HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Toby Keith leads a busy life as a top-selling country artist, the star of the motion picture "Broken Bridges," and the front man in a series of commercials for Ford. Yet he still finds time to be involved in his racing operation, which will be in the spotlight Saturday at Oaklawn Park when Rotary, a horse Keith co-owns with Arthur B. Hancock III, makes his stakes debut in the Grade 3, $100,000 Essex Handicap.

NEW ORLEANS - Hyte Regency was on the Triple Crown trail last year when he finished third behind Lawyer Ron as one of the favorites in the Risen Star Stakes, the final prep for the Louisiana Derby. On the eve of this year's Risen Star, Hyte Regency is on the comeback trail after being sidelined by injury for a year, running in Friday's feature race at Fair Grounds, a second-level optional claimer at 1 1/16 miles on the dirt.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Wind Water has won three consecutive starts, but the streak has not changed trainer Brian Koriner's opinion of what races best fit the 5-year-old gelding.

Wind Water's winning streak includes a $50,000 claimer on Sept. 30, the California Cup Starter Sprint Handicap in October, and an optional claimer at Bay Meadows on Dec. 13.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Semaphore Man looked good in the $50,000 King Cotton at Oaklawn Park the first time around. He looks even better in the race after was redrawn for Friday.

The King Cotton was canceled last week because of inclement weather, and for the second go-round it has picked up two new players in multiple stakes winners Rodeo's Castle and Celluloid Hero.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Despite clipping heels and taking up sharply on the final bend of Saturday's Donn Handicap, Invasor came out of the race none the worse for wear, according to trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. Invasor, the 2006 Horse of the Year, overcame his rough trip and rallied to a gutsy two-length victory over Hesanoldsalt in the Grade 1 Donn.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trainer David Fawkes isn't quite sure yet whether his improving 4-year-old Awesome Attitude is better on turf or dirt. But one thing Fawkes is fairly certain about is that his horse has a better chance of winning a first-level allowance race on the grass during the Gulfstream Park winter meet than he does on the main track.

For that reason, Fawkes entered Awesome Attitude in Friday's $46,000 main event, where he'll be one of the choices along with Lucky to Cope in a five-furlong dash to be run under entry-level allowance conditions on the grass.

ARCADIA, Calif. - E Z Warrior and Downthedustyroad, stakes winners for trainer Bob Baffert in recent weeks, will not start in stakes at Santa Anita this weekend because of minor injuries, Baffert said on Wednesday.

Downthedustyroad, the winner of the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes in late December, will miss two stakes opportunities after emerging from a workout on Monday with an undisclosed injury.

"She won't run this weekend," Baffert said, declining to reveal the injury. "She'll probably be out of training for 60 days."

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Though there is no official change in policy, there at least appears to be a meeting of the minds between New York Racing Association management and the jockeys regarding hospital care following ontrack spills.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Corinthian and Jazil, who met twice on the Kentucky Derby trail last winter, will renew acquaintances at Gulfstream Park on Thursday in the second and decidedly stronger division of a second level optional claiming race. The 1 1/8-mile mile co-features each offer a purse of $48,000.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Oaklawn will resume racing on Thursday after losing last week's four cards to inclement weather that left the racing surface frozen. In the mountain resort town of Hot Springs, temperatures can be erratic. Last year, Oaklawn lost Presidents Day weekend because of a winter storm, but prior to that, there had been no weather-related cancellations here since 2003.

Oaklawn's track is not winterized. No chemicals, such as salts, are used to keep the track from freezing.