HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. –Boys At Tosconova may be trainer Richard Dutrow Jr.’s top Kentucky Derby prospect at this time. But he’s not the only promising 3-year-old in the barn.

Those looking for a sleeper on the Derby trail might want to consider Rocking Out – a son of Include who registered an impressive maiden victory in his only start at 2 – especially after the way the inexperienced colt handled himself here Friday morning against no less a workmate than the multiple Grade 2 winner D’ Funnybone.

ARCADIA, Calif. – J P’s Gusto, the winner of four sprint stakes and one of the leading 2-year-olds in California last year, will be transferred from trainer David Hofmans to Joe Petalino in Arkansas in coming days, the trainers said on Friday.

The fastest 3-year-old in California is off the Santa Anita Derby list. The Factor set a track record Dec. 26, when he ran six furlongs in 1:06.98, but the Baffert-trained colt did not have a published work for at least three weeks following a five-furlong breeze Jan. 9. A recent comment by Baffert regarding The Factor and the Kentucky Derby suggested the colt may point in a different direction.

Banjammer missed winning the six-furlong Turfway Prevue by an inch or two, but the colt will have an extra quarter-mile to make up for that tough defeat when he returns Saturday night to Turfway as one of the favorites for the $50,000 WEBN Stakes.

“He galloped out so strong after that race, I think he’ll love going a mile Saturday,” said Eric Reed, who trains the homebred Candy Ride colt for Ken and Resia Ayres. “Obviously, distance is a major question for us, but I think it’ll favor us.”

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Gary Contessa doesn’t feel the same kind of pressure entering this year’s Whirlaway Stakes as he did last year.

A year ago, Contessa watched in horror as his 1-4 favorite Eightyfiveinafifty bore out entering the first turn of the 1 1/16-mile race, unseated jockey Jorge Chavez, crashed through two fences, and ran loose through the Aqueduct barn area. Save for a few nasty cuts, Eightyfiveinafifty was generally okay and would eventually go on to win the Grade 3 Bay Shore Stakes.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – J W Blue has emerged as the newest candidate for the 3-year-old stakes program at Oaklawn Park after closing from last to win a 1 1/16-mile allowance on Saturday.

“We sent J W Blue to Oaklawn in hope that he was a 3-year-old of quality enough to make it on the Derby trail,” said Tony Dutrow, who trains the horse. “So, we’re hoping he’s on his way.”

Dutrow said J W Blue is now targeting one of two local preps for the Arkansas Derby, either the Grade 3, $250,000 Southwest on Feb. 21, or the Grade 2, $300,000 Rebel on March 19.

ARCADIA, Calif. – There are Christmas decorations going up these days before Thanksgiving, and Christmas specials on the air by Veterans Day. Don’t deny it. You’ve seen them. You may even condone their existence. And while such trends do not signal that the apocalypse is upon us, it is definitely getting closer.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – The time off that trainer Tim Ritchey gave Elite Alex to grow into his large frame appears to be working in the horse’s favor this winter at Oaklawn Park. Elite Alex turned in a notable breeze over the weekend and remains on pace to make his stakes debut in the Grade 3, $250,000 Southwest on Feb. 21.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Rick Violette understands why some may question his sanity wanting to travel from south Florida to New York at this time of year. Heck, even he’s doing it.

“Obviously, I have no brain cells if I’m trying to come up there,” Violette, whose Wednesday JetBlue flight from Florida to New York was canceled, said by phone from the Palm Meadows training center.

Machen, probably the most exciting 3-year-old prospect in New Orleans, made a successful transition from sprinting to routing when he won an entry-level allowance race Sunday. Now it’s time to see how Machen will stack up against stakes opponents, something he could try as soon as the Feb. 19 Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds.

“If everything goes well we are leaning toward the Risen Star,” trainer Neil Howard said Tuesday morning.