ARCADIA, Calif. – A week after she finished last of seven in the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes on turf at Santa Anita, Mopotism will be back on the main track in Saturday’s Grade 1, $400,000 Beholder Mile.

The surface switch has dictated the quick turnaround, trainer Doug O’Neill said.

“She never cared for the grass at all,” O’Neill said.

Ridden by Mario Gutierrez, Mopotism was as close as fourth on the turn of the Gamely Stakes at 1 1/8 miles before fading to finish 7 1/4 lengths behind race winner Sophie P.

Racing will switch back to Laurel Park on Friday following an almost four-week break to make room for the Preakness mini-meet at Pimlico.

With the exception of a 19-day recess when racing moves to Timonium in late August, Laurel will host nonstop racing until next year’s Pimlico stand starts in May.

The 40-day Laurel meet will race Fridays, Saturday, and Sundays to July 22. Thursdays will then be added until meet concludes on Aug. 19.

Imperial Hint has bounced back from his sixth-place finish in the Grade 2 Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby Day and turned in a sharp work at his home base of Parx on May 25. He is scheduled to work again this week and then run in the Grade 2 True North at Belmont Park next Friday.

Trainer Luis Carvajal Jr. considered both the $250,000 True North and the $75,000 Mr. Prospector at Monmouth Park as potential races for Imperial Hint, but settled on the more ambitious spot.

“His coat is all dappled out,” Carvajal said. “He’s doing really good.”

California horseman Simon Callaghan is planning a two-pronged assault on the East Coast the next two weekends.

On Wednesday, he sent the turf runners Encumbered and Treasuring east on a charter flight to compete at Penn National on Saturday.

Callaghan also has a pair of runners for the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. He plans to start two-time Grade 1 winner American Gal in the seven-furlong Bed o’ Roses on June 8 and Moonshine Memories in the Grade 1 Acorn the next day on the Belmont Stakes undercard.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – If trainer Bob Baffert had his way, what remains of the time between the Preakness and Belmont Stakes would quickly vanish. Justify looked so good in his first post-Preakness breeze Tuesday at Churchill Downs that Baffert started talking about running the superstar colt back as soon as possible.

“I wish the race was this week,” Baffert said with a smile, “but, you know, we’ve got another week to go. I think we’re in great shape.”

ARCADIA, Calif. – Rye, the winner of the $200,345 California Cup Turf Classic in January, will be given a summertime rest after finishing last of 11 in the Crystal Water Stakes for statebred turf milers at Santa Anita on May 20.

“We’ll give him between 30 to 60 days and regroup,” trainer William Morey said. “It probably cancels Del Mar at this point. We’ll take it month by month.”

ARCADIA, Calif. – Belvoir Bay, the winner of three consecutive turf sprint stakes at Santa Anita this spring, including Monday’s Grade 2 Monrovia Stakes, is bound for Canada for her next start.

Barry Irwin, the chief executive of the Team Valor International partnership, which owns the mare with Gary Barber, said on Wednesday that Belvoir Bay will be considered for the Grade 1 Highlander Stakes against males at six furlongs on turf at Woodbine on June 30.

ARCADIA, Calif. – The upset win by Hunt in Monday’s Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita is likely to alter goals for the 7-year-old gelding for the rest of the year.

With the win, Hunt earned an automatic berth in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Churchill Downs on Nov. 3, a race that is expected to become a goal rather than stakes at longer distances. Last year, Hunt won the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap at 1 3/8 miles and was later 13th in the BC Turf at 1 1/2 miles at Del Mar.

“We may switch gears this year,” trainer Phil D’Amato said.

The rainy weather that plagued South Florida in the past week obviously had a major impact on Monday’s $60,000 Home of the Brave Handicap, won by the 28-1 Millionaire Runner, who drew off by seven lengths under jockey Luis Reyes for trainer Jaime Mejia.

The Home of the Brave, restricted to horses who had started for a claiming price, was originally carded for 1 1/2 miles on turf and had attracted a dozen potential starters. The race was shifted to a “good” main track due to the weather, resulting in four scratches, and was shortened to 1 1/4 miles.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Al Stall Jr. didn’t know who was more impressive last weekend: Minit to Stardom, who stayed unbeaten in three starts Sunday at Churchill, or the filly’s owner, Evelyn Benoit.

Benoit made a 12-hour drive to be here to see Minit to Stardom win a first-level allowance by 6 1/4 lengths, earning a career-high 92 Beyer Speed Figure. On Saturday night, Benoit had been at Evangeline Downs in Opelousas, La., to see two of her horses, Mr. Al’s Gal and Testing One Two, win stakes on the Louisiana Legends card.