ARCADIA, Calif. – The winter-spring meeting at Santa Anita reached the halfway point earlier this month with an increase in all-sources handle, but a decline in average field size that has concerned officials.

The 69-day meeting began Dec. 26 and continues through April 20. Thursday’s program at Santa Anita will be the 40th day of the winter-spring meeting. The track’s spring-summer meeting begins April 25 and runs through June 29, replacing much of the former Hollywood Park spring-summer meeting.

Rosalind, a fast-charging third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, will make her 3-year-old debut Thursday when returning in a $48,750 optional-claiming race at 1 1/16 miles. The main event attracted a field of nine 3-year-olds, including Grade 2-placed Bird Maker, stakes winner Naughty Holiday, and the undefeated In Tune.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Honor Code took another step toward his much-anticipated 3-year-old debut when working an easy half-mile in 52.23 seconds Tuesday morning at Gulfstream Park.

Honor Code was pretty much just coasting from the half-mile pole to the wire, posting an early split of 26.17 while well in hand throughout. He then picked up the pace noticeably under some mild coaxing into the turn, completing five-eighths in 1:04.78 before galloping out six furlongs in 1:17.95 and pulling up seven-eighths in 1:31.46.

Thoroughbred breeder and owner Bob Bone is known for his love of horse racing and his aggressive approach to the sport. What might not be as well known is his concern for military veterans, but the two came together at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday, when Hotaling Heart won her debut in an $8,000 maiden claimer.

“That’s absolutely one of the most special wins in my career,” Bone said. “It’s going to be my favorite win this year.”

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – There will be a pick six carryover of $105,348 for Friday’s card at Aqueduct after the wager went unhit both Sunday and Monday.

There was a carryover of $33,727 entering Monday’s card, and an additional $125,654 was wagered into the pool. Many tickets were knocked out in the opening leg when the 8-year-old mare Get Gorgeous ($21.80) got up over 31-1 Newyork Conspiracy in race 4.

A New York state legislator said on Monday that he plans to introduce legislation that would require the New York Racing Association to spend $30 million of its casino subsidies annually on improvements to Aqueduct Racetrack.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Rick Violette’s first inclination after watching Samraat outduel Uncle Sigh in a hard-fought running of the Grade 3 Withers Stakes on Feb. 1 was to give his undefeated 3-year-old some additional time between races and skip the Gotham.

But seeing how well Samraat has done in the last four weeks has convinced Violette not to wait, and on Monday Samraat was one of 11 horses – along with Uncle Sigh – entered in Saturday’s Grade 3, $500,000 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct. Like the Withers, the Gotham is run at 1 1/16 miles around two turns over the inner track.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Havana and No Nay Never completed preparations for Saturday’s much-anticipated matchup in the Swale Stakes with five-furlong works Sunday.

Havana, who will make his first start since suffering his only defeat when second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, worked in 1:00.90 at Palm Meadows. No Nay Never, undefeated in three starts at 2, with two of those victories coming in Europe, worked in 1:00.41 at Gulfstream.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Who says you can’t teach an old horse new tricks?

Travelin Man enjoyed a pretty successful run racing exclusively on dirt at ages 3 through 5. But as a 6-year-old, it appears the multiple stakes winner has embarked on a second career as a turf sprinter in light of his impressive grass debut this winter at Gulfstream Park.

OLDSMAR, Fla. – Speed and class are two of the most sought-after attributes in a Thoroughbred, and on Saturday, Our Double Play displayed both qualities in abundance when he ran his competition into submission and pulled away late in the $65,000 Super Stakes.