HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Bahamian Squall served notice he would be a sprinter to reckon with in 2013 when he closed out his 3-year-old campaign last December with a one-sided victory against statebreds in the Sunshine State Stakes. And sure enough, he made good on that promise.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Ultimate Destiny completed a dream season for owner/trainer Alec Fehr by winning Wednesday night’s $125,000 Sir Barton Stakes at Woodbine with determination under Eurico Da Silva.

Ultimate Destiny, the 126-pound highweight in the field of Ontario-sired runners, conceded significant weight to his rivals, including favored Pender Harbour, who wound up third. It was Urban Forester who gave Ultimate Destiny all that he could handle in the 1 1/16-mile event, but he caught that 15-1 shot on the wire after kicking in strongly in the last furlong.

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Ria Antonia will spend the winter at Fair Grounds, where the plan will be to run her against males in Kentucky Derby prep races, co-owner Ron Paolucci said Thursday.

Paolucci’s Looch Racing Stable and Christopher Dunn own Ria Antonia, who is trained by Jeremiah Englehart. His assistant, Elizabeth Dobles, who was at Santa Anita with the filly for the Breeders’ Cup, will come to Fair Grounds with her, Paolucci said.

Hez Our Secret, fourth in the 2012 Champion of Champions, will start in the $750,000 Champion of Champions at Los Alamitos on Dec. 14 following the defection of New Mexico stakes winner DM Streakn Thru Fire.

NEW ORLEANS – With Grade 1 winners Joyful Victory and Believe You Can – the big girls of the stable – gone, trainer Larry Jones is looking toward promising young horses as a foundation for success at this Fair Grounds meet.

“We expect to have a good meet,” Jones said. “We expect to come out of here with some horses.”

It won’t be easy to fill the holes left by Joyful Victory and Believe You Can.

Race 1

Race 1

Race 1