HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - The Racing Festival of the South at Oaklawn Park is fast approaching, with horses such as champion Whitmore gearing up for the meet’s richest run of stakes offerings.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - A set of blinkers has helped take Florida Derby winner Known Agenda to the next level and trainer Shug McGaughey said Sunday morning that blinkers will likely also be added when Greatest Honour begins his final preparations for their rematch in the Kentucky Derby.

Jockey Leandro Goncalves won his 2,000th Thoroughbred race in North America on Saturday night at Sam Houston Race Park in Houston, where he guided Gurkha Gold to a 1 1/2-length victory in a maiden special weight route for 3-year-old fillies on the turf. She won the fifth race and paid $20.80.

“This means a lot to me to get my 2,000th win in the United States,” Goncalves said in a social media post from Sam Houston Race Park.

Since Dream Shake finished third in his stakes debut in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita on March 6, the promising 3-year-old colt has spent the last two Saturdays zipping through fast workouts.

On March 20, Dream Shake worked five furlongs in 58.20 seconds, the fastest of 75 recorded works for the morning. On Saturday, Dream Shake worked five furlongs in 59.80 seconds, his last major exercise before the Grade 1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby on April 3.

Trainer Peter Eurton timed Dream Shake galloping out six furlongs in 1:12.60.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Jorge Vargas Jr. will be sidelined a minimum of four to six weeks due to a lumbar fracture suffered in a spill March 20 at Aqueduct.

Vargas was aboard Kiss Me Dave who collapsed and died during the running of the ninth race on March 20. Dylan Davis, also involved in the spill, suffered a broken collarbone and is out six to eight weeks.

Vargas is planning to ride at Monmouth Park this summer, according to his agent, Jimmy Riccio Jr. That meet begins May 28.

Trainer Paul Aguirre has been suspended 15 days, from Monday through April 12, and fined $500 after one of his runners tested positive for a banned medication at the Los Alamitos winter Thoroughbred meeting in December 2019, according to a ruling published by Santa Anita stewards earlier this month.

The ruling was the result of decision issued by the California Horse Racing Board following a recent hearing.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Danny Kulchisky, who has worked as a data clerk and chart-caller in New York racing for nearly 40 years, is retiring following the conclusion of Sunday’s card.

Kulchisky, 64, began working for Sports Eye in 1983. He worked for Daily Racing Form in the 1990s before moving to Equibase in 1998. Since 2008, he has called the charts at NYRA’s three tracks. Kulchisky was known for his extremely detailed charts.

Friday morning at Santa Anita, the track’s front office had a calmer atmosphere than the corresponding day in 2020.

On the final Friday of March last year, the track was deemed a nonessential business by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and was ordered closed within an hour of first post time. Racing did not resume until May 15.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Bill Mott will be making a lineup change for next Friday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Distaff Handicap. Lake Avenue is out. Paris Lights is in.

Mott said Lake Avenue, who won the Heavenly Prize Stakes here March 6, has developed a foot bruise and will be forced to miss the Distaff.

Paris Lights will be making her first start since she won the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga last July.

Subsequent to the CCA Oaks, Paris Lights suffered a splint bone injury in a hind leg and was sidelined for the remainder of 2020.

The Grade 1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby will have one of its larger fields in recent years on April 3, and a rare shipper from an out-of-state stable.

As of Friday, there were eight probable runners in Defunded, Dream Shake, Medina Spirit, Ottothelegend, Parnelli, Rock Your World, Roman Centurian, and The Great One. The stakes winners Get Her Number and Rombauer also are being considered.