Fair Grounds on Wednesday announced it was raising purses for the remainder of the 2018-19 meet, which ends March 24. Maiden and allowance-race purses will be increased by $2,000, according to a news release, and all other races will have their purses boosted $1,000. The release attributed the increase to “stronger parimutuel handle as well as an increase in gaming revenue throughout the racing season.” Fair Grounds also operates a slot-machine casino attached to the racetrack as well as video poker parlors in the region.

Steve Asmussen’s stable at Fair Grounds is having a strong meet in New Orleans while sending horses out to successes at other tracks in the region – horses such as Midnight Bisou, who won the Houston Ladies Classic on Sunday. And from the look of recent Fair Grounds workout tabs, there is more to come.

Asmussen has gotten Limonite, most recently third Nov. 24 in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes, onto a regular breeze pattern and hopes to make the Risen Star Stakes on Feb. 16.

Owner-breeder Chuck Fipke and trainer Dallas Stewart are headed back to Dubai.

A year after the mare Forever Unbridled finished fifth making her career finale in the $12 million Dubai World Cup, Stewart and Fipke plan to run Seeking the Soul in the 2019 World Cup on March 30.

“We got our invitation today,” Stewart said Wednesday. “The horse is happy and healthy. We’re excited to be going.”

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The streaking Mr. Buff could make his next start in the Grade 2, $400,000 New Orleans Handicap on March 23, trainer John Kimmel said Wednesday.

The New Orleans Handicap is run at 1 1/8 miles around two turns, and Mr. Buff is 5 for 5 in such races, including a 5 1/4-length victory in last Saturday’s Jazil Stakes at Aqueduct for which he earned a 101 Beyer Speed Figure. The Jazil was Mr. Buff’s fourth consecutive victory, all in 1 1/8-mile races at Aqueduct.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – With Our Braintrust no longer in his care, trainer Cal Lynch will not have a starter in Saturday’s $250,000 Withers Stakes. However, the Maryland-based conditioner plans to be in action Sunday at Aqueduct, when he starts Discreet Sister in the $100,000 Busanda Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.

Discreet Sister, a daughter of Discreet Cat, is coming off a first-level allowance win on Dec. 16 at Laurel. She was equipped with blinkers that day, but Lynch believes stretching out from six furlongs to a mile was key.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Rudy Rodriguez hopes all the talk about Brady this weekend won’t be limited to the Super Bowl.

On Saturday, Rodriguez will send out Not That Brady against six rivals in the Grade 3, $250,000 Withers Stakes at Aqueduct. At 1 1/8 miles, the Withers should be a good measure of a horse’s ability to get a distance of ground and whether or not to continue down the path to the Kentucky Derby, at 1 1/4 miles. The Withers offers 17 Derby qualifying points to its top four finishers (10-4-2-1).

Bigger Picture has stakes options at Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita after winning the Grade 3, $200,000 John B. Connally Turf Cup at Sam Houston Race Park for the third straight time Sunday. He shuttled home by 3 1/2 lengths and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 98.

“He ran super,” trainer Mike Maker said. “He never ceases to amaze me.”

ARCADIA, Calif. – With a forecast of significant rain this weekend, Santa Anita officials have postponed two turf stakes scheduled for Saturday and Sunday to the Feb. 9 program.

The Grade 2 San Marcos Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on Saturday and $75,000 Baffle Stakes for 3-year-olds on the hillside turf course on Sunday have been moved back a week. Rain is expected daily from Thursday through Sunday.

“With an extra week, they tell me we can have full fields,” said Tim Ritvo, chief operating officer of Santa Anita’s parent company, The Stronach Group.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Game Winner, the undefeated champion 2-year-old male of 2018, worked five furlongs in 1:03.40 on Wednesday at Santa Anita for a scheduled 3-year-old debut in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes on March 9.

Trainer Bob Baffert timed Game Winner in a slightly faster 1:03.

“He went easy,” Baffert said. “He went off a little slow. He’s pretty ready. He didn’t lose much condition.”

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Antonio Sano said he is undeterred by the sixth-place finish by Gunnevera in the Pegasus World Cup last Saturday and that the March 30 Dubai World Cup will be next for the 5-year-old horse.

Gunnevera had a spot of traffic trouble around the three-eighths pole but otherwise had no excuses when finishing 13 lengths behind City of Light.