Some racing fans and bettors bemoan the modern practice of limiting Thoroughbreds’ starts, training and training with one race in mind and restricting a horse to a minimal number of races per year.

These folks have no beef with Mark Casse.

Casse believes in running his horses, not sitting on them, and the six starts Enforceable made as a 2-year-old laid the foundation for his 3-year-old debut Saturday at Fair Grounds, where he won the Lecomte Stakes by 1 1/2 lengths to push onto the Triple Crown trail.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Montauk Traffic, a 4 1/2-length maiden winner here Dec. 28, worked five furlongs in 1:01.66 on Wednesday morning and could be a candidate for either the Grade 2, $250,000 Withers Stakes on Feb. 1 or the $100,000 Jimmy Winkfield Stakes on Feb. 8.

Montauk Traffic worked in company with Devil’s Code, galloping out six furlongs in 1:14.51 while leaving his company.

Although nobody wins a Derby the first week of January, interest was keen for a pair of 3-year-old stakes last Saturday at Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park, races run under dissimilar conditions.

Aside from both races restricted by age, both at one mile and won by the favorite, comparing the Grade 3 Sham at Santa Anita and $100,000 Mucho Macho Man at Gulfstream Park was apples and oranges.

Listed, $150,000 Jerome Stakes, one mile, Aqueduct, Jan. 1, 2020

(10 Derby qualifying points for a win, 3 each for the dead-heat for second, 1 for fourth)

Winner: Independence Hall, by Constitution

Trainer: Michael Trombetta

Jockey: Jose Ortiz

Owners: Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Kathleen and Robert Verratti, and Twin Creeks Racing

Beyer Speed Figure: 83

OZONE PARK, N.Y. -- There was more a sense of relief than revelry from the connections of Independence Hall after their excitable colt made a successful, albeit nerve-wracking, 3-year-old debut in Wednesday’s $150,000 Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct.

Despite acting up in the paddock to the point where he was saddled on the walking ring and then breaking last, Independence Hall proved too classy for his five rivals, recording a four-length victory in the Jerome to remain undefeated in three starts while earning 10 qualifying points to the May 2 Kentucky Derby.

ARCADIA, Calif. – An unspecified setback has knocked the exciting 3-year-old Honor A. P. out of the Grade 3 Sham Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita.

John Shirreffs trains Honor A. P., expected to start as the favorite in the one-mile Sham based on his dazzling maiden victory during the autumn meet. However, after training on Tuesday at Santa Anita, Honor A. P. showed signs of something being amiss.

“He came off the track and after he cooled out, he was off,” Shirreffs said early Wednesday morning. “We did X-rays, and the X-rays were okay. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

ARCADIA, Calif. – Storm the Court’s comeback planned for February at Santa Anita is likely to be postponed, and the forecast of rain Dec. 23-27 could push the 2020 debut for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner into March.

Trainer Peter Eurton initially planned for Storm the Court to resume workouts in the middle of December, but weather and temporary closure of the Santa Anita track for renovation produced unexpected challenges.

Listed, $400,000 Remington Springboard Mile, one mile, Remington, Dec. 15, 2019

Grade 2, $250,000 Remsen Stakes, 1 1/8 miles, Aqueduct, Dec. 7, 2019

 (10 Derby qualifying points for a win, 4 for second, 2 for third, 1 for fourth)

Winner: Shotski, by Blame

Trainer: Jeremiah O’Dwyer

Jockey: Luis Saez

Owner: Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber, Gary Pantofel Stable, and Mike Karty

Beyer Speed Figure: 86

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The mutuel field, the 24th or “all others” option, closed as usual as a decisive favorite in Pool 1 of the 2020 Kentucky Derby Future Wager, which closed Sunday at 6 p.m. Eastern after a four-day wagering window.

With $284,317 in the win pool, the field (No. 24) closed at even-money and was followed by Tiz the Law (11-1), Dennis’ Moment (12-1), Independence Hall (13-1), and Maxfield (13-1), with all other separately listed horses at 24-1 or higher. “Any filly,” offered as No. 23, closed at 57-1.