SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainers are creatures of habit and Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen is no different. Thus, despite a deluge of rain accompanied by a few rumbles of thunder and the occasional flash of lightning, Asmussen sent Epicenter out early Monday morning for his final work before Saturday’s Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy Stakes.

Hot Rod Charlie breezed six furlongs in 1:12.40 Monday morning at Keeneland, his last serious move before he runs in the Grade 1, $1 million Whitney Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 6.

It was the fourth work for Hot Rod Charlie -- all at Keeneland -- since he was beaten a head by Mind Control in the Salvator Mile at Monmouth Park on June 18.

Trainer Doug O’Neill, reached at Del Mar Monday morning, said he saw a video of the work and liked what he saw.

DEL MAR, Calif. – What a difference a change of scenery has made on the Southern California circuit, where Del Mar posted sensational business figures during its abbreviated three-day opening weekend.

Led by an opening-day handle figure of $23.56 million on Friday, Del Mar averaged $22.35 million in handle for the first three days, which the track reported as both being records.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Dr. Schivel, winner of the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar last summer and third in the Group 1 Golden Shaheen Sprint in Dubai in March, has been turned out until the autumn.

Trainer Mark Glatt said Sunday that Dr. Schivel has been sent to a local farm and will remain there until the first of October. The hope of a start in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint on Nov. 5 at Keeneland has been abandoned.

“To work through what he needed to get through, to have a legitimate shot at the Breeders’ Cup would be pushing it,” Glatt said.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Todd Pletcher said Monday all was well with Malathaat the morning after her disappointing second-place finish to Clairiere as the 3-5 favorite in Sunday’s 2 Grade 2 Shuvee.

“She came back good, seemed just fine this morning,” Pletcher noted. “I don’t know why she was so quiet yesterday. She was very lethargic in the paddock. The only thing I can think of was the heat. It just wasn’t like her. She’s not high strung or animated necessarily, but she was dull."

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Olympiad, who has won four graded stakes this year as part of a 5-for-5 campaign, worked a strong five furlongs in 1:00.86 over Saratoga's Oklahoma training track Sunday morning in preparation for the Grade 1, $1 million Whitney Stakes here on Aug. 6.

Olympiad, under exercise rider Neil Poznansky, started about 1 1/2 lengths in front of Gilded Age, and basically maintained that margin throughout the work in which he got his last quarter in 23.56 seconds.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Corniche, last year’s 2-year-old champion male, worked a solid half-mile Sunday morning at Saratoga and has been confirmed to run in next Sunday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Amsterdam Stakes, a 6 1/2-furlong race for 3-year-olds, trainer Todd Pletcher said.

DEL MAR, Calif. - After a successful journey to the Middle East earlier this year, Country Grammer will have his 2022 American debut in the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap at 1 1/16 miles at Del Mar on Saturday.

The $300,000 San Diego is quite a place for a comeback.

DEL MAR, Calif. - The depth of trainer Phil D’Amato’s Southern California stable was on display in Saturday’s Grade 2 San Clemente Stakes at Del Mar. For the first time since D’Amato began training in the early 2010s, he swept the first three positions in a graded stakes in the $203,500 San Clemente for 3-year-old fillies on turf.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Preakness winner Early Voting got his first feel for Saratoga’s main track Saturday morning as he worked five furlongs in 1:01 in preparation for next Saturday’s Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy Stakes.

With regular rider Jose Ortiz up, Early Voting broke slightly off of stablemate Accretive, a 5 3/4-length debut winner June 26 at Belmont. Early Voting tracked Accretive to the top of the stretch after three furlongs in 36.47 seconds, and the two basically finished together with Accretive a short head in front at the wire.