Retama Park near San Antonio has made notable changes to its most prestigious races, the El Joven and La Senorita stakes for 2-year-olds at a mile on turf. The races have been moved up a month, positioning them as potential stepping-stones to the Breeders’ Cup, while the purse for each has been boosted from $75,000 to $100,000.

Trainer Bret Calhoun could have four starters in each division of the Texas Thoroughbred Association Sales Futurity at Lone Star Park on July 12. The series is for 2-year-olds at five furlongs, and each side of the race has an estimated purse of $100,000.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – After winning the Black Tie Affair Stakes earlier in June with the homebred The Pizza Man, the Midwest Thoroughbreds operation of Rich and Karen Papiese took down the $125,000 Iowa Sprint last Friday night with the Illinois homebred Work All Week.

“We feel good about buying those types of horses, but to have a homebred that runs that well, it’s an even better feeling,” Rich Papiese said. “It’s sort of like having your own minor-league system.”

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Global View, after working five furlongs on Polytrack in 1:01.40 on Sunday, traveled by van to Belmont Park on Monday and is on track to start Saturday in the $1.25 million Belmont Derby.

“Everything went good,” said trainer Tom Proctor.

Gantry, Class Included, and Sunbean, who are among the top older horses based in the Mid-South region, are each targeting campaigns later in the year. The horses owned by Brittlyn Stable are based with trainer Ron Faucheux at the Evangeline Training Center near Lafayette, La.

Gantry is a Grade 2 winner of $822,531. He last raced on June 21, and finished fifth in the $300,000 Evangeline Downs Turf Sprint. Gantry was one of the top choices in the race on the strength of his win in the $58,800 Colonel Power on turf at Fair Grounds in March.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – For the second consecutive Arlington season, trainer Chris Block started slowly, but unlike in 2013, when his stable didn’t heat up until mid-July and never truly fired on all cylinders, Block began rolling a couple of weeks ago. One might suggest that My Option’s sharp win Saturday in the Chicago Handicap was the culmination of that trend, but Block hopes there’s more to come.

It’s that sweltering time of year when horsemen and racing fans get their glaze on at Ellis Park, the western Kentucky track that kicks off a 29-day summer meet with an eight-race card Thursday.

Dan Bork, now in his eighth year as racing secretary at the track fondly known as “The Pea Patch,” said he expects the customary summer heat to be matched by the level of competition on the racetrack.

CYPRESS, Calif. – The plan was launched more than a year ago, long before Hollywood Park announced that it would close at the end of 2013.

Los Alamitos wanted to be part of the Thoroughbred game.

A multifaceted improvement project was planned, expanding the five-furlong track used by Quarter Horses and lower-level Thoroughbreds to a mile. Year-round stall space would be available for Thoroughbreds, parts of the grandstand would be refurbished, and racing dates were requested for July and December, replacing some of what Hollywood Park left behind.

Big Kick, who led throughout Sunday’s Grade 2 San Juan Capistrano Stakes over about 1 3/4 miles on turf at Santa Anita, will not race again until the $200,000 Del Mar Handicap over 1 3/8 miles on turf Aug. 23, trainer Mike Machowsky said.

“I think the key for him is distance,” Machowsky said.

CYPRESS, Calif. – Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith will ride Shared Belief, the champion 2-year-old male of 2013, in Saturday’s $500,000 Los Alamitos Derby, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said Tuesday.

The Grade 2 Los Alamitos Derby, run over 1 1/8 miles, will be the first time that Smith has ridden Shared Belief, who is unbeaten in four starts.

“He’s a guy that does well in the big races and a great money rider,” Hollendorfer said. “We wanted to give him a shot in the race.”