Trainer Brad Cox showcased his latest Derby contender Jan. 22 on opening day of the Oaklawn Park meet when Shortleaf Stable’s Caddo River took charge early in the Smarty Jones Stakes and widened for a 10 1/4-length victory under Florent Geroux.

There’s a great amount of irony that the Pegasus World Cup Series finally found some stability in the midst of a volatile and deadly pandemic.

The first reported foal by Spendthrift Farm’s Mitole, winner of the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) at Santa Anita Park and champion sprinter in North America, is a colt that was born at Ballyrankin Stud in Lexington, according to Spendthrift.

Woodslane Farm’s homebred Sadler’s Joy made his career graded stakes debut in the 2017 W. L. McKnight Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream Park, and 27 graded stakes starts later, the Tom Albertrani turf warrior is still going strong.

Get Her Number recorded his first workout since winning the Sept. 26 American Pharoah Stakes (G1) when he breezed three furlongs in :38 4/5 Jan. 22 at San Luis Rey Training Center.

Finding room exiting the second turn, Robert and Lawana Low’s Colonel Liam rallied powerfully under Irad Ortiz Jr. to edge stablemate Largent in a photo finish in the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1T) at Gulfstream Park Jan. 23.

Slickly stood his first season at Darley’s Haras du Logis in 2003 and sired the winners of more than 900 flat races, notably Meandre, the winner of four group 1 races.

The New York Racing Association announced Jan. 22 its racing calendar for the year, which calls for 202 live race days at Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park, and Saratoga Race Course.

Joe Talamo is off his mounts for the Jan. 22 opening day card at Oaklawn Park after testing positive Friday at the Arkansas track for COVID-19. The jockey is asymptomatic.

Performer came to life in the stretch for jockey Joel Rosario and then wore down a determined Eye of a Jedi to prevail by a hard-fought neck in the $125,000 Fred W. Hooper Stakes (G3) Jan. 23 at Gulfstream Park.