Trainer Kathy Ritvo said Friday that Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Mucho Macho Man continues to gallop regularly but is still several weeks away from returning to the work tab. Mucho Macho Man finished a disappointing fourth as the favorite in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap in his last start.

AUBURN, Wash. – Leslie Mawing, Juan Gutierrez, and Isaias Enriquez – the past three leading riders at Emerald Downs – were all on hand this weekend as Emerald began its new meeting, and the competition for the top spot in the jockey standings could be one of the summer’s most intriguing stories.

Los Alamitos is launching capital improvements to its grandstand and expanding stalls for Thoroughbreds in advance of its Thoroughbred meeting in July.

Brad McKinzie, the general manager of the track’s Thoroughbred operation, said Thursday that Los Alamitos has received approval from the city of Cypress to begin the projects, which are expected to be completed in June.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – It’s been 18 months since Interesting last visited the winner’s circle, but that drought should finally end early Sunday afternoon at Gulfstream Park when the lightly raced Irish-bred filly takes on six rivals in the $51,750 allowance feature at 7 1/2 furlongs on turf. The race is one of eight on Sunday’s program, all for fillies and mares.

Interesting, a daughter of Raven’s Pass, launched her career in Europe, winning two of her first three starts during the summer of 2012. She also was second later at 2 in the Group 3 Prix Eclipse at Chantilly.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Santa Anita is offering free admission to the infield on weekends during the track’s spring-summer meeting, which runs from April 25 to June 29.

Santa Anita has absorbed much of the spring and early-summer racing dates previously held by Hollywood Park, which closed last December. This will be the first time that Santa Anita has conducted racing in May and June.

[DRF Live: Get live reports and handicapping insights from DRF writers and handicappers this Sunday]

CYPRESS, Calif. – Last weekend was a memorable one for septuagenarian trainers based at Los Alamitos.

On April 5, Art Sherman, 77, sent California Chrome across town and watched the colt win his fourth consecutive stakes in the $1 million Santa Anita Derby. On Sunday, Quarter Horse trainer John Cooper, 76, won the $202,100 El Primero Del Ano Derby for 3-year-olds over 400 yards at Los Alamitos for the third time in his career with Moonist.

California Chrome will train at Los Alamitos in advance of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 3.

Churchill Downs will raise its takeout rates this spring to the maximum allowed by Kentucky law, officials confirmed Friday, a decision that will lower payouts on the track’s races by almost 16 percent in many cases.

Takeout on win, place, and show bets will rise from 16 percent of every betting dollar to 17.5 percent, a jump of 9.4 percent, when Churchill’s spring meet opens April 26, Churchill officials said. Takeout on all other bets, including the most popular wagers, exactas and trifectas, will rise from 19 percent to 22 percent, a jump of 15.8 percent.

STICKNEY, Ill. – The notable exclusion of the Illinois Derby last year from Churchill Downs’s points-based qualifying system for the 20 starting slots in the Kentucky Derby dealt a big blow to Hawthorne Race Course, but it might not be such a calamity after all.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Hall of Fame jockey Edgar Prado is expected to be sidelined at least 30 days after fracturing his neck in a Thursday morning training accident at Keeneland.

Prado fractured his C-7 vertebra after falling from a horse who was not breezing, according to his agent, Bob Klesaris. The horse threw its head back, striking Prado in the face and apparently knocking him out, causing the jockey to fall.

Prado was scheduled to ride Vinceremos in the Blue Grass Stakes on Saturday at Keeneland. That mount has been picked up by Julien Leparoux.

GROVE CITY, Ohio – On a cold recent Saturday, there were fewer than 100 patrons at Beulah Park when five $2,500 claimers ran around the old track in the first race of the day. By the time owner-trainer Guy Tauzin had his picture taken with the victorious mare, A. B. Blacker, the race already was largely forgotten.