Rockefeller, the winner of the Grade 3 Nashua Stakes at Aqueduct on Nov. 7, and Mackinnon, third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar on Nov. 5, are part of an expected small field in Saturday’s Grade 3 Sham Stakes at Santa Anita.

The $100,000 Sham Stakes at a mile is the first race for 3-year-olds at the track’s winter spring meeting. The 3-year-old series leads to the Grade 1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby on April 9.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – On New Year’s Day 2020, trainer Michael Trombetta won the Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct with a 3-year-old son of Constitution named Independence Hall. On New Year’s Day 2022, Trombetta try to pen some more Jerome history in the 152nd running of the race with another 3-year-old son of Constitution, named Mr Jefferson.

Listed, $98,000 Gun Runner Stakes, Fair Grounds, Dec. 26, 2021
(10 Derby qualifying points for first, 4 for second, 2 for third, 1 for fourth)

Winner: Epicenter, by Not This Time
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Jockey: Brian Hernandez Jr.
Owner: Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC
Beyer Speed Figure: 87

ARCADIA, Calif. – Seven of the last 10 horses to finish first in the Kentucky Derby spent the bulk of their winter racing or training at Santa Anita, and this year’s crop of locally based Derby prospects offers similar possibilities, with a deep group underscored by uncertainty of the plans for some of the marquee names.

Listed, $401,200 Springboard Mile, one mile, Remington Park, Dec. 17, 2021
(10 Derby qualifying points for first, 4 for second, 0 for third, 0 for fourth)

Winner: Make It Big, by Neolithic
Trainer: Saffie Joseph Jr.
Jockey: Jose Ortiz
Owner: Red Oak Stable
Beyer Speed Figure: 84

Grade 2, $300,000 Los Alamitos Futurity, 1 1/16 miles, Los Alamitos, Dec. 11, 2021
(10 Derby qualifying points for first, 0 for second, 0 for third, 1 for fourth)

Winner: Slow Down Andy, by Nyquist
Trainer: Doug O’Neill
Jockey: Mario Gutierrez
Owner: Reddam Racing LLC
Beyer Speed Figure: 85

Pappacap found favored Corniche too much to handle in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, though he finished a strong second at Del Mar capping a successful 2-year-old season.

Pappacap went from California to Casse Farm in Florida following his Breeders’ Cup runner-up performance, and trainer Mark Casse said Thursday that plans call for Pappacap to begin his 3-year-old campaign in New Orleans in the $200,000 Lecomte Stakes on Jan. 22.

Grade 2, $250,000 Remsen Stakes, 1 1/8 miles, Aqueduct, Dec. 4, 2021
(10 Derby qualifying points for first, 4 for second, 2 for third, 1 for fourth)

Winner: Mo Donegal, by Uncle Mo
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.
Owner: Donegal Racing
Beyer Speed Figure: 89

The attorney for Bob Baffert said in a statement released late Friday that elements in the urine analysis of Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit conformed with the administration of the drug betamethasone in a skin ointment, solidifying a line of argument Baffert’s defense will use when attempting to get the positive thrown out.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Corniche, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner and the leading candidate to be named the Eclipse Award winner as champion 2-year-old male, has been sent to WinStar Farm in Kentucky for a brief freshening, but the plan is for him to return to trainer Bob Baffert, said Marette Farrell, who purchased the colt for owners Speedway Stable.