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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.

The Grade 2 Strub Stakes, the third and final leg of Santa Anita's Strub Series for 4-year-olds, is set for Feb. 4. Among those slated to compete in the 65th Strub Stakes is Tapizar, who took the second leg of the Strub Series with a comprehensive victory in the 1 1/16-mile San Fernando Stakes on Jan. 14.

The Santa Monica Stakes at Santa Anita is one of the first Grade 1 sprint races in the country for older fillies and mares. The 2012 edition, slated for Jan. 28, is shaping up as a race worthy of its Grade 1 status. Among the probable starters are Grade 1 winner Teddy's Promise, multiple Stakes winners Rumor and Sugarinthemorning, and Eastern shipper Beat the Blues for trainer Bill Calhoun.

When Frank Stronach launched his Adena Springs Thoroughbred breeding operation with a farm in central Kentucky in 1989, few knew it would be the groundwork for one of the more remarkable runs by a breeder in the history of the Thoroughbred industry.

A trio of contenders for the 2012 Kentucky Derby affirmed their position as ones to watch on the Triple Crown trail with solid performances over the weekend, but one big-name 3-year-old proved a a bit of a disappointment to bettors when stretching out to a longer distance for the first time.

The Hal's Hope Stakes at Gulfstream Park, to be run this year on Jan. 14, is South Florida's key prep race for the Grade 1 Donn Handicap held later in the Gulfstream meet.

Each year, the Kentucky Derby provides one of the best betting opportunities in all of horse racing. Consider these numbers: during the last five years, the average $2 win bet has returned $36.72 and the Exacta has paid an average of $560. The Trifecta, which requires a bettor to pick the first three finishers in exact order, has averaged $5,900.

For decades, Clocker's Corner at Santa Anita Park has provided racing fans with a first-hand look into the world of training Thoroughbreds.

On any given morning at Clocker's Corner, one can watch horses train on the track, grab a filling breakfast and even rub shoulders with the movers and shakers of the racing world.

Golden Gate Fields, located near Berkeley in the San Francisco Bay area, has been a Northern California racing institution since 1941. The track has been the lone host of major Thoroughbred racing in the area since the closing of Bay Meadows in 2008.

Hollywood Park managed to buck the national trend as average daily live race handle was up by 9.5 percent for its just-concluded Autumn meeting. A major reason for the increase in business was an increase in average field size from 7.33 starters per race last year to 7.89.

Total handle for the 26-day meet was $151,319,791, which was a healthy jump from last year's total of $132,933,380.