ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Uncaptured, Canada’s Horse of the Year and champion 2-year-old male of 2012, is off the Queen’s Plate trail.

Trained by Mark Casse for owner John Oxley, Uncaptured finished second, beaten 1 1/2 lengths by a closing Pyrite Mountain, as the odds-on favorite under jockey Patrick Husbands here in last Sunday’s 1 1/16-mile Wando Stakes.

Uncaptured’s only other local defeat came in last fall’s 1 1/16-mile Grey Stakes, after he had won his first four starts, including three stakes at distances ranging from 4 1/2 to seven furlongs.

OMAHA, Neb. – Festival time at Horsemen’s Park in Omaha comes early this year as the track begins its three-day stand Friday evening with all the usual celebratory offerings.

The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation on Tuesday awarded Gulfstream Park a one-day extension of its 2012-13 meet. By law, the extension will allow Gulfstream to buy simulcast signals directly from all host tracks, effective immediately, rather than purchasing those same signals from Calder, which is currently operating the only live racing meet in south Florida.

Trainer Robertino Diodoro was impressed when Spanish Jazz won his debut going six furlongs in a $30,000 optional maiden claiming race by a widening 7 3/4 lengths at Turf Paradise on April 12. He’s hoping for another strong performance when Spanish Jazz runs in a first-level allowance race Friday night at Northlands Park. The six-furlong sprint drew nine horses and headlines a strong eight-race card.

ALTOONA, Iowa – The last three runnings of the $70,000 Mamie Eisenhower at Prairie Meadows, a six-furlong stakes for Iowa-bred fillies and mares, were won by the speed merchant Sakakawea. The search for a new division leader begins Friday evening.

Sakakawea, trained by Ray Tracy for his family’s Black Oak Farm, has embarked on a second career as a broodmare. She is in foal to Yes It’s True and also has an embryo, carried by a surrogate mare, by top Quarter Horse stallion One Famous Eagle.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The dependable Ronaldino makes his 9-year-old debut at Woodbine in the fourth race Friday, when he goes for his 16th career victory in a contentious $20,000 claimer.

Ronaldino has competed across Canada. The British Columbia-bred began his career with trainer Terry Jordan at Hastings, where he graduated second time out in May 2007. He subsequently finished up the track in the Alberta Derby at Stampede Park, where he captured the 2008 Stampede Park Sprint Championship. Ronaldino also took the 2008 Free Press Stakes at Assiniboia Downs.

ELMONT, N.Y. – After a few days to celebrate with family and friends at home in Delaware, Jennifer Patterson was back at work Wednesday morning, taking her seat atop Kentucky Derby winner Orb as he began preparations for the May 18 Preakness Stakes with an easy jog at rainy Belmont Park.

With Belmont’s main track sealed and with two sets of orange traffic cones, commonly referred to as “dogs,” keeping horses well beyond the center of the track, Orb jogged a mile alongside a stable pony over a muddy surface that later turned sloppy.

PHOENIX – Flexiplus gamely prevailed in the $35,000 Hasta La Vista Handicap at Turf Paradise Tuesday, closing day of the Phoenix track’s 2012-2013 meet.

Jockey Don Simington made a big comeback over opening weekend at Louisiana Downs, winning six races to lead the first round of standings with Richard Eramia. The mounts were among Simington’s first since breaking his left collarbone last October at Delta Downs.

Simington, 50, underwent surgery to place a plate and nine screws in the collarbone, which he broke for the third time in his career when a horse he was riding fell with him on Oct. 20.

Jim Helzer’s most recognizable role in racing has been as the owner of Grade 1 winners Euroears and Joe Who, as well as the late Refrigerator, who until recent years ranked as the all-time richest Quarter Horse.

But on Thursday night at Lone Star Park, Helzer is returning to his roots. When the 4-year-old filly Alexandrathegreat runs in the second race, she will be Helzer’s first starter as a trainer since 1965.

“I started with a bunch cheap Quarter Horses in Colorado,” Helzer, 73, said of his early years training.