ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Woodbine’s Thoroughbred meeting is getting off to a late start this year, and the compressed 133-day schedule presents a different scenario for Steve Lym, racing secretary and a director of racing.

“I’ve tried to write a few long races early in the book, but I still tried to write as many short races as I could,” Lym said. “I think some of our guys are still a little ways off from going a mile and a sixteenth, or seven-eighths.

Saturday night’s $200,000 Sugar Maple Stakes at Charles Town became a wide-open affair after trainer Bob Baffert confirmed Thursday that even-money favorite Book Review would scratch from the seven-furlong race after developing an elevated white-blood cell count upon her arrival in West Virginia.

“She won’t run,” Baffert said, noting that the filly had to be treated with antibiotics.

Her scratch reduces the Sugar Maple field to six, and though Holiday Soiree and Dance to Bristol were cross-entered in other spots, they will both be running here.

Shesafrigidcat seeks her first career stakes victory when she heads a field of eight 3-year-old Nebraska-breds going six furlongs in the fillies division of the $25,000 Fonner Park Special Stakes on Saturday.

Shesafrigidcat, trained by Chuck Turco, won her maiden locally on March 22. She returned April 6 against open company in the Pepsi Stakes, where she made a good run at the leaders into the far turn but weakened into the stretch and was fourth, beaten six lengths by the multiple stakes-placed Portales. The return to statebred company makes Shesafrigidcat a solid threat.

Pyrite Green has the perfect come-from-behind style to win the $50,000 Howard B. Noonan at Beulah Park on Saturday afternoon.

Six of the 13 entrants in the six-furlong event for 3-year-old Ohio-bred horses won their last race in front-running fashion. The morning-line favorite and only filly in the race, Blazing Bling, is also usually on or very near the lead.

Trained by Miguel Feliciano, Pyrite Green has won 2 of 4 starts this year, all at Tampa Bay Downs in optional claiming events.

Some of the quickest fillies on the grounds will line up Saturday night for the $50,000 Hallowed Dreams Stakes at Evangeline Downs.

Appropriately enough, the feature is named for a remarkable filly who won her first 16 career starts and 23 of her first 24, most in front-running fashion while campaigning in southern Louisiana from 1999 to 2001.

OPELOUSAS, La. – Lattin Devil stalked the early pace before challenging and drawing away in impressive fashion Wednesday evening at Evangeline Downs to capture the opening night’s featured $50,000 Inaugural Stakes in track-record time. Hardrock Eleven rallied to finish second, followed by fellow late-runner Successful Story.

MIAMI – Itsmyluckyday had his final serious tune up for the 2013 Kentucky Derby when working a mile in 1:43.10 shortly after dawn Thursday morning at Calder Race Course.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - My Happy Face, a 3-year-old filly, has been galloping for about two weeks since returning to trainer Rudy Rodriguez’s barn after a brief stint at a clinic in Kentucky.

Rodriguez said that My Happy Face would likely start breezing in May, but he wasn’t sure when she would return to the races. The Black-Eyed Susan had been mentioned by owner Michael Dubb as a possible start, but it doesn’t seem likely she would be ready in time to make that race.

“We’re happy and excited to have her back,” Rodriguez said. “Hopefully, we can have fun with her this summer.”

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Trainer Bill Mott said Emollient, winner of the Ashland Stakes, will skip the Kentucky Oaks and most likely point to the $500,000 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico on May 17.

Emollient had run two races in seven days, finishing a well-beaten fourth behind Dreaming of Julia in the Gulfstream Park Oaks on March 30 before coming back seven days later to win the Ashland at Keeneland by nine.

Asked if the timing – the Oaks would be three races in five weeks for Emollient – was the reason he chose to skip the race, Mott said “that’d be part of it.”

OZONE Park, N.Y. - Trainer Kelly Breen said that Pants On Fire, winner of the 2011 Louisiana Derby, will be pointed to the Grade 3, $150,000 Westchester Stakes on April 27 at Belmont Park.

Pants On Fire won an allowance race at Gulfstream Park two starts back before finishing third in the Skip Away Stakes at 1 3/16 miles last out.

“He’s now cutting back to a one-turn mile at Belmont,” Breen said.

Others pointing to the Westchester include Big Screen, Cross Traffic, and Winslow Homer.