HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – The record rainfall during the early part of Oaklawn Park’s meet has hardly dampened wagering. Average daily handle from all sources is up 12 percent over the first half of the meet a year ago, according to figures Oaklawn provided at the request of Daily Racing Form.

The first half of the Oaklawn meet ran 27 dates from Jan. 12 through Feb. 25. During that period the track handled an average of $3,342,675 a day from all sources. A year ago, average daily handle during the first half of the meet was $2,972,256.

Monomoy Girl, who was joined atop the heap of Kentucky Oaks hopefuls this week by Midnight Bisou and Fly So High, had her first work since an impressive win in the Feb. 17 Rachel Alexandra Stakes when she went a half-mile in 49.80 seconds Sunday.

“She breezed fantastic,” said trainer Brad Cox, who has been pleased with the way Monomoy Girl came back from her 3-year-old debut in the Rachel Alexandra.

Cox reiterated that the plan with Monomoy Girl is to pass the Fair Grounds Oaks and race instead in the Grade 1 Ashland at Keeneland.

A number of the better horses in trainer Mark Casse’s Fair Grounds string will be making their next starts outside New Orleans, in places as distant as Dubai.

The only travel the promising 3-year-old Telekinesis has scheduled for his next start is a walk out of his stall, across the Fair Grounds backstretch, around the main track, through the tunnel into the paddock and back out again.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Joe Rocco Jr. has picked up the mount on Highway Star when the multiple graded stakes-winning New York-bred mare makes her 5-year-old debut in Saturday’s $150,000 Heavenly Prize Invitational at Aqueduct.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Trainer Ron Ellis is in the process of reforming his stable after serving a 60-day suspension earlier this year for a medication violation from 2016.

Ellis was reinstated last Friday and was in the stables Sunday morning.

“I’m working on getting some stalls,” he said. “We’ll see how many they give me.”

Ellis was suspended after Masochistic tested positive for the steroid stanozolol when second in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Santa Anita in 2016. In California, steroids are not allowed to appear in post-race tests.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Ken Decker and owner Fred Brei suffered two tough beats in stakes races run on the Feb. 17 card at Laurel Park, losing both the Grade 3 General George and the listed Miracle Wood by a neck.

Undeterred, Decker and Brei will take shots in three of the four stakes scheduled for Saturday at Aqueduct.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Ransom the Moon was a tired horse when he finished fourth in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Sprint Championship in October and fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint in November at Del Mar.

The fatigue was cured by a wintertime break, trainer Phil D’Amato said. Ransom the Moon’s 2018 season starts in Saturday’s Grade 1 Triple Bend Stakes at seven furlongs at Santa Anita.

“He tailed off a little bit last year,” D’Amato said last weekend. “He’s come back as good as ever.”

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – As far as Dale Romans is concerned, when it comes to trying to win the Kentucky Derby, eight is more than enough.

“I’ve been in it eight times. It’s time to get there and win it,” he said in the winner’s circle at Gulfstream Park on Saturday night.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Starlight Racing announced it has reached an agreement with GF Bloodstock to purchase interests in a pair of Kentucky Derby hopefuls, Holy Bull winner Audible and eye-catching maiden winner Justify.

Audible, trained by Todd Pletcher, is pointing for the Grade 1 Florida Derby on March 31.

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HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Bill Mott has been on a roll of late, sending out a trio of 3-year-old maiden winners within an eight-day span, topped by Hofburg’s half length triumph going a 1 1/16 miles on Saturday.