Horse Racing News by Jack Shinar

Hear the Ghost, one of the favorites for the upcoming $750,000 Santa Anita Derby, is off the Triple Crown trail after he was detected to be slightly lame during a morning jog April 4 at Betfair Hollywood Park.

Flashback and Hear the Ghost, the two favorites for this year's $750,000 Santa Anita Derby April 6, drew the inside post positions in a field of nine 3-year-olds.

Trainer Shug McGaughey said he was waiting for Orb to take him to Louisville. The Hall of Fame conditioner should be on his way after the colt's impressive win in the $1 million Besilu Stables Florida Derby March 30.

The drought for America in the Dubai World Cup came to an end March 30 when champion Animal Kingdom galloped clear in the homestretch for a spectacular score at Meydan Racecourse.

Successful Song was supposed to be embarking on a new career as a broodmare by now, but her connections at Live Oak Plantation changed the plan for their homebred daughter of Successful Appeal thanks to her winning ways during the Gulfstream Park meet

She couldn't catch Live Lively in her seasonal debut five weeks earlier, but Dreaming of Julia figures to be much tighter for their next engagement in the $300,000 Gulfstream Park Oaks March 30 at Gulfstream Park.

A field of 10 has been entered for the $1 million Besilu Stables Florida Derby March 30 at Gulfstream Park, although three horses are getting almost all of the attention: Itsmyluckyday, Shanghai Bobby, and Orb.

Tiz Flirtatious held off the late charge of even-money choice Lady of Shamrock to nail down her first graded stakes win in the $150,000 Santa Ana Stakes on the turf at Santa Anita Park March 24.

Trainer Bob Baffert grabbed his fifth win in the $200,000 Sunland Park Oaks when short-price favorite Midnight Lucky left the field behind on the far turn en route to an eight-length win March 24 in New Mexico.

Sky Kingdom, on the comeback trail for trainer Bob Baffert, spurted away from challenger Oilisblackgold in the stretch to easily record his first stakes victory in the marathon Tokyo City Cup at Santa Anita Park March 23.