OZONE PARK, N.Y. – It’s already been a good winter for David Lyon’s Blue Lion Thoroughbreds, having won two stakes with the promising 3-year-old colt Morello. That outfit will seek another stakes victory Saturday with Monshun in the $100,000 Cicada Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.

Monshun, a daughter of Unified, was a debut winner last Aug. 18 at Saratoga, but was sidelined due to a chip in an ankle that needed to be surgically removed. Trainer Ray Handal was hoping to bring Monshun back in an allowance race, but it didn’t fill.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – There are signs of spring popping up everywhere. From the start of daylight saving time to the thermometer surpassing the 60-degree mark on Wednesday to the first turf race showing up in the condition book, albeit not until April 7.

Another sign of spring is activity at the Christophe Clement barn on the Belmont Park backstretch. Clement, himself still in Florida, said he has 12 horses in New York, three of which are in action on Friday’s Aqueduct card.

Two surprising names – one a horse, the other a jockey – showed up in the Fair Grounds entries for Saturday.

Bound for Nowhere, one of the best turf sprinters in North America since 2018, is set to make his 8-year-old debut in a high-end allowance race, carded for about 5 1/2 furlongs on grass, with an $80,000 claiming option. Bound for Nowhere was shipped to Fair Grounds earlier this week from his winter base at Turfway Park, and if Saturday’s races stay on grass, John Velazquez will fly to New Orleans from Southern California to ride him.

The $100,000 Irish O’Brien Stakes for statebred fillies and mares will be part of a lucrative pick-six sequence on Saturday at Santa Anita.

The track announced last weekend that the 20-cent Rainbow pick six will have a mandatory payout on Saturday’s program.

The bet had a carryover of $358,858 going into Friday’s program. Assuming there is not a single-ticket winner on Friday, track officials are projecting a pool of $4 million in additional money in the pick six on Saturday.

Jockey Kyle Frey, who through Sunday ranked 12th in the standings at Santa Anita with 10 wins at the winter-spring meeting, has been suspended four days for causing interference in the second race last Friday at Santa Anita.

Frey was cited for failing to maintain a straight course on Magnificent Ride, who was disqualified from second and placed fifth. The suspension covers racing days on Saturday and Sunday this weekend and March 25-26.

Micro Share, the easy winner of a maiden special weight race at a mile last Friday, will be considered for the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks at 1 1/16 miles on April 9, trainer Richard Mandella said Wednesday.

From a local perspective, there may not be another available race in the short-term for the promising 3-year-old filly. Allowance races for the division are rare, if run at all, at this time of year.

“In this day and age, you don’t have a lot of choices,” Mandella said. “She’s an improving filly, so we’ll take a shot at it.”

A few weeks earlier than expected, turf racing resumes at Golden Gate Fields on Friday with a one-mile allowance race for fillies and mares.

An unexpected dry winter accelerated the return of the course, racing secretary Patrick Mackey said last weekend.

“It’s about a week and a half or two weeks early,” Mackey said.

“It was growing so well and is in great condition. We walked it two weeks ago and decided we would go slowly.”

Plans are on hold for Strike Hard, who was scratched Saturday from the Tampa Bay Derby after spiking a temperature last Friday, a day after being shipped over from Gulfstream. The gray Flashback colt is back home.

“He’s not back training quite yet,” trainer Matthew Williams said mid-week. “We’ve got to watch him and see.”

Following a 12-hour surgery in November to counter Stage 4 oral cancer, 40-year-old horseplayer George A. Bryant made a vow to himself. He would pursue a career as a trainer.

Bryant is one step closer to making that a reality. Earlier this month, he passed his trainer’s test at Sam Houston Race Park. He also has clients like Michael Iavarone, who won the 2008 Kentucky Derby with Big Brown, lined up for the Lone Star Park meet, which opens April 28.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The weather in South Florida this winter hasn’t been the greatest, with rain and chill visiting a little too frequently, especially the last few weeks. The spring-break throngs are none too pleased.

For Jose D’Angelo, however, it’s been sunshine and rainbows. A couple of recent hot streaks at Gulfstream Park has the 31-year-old trainer on pace for a breakthrough year, and he can hardly contain his joy.