The Grade 2, 7-furlong $150,000 Hutcheson Stakes at Gulfstream Park features a small field of six and the favorite will likely be Thunder Moccasin, who has only one start but won it in impressive fashion, earning the highest speed figure of the field.

A field of 11 goes postward for the Grade 1, $500,000 1 1/8 mile Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park including Preakness winner Shackleford and Belmont winner Ruler on Ice. Shackleford was runner-up in the Grade 1 Florida Derby here last winter, and now makes his return to a track he seems to like.

The world of Thoroughbred racing is rich and multifaceted. From the owners and breeders searching for that once in a lifetime horse, to the trainers and stable workers that make it all go; from die-hard handicappers on the prowl for their next major score, to the $2 bettor enjoying an afternoon at the races. For newcomers to the sport, this can all be somewhat intimidating.

In the first of three Kentucky Derby Future Wager pools scheduled during the lead-up to the first Saturday in May, the “field” is the heavy 9-to-5 favorite on the morning line, according to Churchill Downs. Algorithms, the smashing winner of the Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park, is the favorite among the 23 individual betting interests at 8-to-1.

The $300,000 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap traditionally marks the return of major turf racing in the United States from its winter slumber. It is the season's first Grade 1 race on grass and, given its lofty status and purse, a field of 11 turf specialists will look to kick off their 2012 campaigns in fine fashion on Feb. 11.

The month of February is shaping up to be a very competitive month for a select group of top racing stables in our virtual racing game, competing for that ultimate prize and winning the monthly category of Most Trainer Tournament Wins.

The Grade 2 Hutcheson Stakes continues Gulfstream Park's road to the Kentucky Derby. The 2012 edition, slated for Feb. 12, will mark the 3-year-old debut of Ever So Lucky, a top Kentucky Derby contender for trainer Jonathan Sheppard.

Anticipation for Thoroughbred racing's 2012 older horse division is higher than its been in years. A major reason for the optimism is many of last year's top horses are returning to the races for 2012 campaigns. Among those coming back are all three winners of the previous year's Triple Crown races, which is the first time that's happened in many years.

Each spring on the road to the Kentucky Derby, new contenders often emerge with big performances that seem to come out of nowhere. In the latest round of prep races for the 2012 Kentucky Derby, a pair of colts did just that to put themselves squarely in the Derby mix.