Jockey Junior Alvarado, sidelined since breaking his ankle on Dec. 22 in a gate mishap at Aqueduct, has been getting on horses for two weeks and plans to return to race-riding here on Saturday.

Alvarado, who ranked fifth on this circuit in wins in 2013 with 188, worked a couple of horses on Monday morning, including one for Gary Contessa.

“It’s been a long time, almost four months,” Alvarado said. “Hopefully, I’ll be 100 percent completely ready for Belmont.”

Kid Cruz, who scratched out of the Wood Memorial due to a sore shoulder, will likely run in Saturday’s Federico Tesio Stakes at Pimlico as a possible stepping-stone to the Preakness.

Trainer Linda Rice had given some thought to the Illinois Derby, also this Saturday, but for a variety of reasons she decided the Tesio might be better.

“It’s an easier ship, the Preakness is on the same track, it’s good timing-wise,” Rice said. “That’s what we’re considering.”

Strapping Groom, fifth in the Grade 1 Carter in his last start, will get some time off before returning to take aim at a repeat victory in the Grade 1 Forego Handicap at Saratoga, trainer David Jacobson said.

With victories in the Gravesend and Grade 3 Tom Fool over the winter, Strapping Groom entered the Carter in top form. But Jacobson said there were signs the morning of the race that he might not bring his ‘A’ game.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Twenty-one is great if you’re playing blackjack, but not so terrific if you’re trying to get into the Kentucky Derby.

However, if trainer Gary Contessa were a gambling man, he’d double down on his chances to make the Derby with his 3-year-old Uncle Sigh, who currently sits 21st on the list of horses with qualifying points for the May 3 Kentucky Derby. The field is limited to 20 starters and the field is based on points earned in races designated by Churchill Downs. All the major points races have been run.

Although Saturday’s Grade 3, $500,000 Illinois Derby at Hawthorne does not offer qualifying points to the Kentucky Derby, the race is set to have a possible Kentucky Derby starter in the lineup Saturday in Midnight Hawk.

Trainer Bob Baffert said Monday that Midnight Hawk would be entered in the Illinois Derby, with Martin Garcia to ride. His confirmation comes after HRTV’s Scott Hazelton reported Baffert’s intentions on Sunday.

OLDSMAR, Fla. – Looking down the list of stables that have raced at Tampa Bay Downs this season, it’s evident there is a good bit of depth in the training ranks.

Eleven trainers who have won at least 12 races at the meet are winning at a 19 percent clip or better, led by Tom Proctor, who is winning 31 percent of his races. Leading trainer Jamie Ness is scoring at a 27 percent rate, while Graham Motion is winning with 27 percent of his starters.

With the final round of Kentucky Derby preps with rich point values having been run Saturday, the current point standings mirror the prospective 20-horse field for the May 3 Derby. But there are several horses in the top 20 whose Derby status is uncertain, most notably Blue Grass Stakes winner Dance With Fate, so the possibility looms large of horses currently on the outside eventually earning a berth in the starting gate in the Derby.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – One notable absence from the Jacques Cartier Stakes on Sunday was Canada’s champion male sprinter of 2013, Phil’s Dream. While the Jacques Cartier appeared to be a logical starting point for Phil’s Dream’s 2014 campaign, owner and trainer Paul Buttigieg had other ideas.

“I never even considered [the race],” he said. “He had a tough campaign last year, so I wanted to give him a break.”

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Laurie Silvera hit a milestone during Sunday’s card when he recorded his 1,000th career training victory in the seventh race, an optional claimer open to Ontario-sired horses.

Sorry About That, the 8-5 favorite, took command in the final furlong and drove clear to a three-length victory.

“He was in a league of his own in this crowd,” Silvera said. “He’s a very nice horse, and it was no surprise.”

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Horses who wintered in Ontario held their own during Woodbine’s opening weekend, but winter-raced horses swept the top four positions in the only stakes race of the weekend, Sunday’s $125,000 Jacques Cartier Stakes.

Dan the Tin Man, who wintered in Florida with trainer Ricky Griffith, closed into a quick early pace and held off two other winter-raced horses, Victory Exchange and Really Sharp, to win his third career stakes race by a neck.