ARCADIA, Calif. – Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez has relocated to Santa Anita for the winter-spring meeting for the first time and plans to stay through the end of March. Judging from the first two days of the season, the 50-year-old Velazquez could very well depart for Keeneland in early April at or near the top of the standings.

Velazquez had four wins on Sunday’s opening day, including the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, and had one win on Monday’s program. Velazquez is booked to ride five horses on Friday’s nine-race program.

Trainer Bret Calhoun won Fair Grounds 3-year-old grass stakes on Monday with Excess Magic, who captured the Woodchopper, and Lovely Ride, who won the Pago Hop.

The day before, he found out what he needed to know regarding Tejano Twist, who loomed and faded in the Gun Runner, finishing second but beaten more than six lengths while making his two-turn debut. Tejano Twist was coming off a pair of sharp Kentucky sprint wins, and connections won’t press on with route racing.

Midnight Bourbon and Mandaloun faced each other five times during their 3-year-old seasons of 2021 and are on course to meet again in their first races at age 4.

Both colts are aimed toward the Jan. 22 Louisiana Stakes at Fair Grounds and the two could hook up again in the $20 million Saudi Cup.

Mandaloun has been out of action since being placed first via Hot Rod Charlie’s disqualification in the July 17 Haskell Stakes. On Dec. 27 at Fair Grounds, Mandaloun posted the fifth timed workout of his comeback, going a bullet five furlongs in 59.60 seconds.

Midnight Bourbon won the 2020 Lecomte Stakes for trainer Steve Asmussen and owner Ron Winchell’s Winchell Thoroughbreds and will make his 4-year-old debut at Fair Grounds on the same Jan. 22 card as the 2022 Lecomte. Moreover, owner and trainer, if all goes to plan, will have a leading Lecomte contender in Epicenter, who won his stakes and two-turn debut Sunday in the inaugural edition of the $100,000 Gun Runner.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The old year will go out and the new year come in with a flourish, at least on the racetrack at Gulfstream Park, with nine stakes races to be decided in little more than a 24-hour period here Friday and Saturday afternoons.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – On Dec. 18, Geno, after making his first three starts on turf, tried dirt for the first time and won the $500,000 Great White Way division of the New York Stallion Series.

The connections of Ohtwoohthreefive are hoping the same surface switch works for their son of Union Rags when he tries dirt for the first time in Saturday’s $150,000 Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct. The Jerome, at a mile, is the first stakes for newly turned 3-year-olds and does offer its top four finishers points (10-4-2-1) toward the May 7 Kentucky Derby.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Even a week after the best week of her fledgling training career, it was still impossible to wipe the smile from Michelle Giangiulio’s face.

From Dec. 9-19, Giangiulio won with all three of her starters at Aqueduct. Considering she has only five horses in her stable, it was quite the accomplishment.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Todd Pletcher spent the holidays with family in Ocala but his imposing presence was felt here nonetheless with the Hall of Fame trainer capturing two of the three stakes decided at Gulfstream Park over Christmas weekend – the two-mile Allen Jerkens on Friday with Abaan and the Tropical Park Derby 48 hours later with the up-and-coming 3-year-old turf specialist Never Surprised.

ARCADIA, Calif. – The undefeated Flightline will have a limited campaign in 2022 expected to include the Grade 1 Metropolitan Mile at Belmont Park in early June, trainer John Sadler said.

Making his third start on Sunday, Flightline won his stakes debut in the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs at Santa Anita. Flightline took the lead shortly after the start and drew off by 11 1/2 lengths. Flightline ran seven furlongs in 1:21.37 and earned an astonishing Beyer Speed Figure of 118, the best of the year.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Santa Anita has amended its racing schedule for the forthcoming weekend because of significant rain forecast for Wednesday and Thursday, cancelling racing on Thursday and shifting three stakes scheduled for Friday to the Saturday and Sunday programs.

Racing will be held Friday through Sunday.

Saturday, Santa Anita will run four stakes, including the Grade 3 Robert Frankel Stakes for fillies and mares on turf, which was originally scheduled for Friday.