ARCADIA, Calif. - Santa Anita will run turf sprints on a newly constructed backstretch chute as early as opening day of the winter-spring meeting on Dec. 26, senior vice-president Nate Newby said Sunday.

Grass was installed on the chute in the final days of September and has shown growth through a recent stretch of warm weather, Newby said. Track superintendent Dennis Moore has supervised installation of the new course.

“Dennis said things were on schedule or ahead of schedule,” Newby said.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Run Snappy could start in the Grade 3 Bob Hope Stakes at Del Mar on Nov. 15 after winning his first start on dirt at Santa Anita on Saturday.

Run Snappy led throughout a maiden special weight race at 5 1/2 furlongs, drawing clear by 4 3/4 lengths. The colt is by the heavily promoted stallion Runhappy and races for Hronis Racing and trainer John Sadler.

At the Del Mar summer meeting, Run Snappy was fifth and sixth in maiden special weight races at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Mo Forza won his second consecutive graded stakes in Saturday’s Grade 2 City of Hope Mile at Santa Anita, confirming his status as the leading domestic contender for the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Keeneland on Nov. 7.

The City of Hope Mile was arguably Mo Forza’s best race, a victory by 1 3/4 lengths in a quick 1:32.09. He earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 106. The time could have been quicker and the margin wider had jockey Flavien Prat urged Mo Forza in the final strides.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Could Mighty Heart’s own stablemate, Belichick, be his main competition when the one-eyed wonder tries to sweep the Canadian Triple Crown in the $400,000 Breeders’ Stakes? We shall see.

Trainer Josie Carroll said Queen’s Plate winner Mighty Heart exited his Sept. 29 Prince of Wales Stakes score on the Fort Erie dirt in good order and is on target for the Breeders’, a 1 1/2-mile turf event at Woodbine on Oct. 24.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Trainer Chad Brown said he would more likely choose the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile over the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint for Complexity, the 2 1/4-length victor of Saturday’s Grade 2, $150,000 Kelso Handicap.

Brown said he is not concerned about running Complexity two turns in the Dirt Mile, which will be held Nov. 7 at Keeneland. The only previous time Complexity raced around two turns was in the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, in which he finished 10th. Brown noted that Complexity came out of the race with sore shins.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Trainer Christophe Clement said he will wait a week or 10 days before deciding whether to point Gufo to the $4 million Breeders’ Cup Turf at Keeneland on Nov. 7 or wait for a race like the Grade 1, $300,000 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar on Nov. 28.

ELMONT, N.Y. - After winning two graded stakes on Saturday’s Belmont Park card, Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott turned his attention to next Saturday’s program when he will take a swing at winning arguably the most prestigious race of the Belmont fall meet.

In his final workout for Saturday’s Grade 1, $250,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup, Tacitus worked a half-mile in 47.60 seconds over the Belmont main track.

BALTIMORE – Skeptics may have thought Robby Albarado had something to prove when he threw a leg over Swiss Skydiver before the Preakness Stakes on Saturday at Pimlico. But the 47-year-old jockey harbored an inner confidence that couldn’t be shaken.

“I never questioned myself,” Albarado said Sunday afternoon before leaving Baltimore.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Abel Cedillo rode Hot Rod Charlie to a neck win over Parnelli in Friday’s third race at Santa Anita, a maiden special weight race at a mile for 2-year-olds that could produce a few runners for important stakes in coming months.

For a rider successful on a promising colt, Cedillo was not in a particularly bright mood while walking to the jockeys’ room.

BALTIMORE – With a mere $12,561 in the win pool, here are the odds for the Preakness following advance wagering on Friday:

1-Excession, 80-1
2-Mr. Big News, 18-1
3-Art Collector, 4-5
4-Swiss Skydiver, 16-1
5-Thousand Words, 5-1
6-Jesus’ Team, 30-1
7-Ny Traffic, 35-1
8-Max Player, 25-1
9-Authentic, 5-1
10-Pneumatic, 17-1
11-Liveyourbeastlife, 50-1
(Win handle, $12,561)