INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Gary Stevens, the Hall of Famer who won the Preakness Stakes for the third time in his career on May 11, will ride primarily in California this summer, beginning this weekend at Betfair Hollywood Park.

With the exception of traveling for major stakes, such as Oxbow’s scheduled appearance in the Belmont Stakes on June 8, and an occasional trip to Saratoga later this summer, Stevens plans to spend the summer riding at Hollywood Park and Del Mar.

“I’m going to be there permanently,” Stevens said of California.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Herbie D answered his skeptics when he put on another impressive display of speed winning the $50,000 John Longden 6000 going 6 1/2 furlongs last Monday.

There were no questions regarding how fast the talented sprinter is, but there were many who thought he didn’t have the class to beat the kind of field he was facing in the Longden. Leading up to the race a constant refrain of “he’s never beaten anything” echoed through the Hastings backstretch last week.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Obviously has earned his status as one of California’s top turf milers by taking control of races from the start.

The strategy worked with wins in two Grade 2 races last year – the Del Mar Mile and Arroyo Seco Mile – and a game third to 2012 Horse of the Year Wise Dan in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita last fall.

In Saturday’s $150,000 American Handicap over a mile on turf at Betfair Hollywood Park, Obviously will be favored to win his third stakes. To do so, he may need to display a more versatile running style.

[bc_video_id:293195:]ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer David Donk has always believed his mare Hessonite would be effective at marathon distances on the turf. But running primarily in New York-bred stakes, Hessonite never has truly had a chance to prove her trainer correct.

Yes, Hessonite competed in last September’s Grade 1 Flower Bowl at 1 1/4 miles, but was so hopelessly trapped inside that it’s an unfair barometer.

OCEANPORT, N.J. – Kelly Breen hopes to saddle both Ruler On Ice and Pants On Fire as a potent one-two punch on Saturday in the $75,000 Majestic Light Stakes at Monmouth Park.

The 12-race card starting at 12:50 p.m. Eastern kicks off the holiday racing weekend on the Jersey Shore. Monmouth will have a live card every day through Monday.

Thanks to the Breen duo of 5-year-olds, the Majestic Light has some unanticipated star power. The two runners are separate betting interests in the 10-horse field going one mile and 70 yards.

GROVE CITY, Ohio – After a nearly 7 1/2-year break, it took only three races for jockey Lori Wydick to win the first race of her comeback at Beulah Park on Wednesday.

The 48-year-old Wydick won on No No Nona ($5.80) in the first race. She had retired on Dec. 31, 2005.

Wydick began galloping horses recently for trainer Brian Waltz and decided to begin riding again, No No Nona is trained by Waltz.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Two recent winners – one on a class drop, and one on class raise – will go postward as top contenders Saturday in the Grade 3, $100,000 Louisville Handicap at Churchill Downs.

Spanish Jazz figures to be tough to handle when he runs in a first-level allowance race at Northlands Park Saturday. The six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up drew six horses and has been slotted as the second of eight races carded. Post time for the first race is 1 p.m. Mountain.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Rockin Cherokee figures to feast on what will likely be a hotly contested pace in a $15,000 claiming race for 3-year-olds and up at Hastings Saturday. The 6 1/2-furlong sprint drew eight horses and goes as race 6 on the seven-race card, which begins at 1:50 p.m. Pacific.

Missy Rules and Ile St. Molly, who both stretched out from sprints to win divisions of the one-mile Our Mims Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on opening day at Delaware Park, will be nominated to the $75,000 Go for Wand Stakes on June 15.

The mile-and-70-yard Go for Wand is the local prep for the Grade 2 Delaware Oaks at 1 1/16 miles on July 13.

Making her first start beyond 6 1/2 furlongs, Missy Rules posted a 3 1/2-length triumph in the first division.  Her time of 1:38.88 for the two-turn mile translated into a 65 Beyer Speed Figure. She is now 3 for 4 at Delaware.