Groundhog Day was last week and according to the rodents, spring is right around the corner. But who needs a woodchuck to tell us that, when we’ve got Saturday racing cards at Aqueduct? David Grening in Daily Racing Form tells us that beginning this week, the Big A will offer 10 races every Saturday. Woo-hoo! (You can decide for yourselves whether that interjection is ironic or not.)

I’m not much of a scholar of Native American history, but I had no idea that the Oneida Nation had such a soft spot for Aqueduct. According to an ad now airing regularly in NY1, “Something’s really wrong” when Albany “backroom” deals allow casinos into the state to “jeopardize Aqueduct.” It’s touching, their concern, really it is.

Stepping away from cynicism for a moment: the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation has begun its hay drive. The TRF cares for 1,200 racehorses, feeding over 600 bales of hay daily through the winter. For $5, you can purchase a bail of hay to help feed a retired racehorse. You can text 20222 to donate, or click here.

And if you’re going to be in Florida in early March, perhaps you’d like to play golf near Gulfstream to support the TRF? For an extra $250, you could play a round with a jockey; the list of jockeys tentatively scheduled to appear includes Jesus Castanon, Angel Cordero, Jr., Chris DeCarlo, Elvis Trujillo, Alan Garcia, and Kent Desormeaux. All proceeds benefit the TRF.

Jessica Chapel, who moved back to Boston from New York last year, is covering in detail the conflict between Suffolk Downs management and the track’s horsemen, which has resulted in a number of tracks pulling their simulcast signals from Suffolk. Visit Railbird regularly for updates.

The Road to the Roses Kentucky Derby fantasy league is slated to begin next week, and once again, we’ll have a Brooklyn Backstretch charity league. Click here to get on the RttR mailing list for a notification of when the game begins, and start compiling your lists of horses, trainers, and jockeys.