ELMONT, N.Y. - After winning two graded stakes on Saturday’s Belmont Park card, Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott turned his attention to next Saturday’s program when he will take a swing at winning arguably the most prestigious race of the Belmont fall meet.

In his final workout for Saturday’s Grade 1, $250,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup, Tacitus worked a half-mile in 47.60 seconds over the Belmont main track.

BALTIMORE – Skeptics may have thought Robby Albarado had something to prove when he threw a leg over Swiss Skydiver before the Preakness Stakes on Saturday at Pimlico. But the 47-year-old jockey harbored an inner confidence that couldn’t be shaken.

“I never questioned myself,” Albarado said Sunday afternoon before leaving Baltimore.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Abel Cedillo rode Hot Rod Charlie to a neck win over Parnelli in Friday’s third race at Santa Anita, a maiden special weight race at a mile for 2-year-olds that could produce a few runners for important stakes in coming months.

For a rider successful on a promising colt, Cedillo was not in a particularly bright mood while walking to the jockeys’ room.

BALTIMORE – With a mere $12,561 in the win pool, here are the odds for the Preakness following advance wagering on Friday:

1-Excession, 80-1
2-Mr. Big News, 18-1
3-Art Collector, 4-5
4-Swiss Skydiver, 16-1
5-Thousand Words, 5-1
6-Jesus’ Team, 30-1
7-Ny Traffic, 35-1
8-Max Player, 25-1
9-Authentic, 5-1
10-Pneumatic, 17-1
11-Liveyourbeastlife, 50-1
(Win handle, $12,561)

ELMONT, N.Y. – Country Grammer, who won the Grade 3 Peter Pan Stakes earlier this year at Saratoga, will miss the remainder of his 3-year-old season due to a hind-end issue, trainer Chad Brown said.

Country Grammer was pointing to Saturday’s Preakness Stakes. But he came out of a work with an issue, Brown said, and was sent to Dr. Larry Bramlage, who found “a minor lameness issue behind.”

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ELMONT, N.Y. – Vekoma, unraced since winning the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap on July 4, worked five furlongs in 1:02.65 on Friday morning at Saratoga as he continues preparations for a start in the Breeders’ Cup on Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

While it has not yet been determined which Breeders’ Cup race Vekoma will run in, trainer George Weaver seems to be favoring the $2 million Sprint at six furlongs over the $1 million Dirt Mile, which at Keeneland is a two-turn race. He will most likely be pre-entered for both races.

MIAMI – Saffie Joseph Jr. spent much of his summer outside of South Florida, campaigning a string of his best horses at Saratoga while also making several forays into Kentucky. But his absence here on a regular basis did not stop Joseph from taking down leading trainer honors at the recently concluded Gulfstream Park spring-summer session, during which he won 59 races, 16 more than runner-up Mike Maker.

Coming off a stakes victory on closing weekend of the Saratoga meet, Thin White Duke looms large in the $120,438 Aspirant Stakes for 2-year-olds on Tuesday at Finger Lakes.

The Aspirant is one of two stakes for New York-bred juveniles this week at Finger Lakes – the other being the Lady Finger Stakes for fillies, which precedes it on Monday – that serve as local preps for the $100,000-added New York Breeders’ Futurity on Oct. 26.

ELMONT, N.Y. – There was a time immediately after the Kentucky Derby when Tiz the Law appeared a bit lethargic. That time has passed.

On Friday, in just his second work since his runner-up finish in the Kentucky Derby, Tiz the Law worked an extremely fast five furlongs in 57.87 seconds over the Belmont Park main track as the Belmont Stakes and Travers Stakes winner continues preparations for a scheduled start in the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland on Nov. 7.

BALTIMORE – Authentic and Art Collector both were pictures of health Thursday morning at Pimlico, where they’ll go postward Saturday as the clear-cut favorites in the 145th Preakness Stakes, the final leg of the 2020 Triple Crown.

Authentic, winner of the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby, galloped about a mile and three-quarters with regular exercise rider Beto Gomez aboard. The track was fast after having been sloppy Wednesday morning. No rain is expected through the coming weekend.