Roddy MacKenzie, an exercise rider for trainer Neil Howard, had surgery last week to repair broken bones after a terrible training accident at Fair Grounds, and despite facing a long road to recovery is progressing as well as could be hoped.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Conspicuous by her absence from the Ladies’ Turf Sprint lineup on the Pegasus World Cup undercard was Girls Know Best, who won the 2018 running and was in ideal position to defend her title after winning the $100,000 Abundantia here Dec. 29.

But the speedy 5-year-old mare has been sidelined by a minor injury, said trainer and co-owner Eddie Kenneally.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Maximus Mischief and Mihos are the expected favorites next Saturday, when the Grade 2, $350,000 Holy Bull Stakes is run as the first of three Kentucky Derby qualifying races at the Gulfstream Park championship meet.

Maximus Mischief, making his first start since winning the Dec. 1 Remsen at Aqueduct for Cash Is King LLC and LC Racing, will put his unbeaten record on the line in the 1 1/16-mile Holy Bull, which is worth Derby points on a 10-4-2-1 scale to the top four finishers.

The Pennsylvania Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association honored the best of Penn National at its annual awards banquet Monday night with Bush Racing Stable recognized as the leading owner by wins in 2018 and for campaigning Persie, who was named the track’s Horse of the Year.

The other honorees were Tim Kreiser, who topped the trainer standings for the fifth straight year; leading jockey Julio Hernandez; and Tom Coulter, who led all owners in purses earned.

On Dec. 29, Alwaysmining won his third race and second stakes in a row. His stock has risen since.

In his most recent effort, Alwaysmining won the seven-furlong Heft Stakes at Laurel Park by 1 1/2 lengths over win Win Win Win, who was six lengths clear of the rest of the field. Last Saturday, Win Win Win improved his record to three wins in four starts by romping to a 7 1/4-length victory in the Pasco Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs.

He earned a 99 Beyer Speed Figure in the Pasco for trainer Mike Trombetta and his owner-breeder Charlotte Weber.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Juan Leyva is a native of California, and the attraction of California brought him back there to begin the current chapter of his career, but it’s been old-home week for him these past few days at Gulfstream Park, where he is renewing acquaintances with those who knew him when he was a jockey on this circuit for 12 years.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Michael McCarthy has done such a good job with both City of Light and Axelrod that the two best horses in his barn last year are leaving for richer opportunities.

City of Light makes the final start of his career Saturday at Gulfstream in the Pegasus World Cup before heading off to stud at Lane’s End. He has won three Grade 1 races and gave McCarthy his first Breeders’ Cup victory in the Dirt Mile in his most-recent start.

Trainer Mike Maker’s Fair Grounds string has struggled through an atypically unproductive meet, but a horse in his barn, Fast and Accurate, can win the featured fifth race Saturday.

Fast and Accurate drew the rail and is one of nine entered in a third-level allowance with an $80,000 claiming option carded for about 1 1/16 miles on turf. Zapperini was cross-entered in a Sunday stakes races at Sam Houston.

Mr. Money had to be scratched from the Lecomte Stakes last Saturday after getting sick the day before, but the colt, fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile making his final start at 2, returned to training Tuesday, trainer Bret Calhoun said Wednesday.

“He’s much better,” Calhoun said. “He missed three days of training. His temperature went back to normal quickly.”

Wynn Time gutted out a third win of the Fair Grounds meet when he captured the Duncan Kenner Stakes on Saturday, but the Illinois-bred gelding is not in peak physical condition and will get some time off, trainer Hugh Robertson said.

Wynn Time went from a productive run last season at Fair Grounds to race competitively in Oaklawn Park stakes races, but Robertson said the gelding will miss Oaklawn this year.

“He’s had three hard races in a row,” Robertson said. “I think I’ll give him some time and run him back in two or three months.”