ELMONT, N.Y. - Though Crowded Trade put in a sharp workout Saturday morning at Belmont Park, trainer Chad Brown said afterward the horse remains on target for the Preakness on May 15 and he still plans to run Blue Grass Stakes runner-up Highly Motivated in the Kentucky Derby.

Highly Motivated is scheduled to breeze Sunday at Keeneland before vanning over to Churchill Downs on Monday.

“As long as Highly Motivated works well and comes out of it well on Monday, I’m going to ship him over to Churchill,” Brown said Saturday at Belmont Park.

A project to replace the entire cushion of Laurel Park’s one-mile main track will likely take no more than three weeks, officials for the track and its parent company told horsemen during a conference call on Friday afternoon.

Work on the project will occur on a nearly 24-7 basis, the officials said, with daily breaks that will allow horsemen to gallop on the parts of the surface that are not being replaced. Track officials said that they will send daily and weekly reminders to horsemen about the training hours, due to the uncertainty over the work schedule.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Jockey Jose Lezcano, who has not ridden since Jan. 31 owing to shoulder and knee surgery, is hoping to return to race-riding April 29 at Belmont Park, his agent said.

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OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Danny Velazquez said that Brooklyn Strong, his stakes-winning 3-year-old gelding who finished fifth in the Wood Memorial on April 3, is targeting the Preakness on May 15 at Pimlico. Over the weekend, Velazquez and Brooklyn Strong’s owner Mark Schwartz were planning to decide whether to run in the Federico Tesio at Pimlico next Saturday beforehand.

The Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on April 30 may not be in the plans for Soothsay, the undefeated winner of the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks on April 3.

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Rombauer, the winner of the El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields in February, worked a half-mile in 48.80 seconds at Santa Anita on Friday in his first major exercise since finishing a well-beaten third in the Grade 2 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on April 3.

The workout is part of preparation for the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 1 or the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on May 15.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Trainer Todd Pletcher sent his four Kentucky Derby hopefuls out for works in company with one another Friday morning at Churchill Downs, in their most serious breezes before the May 1 classic.

Florida Derby winner Known Agenda and Jeff Ruby runner-up Sainthood were first to come through the lane for the outfit. With Known Agenda, wearing blinkers on the outside, the two colts were on relatively even terms through five furlongs, stopping the clock in 1:00.40 with the Churchill Downs clockers.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Derby isn’t the only upcoming Churchill classic involving the frequent mention of “bubble” these days. A capacity gate of 14 for the April 30 Kentucky Oaks remains likely, with at least another handful of fillies on the outside looking in.

The Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton, Calif., confirmed Wednesday it will run its meet this summer as scheduled.

In a letter to horsemen, Jerome Hoban, the fair’s CEO, said the fair “fully intends” to conduct its meet beginning on June 18. The meet is scheduled to run through July 11.

Mighty Heart, the one-eyed Queen’s Plate winner who became a fan favorite, was crowned the 2020 Canadian Horse of the Year during a virtual presentation of the 46th annual Sovereign Awards ceremony on Thursday.

Owned and bred by Larry Cordes, Mighty Heart swept the first two legs of the Canadian Triple Crown, the Plate and Prince of Wales Stakes, before finishing a tired seventh in the Breeders’ Stakes. He was voted champion male 3-year-old over stablemate Belichick, the four-length Breeders’ Stakes winner.