Nine months into his American career, jockey Umberto Rispoli is positioned to win the riding title at the Santa Anita autumn meeting, which begins on Friday, if he can get past his friend and rival Flavien Prat.

At the Del Mar summer meeting, which ended earlier this month, Prat was leading rider with 50 wins, one more than Rispoli.

“If you had said before the meeting that I would have almost 50 winners, I wouldn’t believe it,” Rispoli said on Wednesday. “I was looking for the big races and a nice meeting.”

ELMONT, N.Y. – As expected, Saturday’s Grade 2, $150,000 Vosburgh Stakes took on a dramatically different look following the announcement Monday that Volatile, the premier sprinter in the country, was retired due to a hairline fracture of his right front cannon bone.

Trainer Brad Cox will attempt to win the Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby for the second year in a row Sunday when he sends out Shared Sense as the probable favorite in the most prestigious race at Remington Park.

Cox won last year’s Oklahoma Derby with Owendale.

Shared Sense became a stakes winner in July in the Grade 3 Indiana Derby. He races for his breeder, Godolphin.

“He’s doing well,” said Cox, who has given the mount to Richard Eramia.

The 6-year-old Illinois-bred, Michele Boyce-trained Blue Sky Kowboy ran the best race of his life, at least according to the Beyer Speed Figure scale, in a sharp Polytrack allowance score Sept. 12 at Arlington Park. Friday, in the featured first race at Arlington, the 6-year-old Illinois-bred, Boyce-trained Devileye gets his turn at the races.

A 2-year-old filly named Coach, by Commissioner, won a Sept. 15 allowance race at Indiana Grand by nearly 10 lengths and is now 2 for 2. She earned a 72 Beyer, and since Brad Cox, winner of two Kentucky Oaks in the last three years, trains her, Coach bears watching.

:: Want to get your Past Performances for free? Click to learn more.

During the summer of 2019 at Arlington Park, a 2-year-old Bob Lothenbach homebred filly trained by Chris Block, Mom’s Red Lipstick, followed a debut win with a victory in the Arlington-Washington Lassie. There is no Lassie this year – nor any another stakes race at Arlington – so Charlie’s Penny can’t follow exactly the same path, but Mom’s Red Lipstick’s full sister shined in her career debut Sept. 17 at Arlington.

Flat Out Speed is a filly with opinions. People, with a few exceptions, aren’t worth her time. Running faster than other horses is.

Gulfstream Park stakes winner Hot Blooded is making a bid for the Breeders’ Cup.

Trainer Carlos David said the 2-year-old is being considered for a start in either the Grade 2, $200,000 Bourbon on Oct. 4 at Keeneland or the Grade 3, $100,000 Futurity on Oct. 11 at Belmont Park.

:: Start earning weekly cashback on your wagering today. Click to learn more.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Dale Romans can well remember when Pat Byrne swept the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Juvenile Fillies in 1997 at Hollywood Park with Favorite Trick and Countess Diana.

“I’d love to do that at Keeneland this fall,” said Romans.

Toward that end, Romans will have Sittin On Go and Girl Daddy making their respective next starts in the Nov. 6 BC Juvenile and Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland. Both are slated for their first breezes Saturday at Churchill since accounting for their own sweep of the Iroquois and Pocahontas during Kentucky Derby week.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Mr. Money is in agreement with anybody who says 2020 has been a lousy year.

As opposed to 2019, when the colt won four Grade 3 stakes in a row and earned $1,136,820, this has been a difficult year for Mr. Money. In four starts, he has finished no better than fourth, with his 2020 earnings a mere $15,550.

“Maybe he doesn’t like dealing with this COVID stuff, either,” joked trainer Bret Calhoun.