Nova Rags is among the projected starters in the Pasco Stakes, one of three stakes to be run Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar, Fla.

Nova Rags won a maiden-special sprint at Belmont Park in his Oct. 10 career debut prior to finishing fourth as the 5-2 third choice in his only subsequent start, the Grade 3 Nashua on Nov. 8 at Aqueduct. The Union Rags colt has since been regrouped by trainer Bill Mott with six workouts at Payson Park, the latest being a half-mile breeze Saturday in 49.20 seconds.

Into Chocolate, winner of the Grade 3 Sherwood Chillingworth Stakes at Santa Anita last September, was recently retired and will be bred to Constitution in coming months, trainer Clifford Sise said Friday.

Owned and bred by Marty and Pam Wygod, Into Chocolate finished fifth in the McConnell Springs Stakes at Keeneland on Nov. 6 in her final start. Sise said breathing issues contributed to the decision.

“She had a couple of issues displacing, so we decided to retire her,” he said.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Sanenus may start in the Grade 1 Beholder Mile at Santa Anita on March 13 after recording her first American stakes win in Saturday’s Grade 3 La Canada Stakes.

Sanenus, trained by Michael McCarthy, has experience in racing at the highest level, having won the Group 1 Tanteo de Potrancas at about 7 1/2 furlongs in Chile in June 2019. She was seventh, fifth, and 12th in Group 1 races in that country later in 2019 and last February.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Gamine, winner of the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Keeneland on Nov. 7, rejoined trainer Bob Baffert’s stable earlier this month after a brief rest in late 2020.

Gamine’s exercise has been limited to jogging in recent days, Baffert said.

Owned by Michael Petersen, Gamine won the third Grade 1 race of her career in the BC Filly and Mare Sprint, pulling clear by 6 1/4 lengths in the final furlong of the seven-furlong race.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Charlatan, a convincing winner of the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita on Dec. 26, is expected to have his next start in the $20 million Saudi Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Feb. 20.

Trainer Bob Baffert said Sunday that the timing of the Saudi Cup at 1 1/8 miles, compared to the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 23, was a deciding factor.

“He’ll go to Saudi,” Baffert said. “The Pegasus is coming back a little quick. I’ve got a week to change my mind.”

Fair Grounds on Saturday drew the 2021 Road to the Derby Kickoff Day program, a 13-race, six-stakes extravaganza that attracted 141 entrants, excluding also-eligibles.

The Jan. 16 card has the Grade 3, $200,000 Lecomte Stakes for 3-year-olds as the nightcap and headliner. The Lecomte, carded for 1 1/16 miles, is part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby offering 17 Derby qualifying points distributed 10-4-2-1 to the top four finishers.

Fair Grounds on Friday announced a purse increase at the New Orleans track’s 2020 – 2021 racing season, the second time purses have been raised at a meet that began Nov. 26.

Sworn Silence ran hard and finished second in the first race on the Friday program at Fair Grounds – becoming the first loser of the racing week for trainer Chris Hartman. Hartman won with his only starter on the Wednesday card and went 2 for 2 on Thursday.

The second winner on Thursday was the formidable starter-allowance horse Overzealous, who romped in an off-turf route open to $10,000 claimers or $5,000 starter horses, like the winner. Overzealous got an 85 Beyer Speed Figure starting his 7-year-old season with a victory following a five-win 2020 campaign.

Golden Gate Fields will resume racing on Jan. 15, two months after racing was halted because of a coronavirus outbreak in the stable area.

The announcement was made to owners and trainers on Thursday evening following discussions among track executives and local government officials. Entries for the Jan. 15 program will be taken Tuesday.

“It was a long process and we’re delighted to be back,” track general manager David Duggan said in a brief conversation Friday morning. “We’re at a stage that it was okay to come back.”

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Shivaree was somewhat conspicuous by his absence from the nominations list for the Sunshine Sprint next Saturday at Gulfstream Park, but trainer Ralph Nicks says not to worry.

“He’s running the following Saturday in the Hooper,” said Nicks.

By running Shivaree in open company in the Grade 3, $150,000 Fred W. Hooper at Gulfstream, Nicks is bypassing an opportunity to keep the 4-year-old colt in Florida-bred company. The six-furlong Sunshine Sprint is one of four such restricted races to be featured here Saturday.