ELMONT, N.Y. – The Aidan O’Brien-trained pair of Bolshoi Ballet, seventh as the favorite in the Group 1 Epsom Derby, and Santa Barbara, runner-up in the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh in Ireland, arrived in New York Sunday night for starts in Saturday’s Belmont Derby and Belmont Oaks, respectively.

O’Brien has sent runners for five of the six runnings of the Belmont Derby, winning it in 2016 with Deauville. He won the 2018 Belmont Oaks with Athena and finished second in 2019 with Just Wonderful.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Mischevious Alex, the Grade 1 Carter winner who finished third in Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap, and Drain the Clock, the Grade 1 Woody Stephens winner, both returned to the work tab Monday, each breezing three furlongs over Belmont Park’s training track.

Mischevious Alex went in 37.81 seconds, while Drain the Clock went in 37.49 seconds.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Mind Control and Firenze Fire came out of their seven-furlong slugfest in Sunday’s Grade 2, $250,000 John Nerud Stakes at Belmont Park in good order and both will be pointed to stakes at Saratoga.

Mind Control, under John Velazquez, raced outside of Firenze Fire every step of the way before prevailing by a head in the Nerud. He will be pointed to the Grade 1, $600,000 Forego at seven furlongs on Aug. 28. Mind Control at age 2 won the Grade 1 Hopeful and at 3 the H. Allen Jerkens, both Grade 1 stakes at seven furlongs at Saratoga.

Without racing, Royal Ship’s status has risen in the California older horse division since a second-place finish in the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup at Santa Anita on May 31.

In the Gold Cup, Royal Ship finished second by a head to Country Grammer, who has since been transferred from trainer Bob Baffert's California barn to Todd Pletcher in New York as part of the fallout of a drug-positive found in the post-race test of the Baffert-trained Medina Spirit in the Kentucky Derby on May 1.

Last August, California trainer Mark Glatt won the first Grade 1 race of his career with the 3-year-old Collusion Illusion in the Bing Crosby Stakes for sprinters at Del Mar.

Collusion Illusion is on schedule for the same race this year at Del Mar on July 31, as is his 3-year-old stablemate Dr. Schivel, who won the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity last September.

ELMONT, N.Y. - With both the main track and training track still wet from Friday and Saturday rain, Sunday morning’s worktab at Belmont Park wasn’t as busy as usual. Still, there were some big names - mostly from the barn of Todd Pletcher - among the 70 horses who put in timed workouts.

Undefeated Kentucky Oaks winner Malathaat and Haskell-bound Following Sea led the Pletcher charge, both working over a Belmont Park training track that was labeled good.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Technically, Gustavo Rodriguez had won 18 races as a trainer before Kumar won Sunday’s fourth race at Belmont Park. In reality, though, Sunday's was Rodriguez’s first victory.

Rodriguez, who had served as an assistant to his brother Rudy since the latter became a trainer in 2010, left his brother’s employ about two weeks ago to train on his own. Kumar, a horse Gustavo Rodriguez and his business partner Andrew Gurdon claimed for $30,000 in March 2019, was Rodriguez’s first starter in New York, second overall, since going out on his own.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Max Player, Mystic Guide, and Happy Saver - the top three finishers from Saturday’s Grade 2 Suburban Stakes at Belmont Park - could be headed their separate ways before what their connections hope eventually is a reunion of sorts in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 6.

Max Player recorded the most significant victory of his career in the Suburban, besting Mystic Guide by a neck over a sloppy main track. Max Player ran 1 1/4 miles in 2:01.95 and earned a career-best 101 Beyer Speed Figure.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Thanks to owner-trainer Glen Todd, the Hastings meet will continue to at least Aug. 31. The meet is scheduled to run through Oct 25, but until Todd stepped in with a $1 million interest-free loan, there was not enough purse money to keep the meet going past Aug. 2.

“This is great news and the first step in extending our season into the fall,” said Dave Milburn, president of the local Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association. “Our thanks go to Glen for stepping up the plate.”

Purses at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., will be raised across the board beginning July 17, and three live racing dates will be added to the calendar after the state legislature approved a $2.5 million supplemental appropriation for Thoroughbred purses in the state.