ELMONT, N.Y. - The New York stewards fined trainer Mike Maker $2,500 for bringing General a Rod to the assembly barn late prior to the June 7 Belmont Stakes.

It was determined by the stewards that Maker violated a New York Racing Association house rule that states: “All horses must report to the assembly barn no less than 45 minutes prior to their designated post time. TC02 testing will take place in assembly barn before horses are escorted to paddock. A fine or scratch may be issued by the NYRA steward if horses are late to assembly barn.”

AUBURN, Wash. – It’s been 14 months since Gallyn Mitchell suffered a massive heart attack, splayed out on his front porch, near death, clutching his chest and screaming for help. These days, every live mount is a blessing, says the 51-year-old jockey, whose improbable comeback continues Sunday when he rides Del Rio Harbor in the Coca-Cola Handicap at Emerald Downs.

ARCADIA, Calif. – The $500,000 Gold Cup at Santa Anita on June 28 will have a South American flavor.

While Game On Dude will be favored to win his ninth Grade 1 race and 15th stakes, the field will include the Chilean import Salto del Indio and possibly Lideris from Peru.

Salto del Indio, now trained by Mike Puype, will have his final workout for the Gold Cup on Sunday at Santa Anita. Brice Blanc has been booked to ride, according to Billy Koch, the managing director of the Little Red Feather syndicate that owns the 4-year-old Salto del Indio.

Jockey Richard Eramia is dominating the riders’ standings at Louisiana Downs, but the race for leading trainer is not so clear cut almost two months into the season. Ron Faucheux, who is winning races at a 61 percent clip, leads the standings with 17 wins, while it is one back to both Joey Foster, the defending training champ, and Jonas Gibson.

All three trainers won a race on the eight-race program Thursday, and each has horses entered Sunday.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Corey Lanerie, who will finish as the leading rider at this spring’s Churchill Downs meeting, will spend the summer riding in New York. He will be represented by agent Bill Castle.

Lanerie is scheduled to begin riding July 4 at Belmont – a week after the Churchill meet closes – then spend the summer in Saratoga, a meet that begins July 18.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Commander could be leaving his cozy confines at Northlands Park to take a shot Aug. 24 in the Grade 3, $200,000 Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs. If he does, it will bring a sigh of relief to the connections of the horses in the older handicap division at Northlands.

Over the last three years, Commander has won nine of his 10 starts in Edmonton, and despite packing 125 pounds in his most recent win in the Spangled Jimmy Handicap, he couldn’t have won any more easily.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Caroline Thomas, who won a third-level allowance race here June 15, could make her next start July 19 in the Grade 1, $500,000 Diana Stakes at Saratoga, trainer Barclay Tagg said Friday.

Caroline Thomas rallied from off the pace to beat a quality field by 2 1/2 lengths under apprentice Taylor Rice. It was the first win for Caroline Thomas since she was elevated to first by the stewards in last year’s Grade 2 Lake Placid Stakes at Saratoga. The Diana, like the Lake Placid, is run at 1 1/8 miles.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Uncle Sigh, who was scratched June 15 from the Grade 3 Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park after being cast in his Belmont Park stall a few days earlier, could return to the races in the first week of July, trainer Gary Contessa said Friday.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Barn 22 at Belmont Park was placed under a precautionary quarantine Friday after a horse in the care of trainer Pat Kelly showed signs of EHV-1, equineherpes virus, according to the chief examining veterinarian for the New York Racing Association.

According to Dr. Anthony Verderosa, an unraced 2-year-old colt who arrived Monday at Belmont “experienced neurological symptoms and was febrile a few days ago. We don’t know what we have, but samples are being sent out, and we’ll know something later this weekend.”

OCEANPORT, N.J. – Just Call Kenny, the 5-2 morning-line favorite, was a veterinarian’s scratch from Friday’s feature at Monmouth Park, a $44,000, second-level optional $30,000 claiming sprint.

The race had been slated as the comeback spot for the winner of the Spectacular Bid Stakes for 3-year-olds at Gulfstream Park in January. The colt came out of the race with a slight condylar fracture that required surgery.

Trainer Pat McBurney had mapped out a demanding schedule for Just Call Kenny to make the meet’s main event, the $1 million Haskell Invitational on July 27.