Horse Racing News by Jack Shinar

Returning from a near-death experience last year, Paynter demolished an allowance field June 14 at Betfair Hollywood Park in his first start since winning last July's Haskell Invitational.

Charlie Em and Scarlet Strike, just a head apart when one-two, respectively in the Senorita Stakes last month, square off again in the $150,000 Honeymoon Handicap June 8 at Betfair Hollywood Park.

Slim Shadey returns to his favorite distance of 10 furlongs as the 122-pound highweight in the $200,000 Charles Whittingham Memorial Handicap on the turf at Betfair Hollywood Park June 8.

Den's Legacy, taken off the Triple Crown trail by trainer Bob Baffert after a sixth-place finish in the Arkansas Derby, should find the company more to his liking in the $100,000 Affirmed Handicap June 2 at Betfair Hollywood Park.

Sahara Sky, invading from Southern California for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, needed every inch of the long Belmont Park stretch run to catch pacesetting Cross Traffic in a heart-pounding finish to the $750,000 Metropolitan Handicap May 27.

Odds-on choice Last Gunfighter collared pacesetter Eighttofasttocatch in the final furlong and drew off by 4 ¼ lengths for his sixth consecutive victory May 17 in the $300,000 Pimlico Special in Baltimore, Md.

Emollient, nine-length winner of the Ashland Stakes in April, is the 9-5 favorite in a field of nine 3-year-old fillies entered in the $500,000 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes May 17 at Pimlico Race Course.

Charlie Em made a brilliant United States debut when she held off 3-5 favorite Scarlet Strike by a head in the $100,500 Senorita Stakes on the turf at Betfair Hollywood Park May 11.

Jockey Rafael Bejarano earned the 3,000th North American victory of his career when 1-2 favorite Ondine rolled to an easy victory in the first race May 11 at Betfair Hollywood Park.

Horse of the Year Wise Dan ran his winning streak to six races and surpassed $4 million in career earnings with a facile win in the $546,400 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic over yielding ground May 4 at Churchill Downs.