Sky Promise has likely put himself in the running for a Sovereign Award by becoming the first horse to sweep Western Canada’s three major derbies this past August and September. His next move comes Wednesday in New Mexico, where he goes for his fourth straight stakes win in the $250,000 Zia Park Derby.

The Zia Derby anchors the $1 million Land of Enchantment program. The 10-race card features seven stakes for Thoroughbreds and includes the $250,000 Zia Park Oaks and the $150,000 Zia Park Championship. 

Trainer Joe Sharp came within four wins of the 2017-18 training title at Fair Grounds, and he thinks he has a better stable to attack with this season than last.

“It’s gonna come down to racing luck, of course, but as far as horsepower goes, we’re definitely a little heavier this year,” Sharp said late Thursday afternoon.

It’s not like trainer Gary Scherer is running the whole barn this week. Though, to be fair, he is pouring out basically all the cream in his winter crop in a matter of four days.

On Thursday, Scherer won the $50,000 Tom Benson Memorial Stakes at Fair Grounds with Remember Daisy. On Friday, he was to run Morning Mischief in the $50,000 Mr. Sulu Stakes at Fair Grounds. On Saturday, Brother Richie is in the $100,000 Louisiana Legacy at Delta. And in the Sunday feature at Fair Grounds, Scherer has the promising Shakopee Town, one of the favorites in the $50,000 Happy Ticket Stakes.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Craig Dollase has had two starters through the first seven days of the meet at Del Mar, but things will heat up in a hurry for the trainer on Sunday, when he sends out four runners, including Brandothebartender in the featured $100,000 Cary Grant Stakes for older California-bred sprinters.

Brandothebartender was claimed for $40,000 in August, and already the partnership that owns him is in the black, courtesy of a victory in the California Flag on the downhill turf course at Santa Anita last month.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – A record 346 horses have been nominated to the nine Claiming Crown races set for opening day of the 2018-19 Gulfstream Park championship meet on Dec. 1, including World of Trouble, who narrowly lost the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint this month.

Trainer Jason Servis nominated World of Trouble to both the $110,000 Canberbury (five furlongs on turf) and the main event, the $200,000 Jewel (at 1 1/8 miles on dirt).

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The undefeated Kukulkan, the marquee name for the Clasico del Caribe Internacional card on Dec. 8 at Gulfstream Park, made his first local appearance Friday, jogging briefly during the special quarantine session here shortly after 10 a.m. Eastern.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – It’s not just the near-miss in the Fayette Stakes that will make Prime Attraction a major consideration in the Clark Handicap next Friday at Churchill Downs.

It’s also that his longtime nemesis on their home California circuit, Accelerate, furthered his dominance on an international scale by winning the Nov. 3 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill.

Lou Villasenor, a popular member of Santa Anita's television department for more than 30 years, died on Thursday morning from an apparent heart attack, leaving a void and many broken hearts at the track where he first began working as a marketing aide in the early 1980s while in high school.

Aqueduct canceled its final three races Thursday due to accumulating snow on the racetrack.

The first six races of the card were run under snowy conditions and deteriorating visibility with the racing surface covered with snow. In race 6, the 6-5 favorite Azm had an awkward start from the gate.

Heavy snow was forecast to continue throughout the afternoon.

The $2 daily double on races 6 and 7 paid $4.30, with Merger Arbitrage (No. 8) in race six and all runners in the seventh.

Jockey Martin Garcia has been diagnosed with a separated shoulder and will miss one to two months, his agent, Thom Mitchell, said Thursday morning.

“He’s been having trouble with it. He went to see the doctor yesterday, and they said it was a separated shoulder,” Mitchell said. “He’ll be out one to two months. He’s been riding in pain. He’ll stop and get healthy.”

Garcia, 34, missed significant time this fall after being injured in a training accident at Santa Anita in late September. He has 26 wins from 232 mounts this year. His most recent mounts were Monday at Del Mar.