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Kentucky Oaks winner Plum Pretty got her 4-year-old season started in a powerful way Friday at Oaklawn Park, when she shuttled to a 2 1/4- length win over Absinthe Minded in the Grade 1, $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap.

Horse of the Year Havre de Grace will not run in the Grade 1, $500,000 Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park on April 13, owner Rick Porter said shortly after the weights for the race were released on Saturday.

Absinthe Minded, a two-time stakes winner at the meet who finished fourth as the favorite in the Grade 3, $150,000 Azeri last Saturday, will advance to next month's Grade 1, $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap, trainer D. Wayne Lukas said.

Secret Circle will attempt to complete a sweep of Oaklawn Park's series for 3-year-olds next month, when he runs in the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby.

The Grade 3, $150,000 Azeri is the local prep for the meet's biggest offering for fillies and mares, the Grade 1, $500,000 Apple Blossom on April 13. It also is the first half of a stakes double.

Bob Baffert has favored Secret Circle in the Rebel, which he won last year with The Factor and in 2010 with Lookin At Lucky.

Junebugred put himself on the 3-year-old fast track Monday at Oaklawn Park, when he won the $100,000 Smarty Jones at Oaklawn Park by a neck over Reckless Jerry.

The Grade 3, $1 million race at Delta Downs in Vinton, La., will have a Grade 1 winner in the field for the first time Saturday after trainer Bob Baffert on Monday committed Drill, the Del Mar Futurity winner, to the 1 1/16-mile race.

Awesome Gem still has got it at 8. He rallied for a one-length win in the Grade 3, $300,000 Lone Star Park Handicap on Monday, then withstood a claim of foul to nail down the fourth graded stakes win of a career that began in 2006.

For all Smiling Tiger accomplished last year at 3 -- knocking off older horses in the both the Bing Crosby and Ancient Title and running third in the Breeders' Cup Sprint -- there are reasons to believe he will be even better this season.

Havre de Grace has matured into a more aggressive racehorse at 4. She defeated champion Blind Luck by more than three lengths last month in the Grade 3, $150,000 Azeri at Oaklawn.

For all Smiling Tiger accomplished last year at 3 -- knocking off older horses in the both the Bing Crosby and Ancient Title and running third in the Breeders' Cup Sprint -- there are reasons to believe he will be even better this season.

Chief of Affairs established himself as one of the top choices for next month's Grade 3, $200,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap at Oaklawn Park when he won the $75,000 Hot Springs on Sunday in a meet-best time of 1:08.56 for six furlongs.

It looks like Havre de Grace is sitting on an outstanding season. In her first start since running third in the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic in November, she rolled to a 3 1/4-length win over Blind Luck in the Grade 3, $150,000 Azeri at Oaklawn Park.

Despite a record in which he has won two stakes in four career starts, Archarcharch finds himself needing a big effort Saturday in the Grade 2, $300,000 Rebel at Oaklawn to be looked upon as one of the nation's top 3-year-olds.

Rigoletta was forced to miss the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies last fall with a minor physical setback following her win in the Grade 1 Oak Leaf. Her first step toward the Kentucky Oaks will come Saturday in the $125,000 Honeybee at Oaklawn.