Thursday should be a particularly important day in terms of what trainer Ken McPeek can expect from his promising crop of 3-year-olds. Two allowances at 1 1/8 miles have been carded at Gulfstream, and McPeek trains 4 of the 17 entered between the two.

Jockey Jon Court plans to ride at the Oaklawn Park meet that opens Jan. 16, and the move could mean a year-round return to the Midwest for the rider, who is now based in Southern California.

Frank Stronach's Adena Springs breeding operation recorded its sixth consecutive year as North America's leading breeder by earnings in 2008, the Jockey Club Information Systems announced Tuesday.

Wagering on U.S. horse races in December dropped 20.8 percent compared with betting in December of 2007, according to figures released by Equibase on Tuesday, putting a punctuation mark on a year in which wagering on races fell just over $1 billion to the lowest total since 1999.

Sugar Mint, who spent last year chasing many of the best 3-year-old fillies in England, will make her U.S. debut in a $48,000 allowance race on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita on Thursday, a race she is overqualified to win.

Golden Gate Fields closed its Tapeta surface to training on Monday and Tuesday to perform routine maintenance, said the track's general manager, Robert Hartman.

Thursday's card at Gulfstream Park will give 17 3-year-olds the opportunity to take what could be their next step on the Kentucky Derby trail.