The $500,000 Penn Mile has extended its reach to California this year as Ocho Ocho Ocho and Papacoolpapacool shared a charter flight on Monday that took them to Allentown, Pa., about an hour’s drive from Penn National in Grantville.

This will be the third edition of the Penn Mile, and its first as a Grade 3. It will be the first graded race held at Penn National since the Pennsylvania Governor’s Cup was run as a Grade 3 in 1989.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Upstart, who was eased to the wire by jockey Jose Ortiz far behind American Pharoah in the Kentucky Derby, returned to trainer Rick Violette’s barn at Aqueduct late last week to resume training for a summer and fall campaign.

Upstart was sent to WinStar Farm, which purchased a share in him just prior to the Derby, to unwind after the Kentucky Derby. Violette sent Upstart to the track to jog for the first time on Tuesday.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Todd Pletcher said Tuesday that Palace Malice will not be back to defend his title in the Metropolitan Handicap on June 6.

“We’re not planning to run in the Met Mile,” said Pletcher. “I’m not sure where we’re going to run yet. It seems like he needs a little more time coming out of his last race. The Met comes up a little quick.”

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Saturday easily will be the biggest day of the year so far for Midwest Thoroughbreds and trainer Roger Brueggemann as their two homebred, Illinois-bred stable stars, Work All Week and The Pizza Man, will make their 6-year-old debuts in separate stakes races at Churchill.

Work All Week, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Sprint last fall and 8 for 8 in his dirt races, will be a huge favorite in the Grade 3, $100,000 Aristides at six furlongs, while The Pizza Man also should be a short price in the $65,000 Opening Verse at 1 1/16 miles on the turf.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – While he was at Churchill Downs on Tuesday morning to oversee the workout by Triple Crown hopeful American Pharoah, trainer Bob Baffert also sent out 2014 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Bayern for a five-furlong breeze in 1:00.40 over a fast track.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Don’t Tell Sophia isn’t officially retired yet, according to trainer and co-owner Phil Sims, but the standout 7-year-old mare has been bred to Medaglia d’Oro and taken out of training.

“She was bred last month, and we’re going to find out soon whether or not she’s in foal,” Sims said Tuesday from his Keeneland base in Lexington, Ky. “If she’s in foal, she’s retired, and if not, we’ve still got plenty of time to bring her back for a fall campaign.”

ELMONT, N.Y. – The second year of a non-Met Mile Memorial Day at Belmont Park was better than the first for the New York Racing Association.

Total all-sources handle Monday at Belmont Park was $10,923,486, a 10.1 percent increase over last year’s total handle figure of $9,913,636. Ontrack handle Monday was $2,008,956, a 9.3 percent increase over last year’s figure of $1,837,245.

Attendance was 6,837, down 109 from last year’s figure of 6,946.

With less than two weeks remaining until American Pharoah attempts to become Thoroughbred racing’s first Triple Crown winner in 37 years at the Belmont Stakes on June 6, approximately 22,000 grandstand general admission tickets still are available, according to the New York Racing Association.

NYRA officials confirmed that information after issuing a press release Tuesday detailing attempts to facilitate access in and out of Belmont Park this year after traffic and transit nightmares a year ago, when 102,199 fans came to watch California Chrome go for the Triple Crown.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – American Pharoah had his first workout since his seven-length romp May 16 in the Preakness when breezing a half-mile in 48 seconds on a pleasant Tuesday morning at Churchill Downs in a move that left Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert excited about what lies ahead.

War Story, 16th in the Kentucky Derby, will not run in the Belmont Stakes on June 6 against American Pharoah and instead will point to the $500,000 Ohio Derby on June 20 at Thistledown, owner Ron Paolucci said Tuesday.

Last week, Paolucci said that it was intent to run War Story in the Belmont and put him on the lead under jockey Colby Hernandez.

Paolucci said trainer Tom Amoss told him that if he felt that was the only way they could win the race, they should probably run War Story somewhere else.