Age has not stopped Cloudy’s Knight, however, despite the fact that he is Lava Man’s elder by a year – he was in the winner’s circle again on Boxing Day in the G2 W. L. McKnight Handicap at Gulfstream. Usual stalwart Presious Passion was barely a factor in the race, but he’ll be back later this winter – Cloudy’s Knight will have a break until the spring, and then he too will return to the track.

Gio Ponti is aiming to make his 2010 debut sometime in February, with a view toward the Dubai World Cup; there’s no official word yet on whether Rachel Alexandra may be Dubai-bound as well, but she’s been back galloping, with real works coming next month.

Newly-four Quality Road demonstrated that he’s learned how to behave at the gate – now that he’s a grownup 4-year-old, he handled things quite professionally in the Hal’s Hope (and one could argue that the mile distance suited him well). He may use the Donn Handicap as a route to Dubai – although I’d prefer to see him in the Godolphin Mile, rather than the World Cup.

For those interested in what the 3-year-olds are up to, it’s a bit too early to predict things – but it’s certainly encouraging to hear that Take Control, offspring of two former Horses of the Year, won his career debut (back when he was just a 2-year-old, last week). It’s easy to set the bar very high indeed when the parents in question are Azeri and A.P. Indy, and we have no real idea what sort of company he’ll be keeping as his career gets going, but it’s certainly a move forward for the Bob Baffert trainee.

We’re still a few weeks away from some of the season’s major races, but planning is very much underway – welcome to 2010!