Two years ago this week, Hudson Landing capped a sensational 2012 campaign with a victory in the Grade 3 All American. This week, as the connections of 19 runners make decisions about entering Sunday’s $100,000, Grade 3 Berkeley Handicap, Hudson Landing is getting on a van to return to owner Jared Chappell’s ranch in Utah to begin his retirement.

Hudson Landing’s victory in the 2012 All American was his 12th and final win. It capped a strong year during which he also won the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile at Golden Gate Fields and the Mt. Rainier at Emerald Downs.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Phil Sims went about 70 miles out of his way to breeze Don’t Tell Sophia at Churchill Downs toward the Falls City Handicap, reserving judgment on whether to confirm his stable star until entries were taken Sunday for the Thanksgiving Day feature.

The half-mile breeze in 49.60 seconds Saturday is the only official workout for Don’t Tell Sophia entering the Grade 2, $200,000 Falls City since the 6-year-old mare put in her customary late run to be second to Untapable in the Oct. 31 Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

STICKNEY, Ill. – Dom the Bomb will stay put at Hawthorne to take further advantage of his Illinois-bred status after cruising to the easiest of wins Saturday in the Sun Power Stakes for statebred 2-year-old colts and geldings.

MIAMI – A total of 187 2-year-olds have been nominated for the six races to be decided on Saturday’s Juvenile Showcase program at Gulfstream Park West. Topping the lists are the undefeated Mr. Jordan, who figures to be the heavy favorite in the one-mile Smooth Air Stakes, and Richard the Great, an impressive winner of his only two starts, who is nominated to the six-furlong Buffalo Man by trainer Ralph Nicks.

The Juvenile Showcase, which will be drawn Wednesday, highlights the final weekend of the inaugural Gulfstream Park West meeting, which concludes Sunday.

MIAMI – Owner-trainer Carlo Vaccarezza said Monday that his Grade 1-placed 3-year-old filly Little Alexis apparently has suffered no permanent damage as a result of the reaction to medication that caused her to spike a fever of 104 degrees immediately following her ninth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint on Nov. 1.

STICKNEY, Ill. – The 2-year-old colt Dadtaughtmewell, making his first start on dirt, won a $25,000 maiden-claiming route race Thursday at Hawthorne by more than 20 lengths, and the race looked good to speed-figure makers as well as the naked eye, with Dadtaughtmewell’s romp earning an 85 Beyer.

“That horse can run,” said trainer Jim DiVito, who owns Dadtaughtmewell, purchased as a yearling for a mere $4,500. “Keep in mind he was training on Polytrack this summer. He started working better when we got him over to Hawthorne. We knew he could run a little bit on the dirt.”

STICKNEY, Ill. – Between nine and 13 horses are expected to be entered Wednesday when the Grade 2, $250,000 Hawthorne Gold Cup is drawn. The Gold Cup, the lone graded stakes race at Hawthorne’s fall-winter meet, will be contested Saturday.

Hawthorne racing officials as of Sunday listed the following horses as probable starters in the 1 1/4-mile dirt race: Abraham, Code West, Effinex, Ever Rider, Fordubai, Hattaash, Mister Marti Gras, Red Rifle, and Street Spice. Still considered possible entrants are Call Me George, Midnight Aria, Hope for Today, and Indy Awesome.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Al Stall Jr. knows how to gauge the depth of the Clark Handicap.

“Blame won the Clark in 2009, when it was a Grade 2,” Stall said, referring to his all-time best horse, who a year later was voted champion older male after winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic. “He beat a really good field [in the Clark]. Misremembered and Einstein were in there, and it was a full field of 14. The very next week, the race was upgraded to a Grade 1.”

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Jockey Eurico Rosa Da Silva, who piloted Up With the Birds to his only win of this season in the Grade 2 Nijinsky Stakes at Woodbine on July 19, will have the mount for Sunday’s Group 1 Japan Cup at Tokyo Racecourse.

“I’m very excited,” Da Silva said. “I’m grateful for [owner] Sam-Son [Farm] to invite me to ride the horse. I just hope he runs a good race, and I think he will because he’s doing very well right now.”

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Mark Casse recorded his meet-leading 21st stakes victory in last Saturday’s Glorious Song Stakes and will look to add to that total this weekend with strong representation in both 2-year-old stakes races.

Casse said he likely will run Danzig Moon in the $250,000 Coronation Futurity on Saturday, while Galina Point and Shez a Masterpiece likely will start in the $150,000 Ontario Lassie Stakes on Sunday. But Casse added that there’s a chance that Shez a Masterpiece will take on males in the Coronation Futurity.