Assael Espinoza, a leading rider in Northern California in recent years, has relocated to Oaklawn Park in Arkansas in advance of the track’s lucrative winter-spring meeting that opens on Dec. 12.

Espinoza has not ridden in California since Oct. 5. He said earlier this week that he spent much of October visiting family in Mexico before working horses earlier this month at Churchill Downs. Espinoza had one mount at Churchill on Nov. 15 before moving to Hot Springs, Ark., to prepare for the Oaklawn meeting.

Few Southern California trainers are as eager as George Papaprodromou for the resumption of racing at Del Mar on Saturday.

Papaprodromou and John Sadler begin the weekend tied for first in the trainer standings with six wins. Papaprodromou is seeking his first training title.

Friday’s program was canceled because of overnight rain, leading the track to alter its racing schedule this weekend to a Saturday-through-Monday format. Papaprodromou has nine runners over those days compared to six for Sadler.

Intrepido, winner of the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes at Santa Anita on Oct. 4, but fifth of six in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar on Oct. 31, will not race again this year.

Trainer Jeff Mullins said on Thursday that Intrepido’s next start will occur at the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting that begins on Dec. 26. There are four graded stakes for 3-year-olds on dirt at the meeting, beginning with the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes at seven furlongs on Jan. 10, followed by the Grade 3 Robert Lewis Stakes at a mile on Feb. 7.

Dr. Venkman, third in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at six furlongs at Del Mar on Nov. 1, will have a 2026 campaign focused on longer sprints and one-turn mile races.

In the immediate future, Dr. Venkman will not do much, trainer Mark Glatt said on Thursday.

“We’ll give him a little bit of a break and gear him up for the spring,” Glatt said.

Dr. Venkman will be considered for races such as the Grade 1 Churchill Downs Stakes at seven furlongs on May 2, part of the undercard of the Kentucky Derby program.

Overnight purses will rise by approximately 6 percent to 7 percent in some categories at the 2025-26 Santa Anita winter-spring meeting from Dec. 26-April 5.

In addition, two $100,000 stakes on turf have been restored to the schedule after not being held this year. The Astra Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/2 miles will be run Jan. 19. The Providencia Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles is scheduled for April 5.