three-quarters of a length in what was his stakes debut. He earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 88.

“I thought he ran great,” trainer Bret Calhoun said. “I was very happy with him. We’ll point him toward the Indiana Derby.”

The Grade 3, $300,000 race is July 7 at Indiana Grand.

ARCADIA, Calif. – California-bred gelding The Chosen Vron, a two-time stakes winner and the top 3-year-old sprinter in California, will stretch to a route for the first time in the Grade 3 Affirmed Stakes on Sunday at Santa Anita.

“I’ve got to see if you can stretch out,” trainer Eric Kruljac said early this week at Santa Anita. “I’m cautiously optimistic.”

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - With Ontario entering Step 1 of the “Roadmap to Reopen” plan earlier than expected, on Friday, Woodbine Entertainment announced Monday that the 2021 Thoroughbred meet begins this Saturday with a 1:20 p.m. post time.

The meet will continue Sunday with a 1:20 p.m. post, followed by racing June 18-20. After that, the meet goes to its usual Thursday through Sunday schedule. To help make up for some lost racing days, Woodbine plans to add races to its cards during the first two weekends of racing.

LOUISVILLE, KY. – Belmont Stakes winner Essential Quality was scheduled to return early Tuesday to the Brad Cox barn at Churchill, just as Mandaloun was preparing to leave for the East Coast.

Mandaloun, the Juddmonte Farms homebred who as the Kentucky Derby runner-up stands to be declared the official winner if Medina Spirit is disqualified for a medication positive, was scheduled to be vanned Wednesday to Monmouth Park in New Jersey, where he’ll run Sunday in the Pegasus Stakes.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Michelle Lovell was exhausted Monday morning, but what else is new? It’s a chronic state for Thoroughbred trainers who tend to work morning, noon, and night.

“I’m tired, but I’m still excited,” said Lovell. “It’s a good thing.”

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. predicted before Saturday’s Grade 1 Woody Stephens at Belmont Park that his top 3-year-old sprinter Drain the Clock was sitting on his best race yet. What he wasn’t sure of was whether that would still be good enough to defeat a premier field that included the odds-on favorite Jackie’s Warrior.