ARCADIA, Calif. – Billy Batts has made his mark on turf in his young career, finishing second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf last November and winning the Baffle Stakes at Santa Anita on Friday in his 3-year-old debut.

For his next start, Billy Batts will race on dirt on the other side of the world. Trainer Peter Miller confirmed on Sunday that Billy Batts will be sent to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the $800,000 Saudi Derby at a mile on Feb. 29.

“He’s trained well on it,” Miller said. “We’ve got 800,000 reasons to try it.”

ARCADIA, Calif. – Chris Merz, the racing secretary at Laurel and Pimlico since the summer of 2018, is rejoining the Santa Anita racing office as director of racing.

Merz, who worked at Santa Anita as stakes coordinator as recently as the spring of 2018, will begin Saturday and will assist racing secretary Steve Lym.

Sunday, Lym said Merz’s primary responsibility will be to compile entries on a daily basis and assist him with the writing of condition books that detail proposed races several weeks in advance.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Venetian Harbor cruised to an easy win in Saturday’s Grade 2 Las Virgenes Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Sana Anita despite losing a front shoe in the race.

Trainer Richard Baltas said he was unsure when Venetian Harbor jettisoned the shoe, but said the incident was not a concern on Sunday morning.

“You worry about that when it happens,” Baltas said. “Her feet are cold and she jogged sound.”

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Mr. Buff, dominant winner of the Jazil Stakes in his most recent start, will make his next start in the $100,000 Bernardini Stakes here on Feb. 29, trainer John Kimmel said Sunday.

The Bernardini is run at 1 5/16 miles.

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OZONE PARK, N.Y. – New York-based runners Wicked Trick and Firenze Fire both put in workouts Sunday morning at Belmont Park in preparation for a start in Saturday’s Grade 3, $250,000 General George Stakes at Laurel Park.

Wicked Trick, who has reeled off six consecutive victories, worked five furlongs in 1:01.90 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:14.08.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Following a solid workout Sunday morning at Belmont Park, Joevia was confirmed as a starter for the Grade 3, $500,000 Razorback Stakes at Oaklawn Park on Feb. 17, trainer Gregg Sacco said.

In the Razorback, Joevia will be returning to stakes company for the first time since he finished third in last year’s Belmont Stakes. On Jan. 17, Joevia came off a 223-day layoff to win a second-level allowance race at Aqueduct.

Midnight Bisou worked five furlongs in 1:00.20, second-fastest of 52 works at the distance Sunday morning at Fair Grounds and remains on track to start Feb. 29 in the $20 million Saudi Cup. The champion older female of 2019 has been breezing steadily here in New Orleans since December, the only hiccup whatsover in her Saudi Cup preparation a period of very wet weather that led to a 10-day gap between works. 

OLDSMAR, Fla. – Sole Volante could run back in the Tampa Bay Derby after breaking through as Kentucky Derby candidate Saturday in winning the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs.

Twenty-three horses were entered Saturday in the Grade 2, $400,000 Risen Star Stakes – and so there will be two Grade 2, $400,000 Risen Star Stakes next Saturday at Fair Grounds.

A purse hike to $1 million for the New York Stakes, and the first stakes for 2-year-olds mandated to be run Lasix-free are among the changes to the Belmont Park 2020 stakes schedule released Saturday by the New York Racing Association.

NYRA will offer 58 stakes worth $18.65 million during the 51-Belmont spring/summer meet, which runs April 24 through July 12.