NEW ORLEANS – Greg Tramontin has purchased a half-interest in undefeated Louisiana-bred 3-year-old No Parole from owner Maggi Moss. No Parole will stay in the barn of trainer Tom Amoss, who said there’s not a set plan for the colt’s next start.

NEW ORLEANS – Serengeti Empress zipped a half-mile in 47.40 seconds, fastest of 75 works at the distance Friday morning at Fair Grounds, in her first work since she finished second to Lady Apple in the Houston Ladies Classic on Jan. 26 while making her 4-year-old debut. Serengeti Empress won the 2019 Kentucky Oaks, finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff in November, and remains on course to race March 14 at Oaklawn Park in the $350,000 Azeri Stakes, said Tom Amoss, who trains the filly for Joel Politi.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The Maryland-based trainer Horacio DePaz has brought a small string of horses – all New York breds – to Belmont where he hopes to expand his presence as the year moves along.

Amundson, a gelding by Curlin, is the best of the quartet for DePaz. A two-time allowance winner at Belmont in the fall, Amundson was entered Friday for Monday’s $100,000 Hollie Hughes Stakes for New York-breds at six furlongs.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Gary Sciacca is enjoying a successful winter in New York, one that could get even better when he sends out a pair of runners in Sunday’s $100,000 Gander Stakes for New York-bred 3-year-olds at Aqueduct.

Sciacca has a record of 7-6-7 from 42 starters through the first half of the meet, his seven wins putting him in the top 10 among trainers at the winter session.

“Better horses,” Sciacca said about why things are going so well. “We’re nothing without them.”

ARCADIA, Calif. – Less than two months after his arrival from Hong Kong, jockey Umberto Rispoli has been the surprise of the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting. Through Feb. 9, Rispoli had cracked the top five in the overall standings with 14 winners and led all riders with 13 wins on turf.

Rispoli, a 31-year-old native of Italy, had his first American stakes win with Billy Batts in the $84,750 Baffle Stakes on Feb. 7, the second of three days at the meeting in which he has won two races.

Trainer Coty Davidson was killed early Friday in central Florida in a single-vehicle wreck in which his passenger, jockey Megan Fadlovich, was reported to be seriously injured.

According to The Gainesville Sun, Davidson was driving southbound on Interstate 75 just north of Ocala when the crash occurred shortly after midnight. Davidson, 33, died after falling 40 feet from an overpass when apparently attempting to check on Fadlovich, 30, who had been ejected from the vehicle in the crash and had fallen over the same overpass.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Breeders’ Cup Sprint runner-up Shancelot will not make his 2020 debut in the $1.5 million Saudi Sprint in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 29 as originally planned, trainer Jorge Navarro confirmed on Friday.

“He came up with a setback, nothing serious,” said Navarro. “Knowing the horse, there’s just something I’m not comfortable with and you need to be 110 percent to go to that place and then travel to Dubai afterwards.”

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Patrick Biancone mimed a French adage that roughly translates into “It’s a long way from the cup to the lips” when acknowledging just how much time exists between now and the 146th Kentucky Derby.

“De la coupe aux levres,” a smiling Biancone said while taking an imaginary drink.

His point is well taken. With 11 weeks to the May 2 Derby, Biancone is the trainer of a couple of live contenders, Sole Volante and Ete Indien, both of whom have been ridden in most of their races by Luca Panici.

The broodmare Drumette has produced four foals to race who have won a combined six of 51 starts with earnings of about $290,000. Her other foal to race, however, is called Monomoy Girl, and she won five Grade 1 races, including the Kentucky Oaks and the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, during an epic 2018 campaign that made her champion 3-year-old filly.

So, when the connections of the colt foaled in 2017 by Drumette chose a name, they picked one with a burden, calling this son of Palace Malice Mr. Monomoy.

NEW ORLEANS – A filly who required five tries to clear the maiden ranks and has one win from six races coming into the second start of her 3-year-old season isn’t really supposed to be a serious threat in a spot like Saturday’s Grade 3, $300,000 Rachel Alexandra Stakes. Yet Tempers Rising almost certainly is more qualified to contend here Saturday than her record might suggest.