ARCADIA, Calif. - Lured by the prospect of earning a placing in a major stakes race, the connections of three fillies have decided to tackle favorites Composure and Elloluv in Saturday's $300,000 Santa Anita Oaks.

The prospective field for the Grade 1 Oaks, a leading prep to the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs May 2, is at a whopping five 3-year-old fillies.

Composure and Elloluv are both Grade 1 winners in the last three months. The trainers of Go for Glamour, Harbor Blues, and Long Term Wish are hoping to run third to enhance the value of their young fillies.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Chris McCarron, the Hall of Fame jockey who retired last June, has been appointed general manager of Santa Anita, the track parent's company, Magna Entertainment, announced Wednesday.

McCarron will take his position on March 31. He will assume a title currently held by Jack Liebau, who is also Santa Anita's president. Liebau also serves as president of Magna's two other California tracks - Bay Meadows in San Mateo and Golden Gate Fields in Albany.

McCarron will report to Liebau, the company stated. Liebau was not available for comment.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Saturday's ungraded Stymie Handicap at Aqueduct could be looked upon as a step down for Snake Mountain, who has won three consecutive Grade 3 stakes races.

Following a win in an allowance race in October at Belmont, Snake Mountain went on a tear and won the Stuyvesant, Queens County, and Aqueduct handicaps in succession at Aqueduct. Snake Mountain, a son of A.P. Indy, earned triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures in each of his last four starts.

PORTLAND, Ore. - There is a new hat in the Oregon Derby ring, and it belongs to Cee Cruiser.

Cee Cruiser, an Oregon-bred son of Cee's Tizzy who races for breeder Troy Lange and partner Dan Miller, earned serious consideration for the April 13 Oregon Derby with a breakthrough performance in last Sunday's McFadden Memorial at Portland Meadows.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trainer Todd Pletcher has a lot of important decisions to make in the next 10 days regarding several of his most prominent horses.

In Lion Tamer, Indy Dancer, and Aristocat, Pletcher has a trio of legitimate Kentucky Derby prospects. Initially, his plan was to run Indy Dancer in the $1 million Florida Derby on March 15, Aristocat in the $250,000 Tampa Bay Derby on March 16, and Lion Tamer in Turfway Park's $500,000 Lane's End Stakes on March 22.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Lilah, who has proven competitive against money-condition allowance company in her last two starts, drops into a much softer spot and should be the one to beat in Friday's six-furlong, $38,000 allowance feature for fillies and mares at Gulfstream Park.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Trainer Dan Hendricks has grown tired of sending Rhiana against the leading fillies and mares at Santa Anita.

After watching Rhiana finish second to Printemps in the Paseana Handicap on Jan. 15 and third to Starrer and You in the Grade 1 Santa Maria Handicap on Feb. 16, Hendricks is ducking Sunday's $300,000 Santa Margarita Handicap in favor of a $65,000 allowance race over a mile on turf on Friday.

"I thought it might be a little easier than Sunday's race, but I may be a bad handicapper," said Hendricks, displaying his dry wit.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - There is a pick six carryover of $205,487 at Oaklawn Park on Thursday.

The pick six has not been hit for the past four race days, and the carryover is the largest of the meet.

The bet runs from races 3 through 8.

>>> Get carryover alerts via email with DRF.com's .

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Early in the Oaklawn Park meet trainer Larry Jones was concerned whether Ruby's Reception would make the $75,000 Honeybee for 3-year-old fillies because weather had forced the cancellation of training on a handful of mornings. But the bullet 1:14.60 six furlongs she worked on Sunday has put her in the starting gate for Saturday's Honeybee.

Jess Perfect will make his first start since winning the Grade 2 Sunland Fall Futurity in December in the second of three trials to the Grade 2 West Texas Derby on Friday at Sunland Park.

The 10 fastest qualifiers return for the finals on March 23.

Jess Perfect, owned by Tommy Winters and Edwin Hyslop, won the Sunland Fall Futurity by a neck in 19.61 seconds for the 400 yards, the same distance as Friday's derby trials.