The California form heading into the Kentucky Derby (G1) was flattered in New York on Saturday when Rodriguez gave nine rivals the slip in the $750,000 Wood Memorial (G2) at Aqueduct.

Subsanador prevailed in a three-way photo over National Treasure and Newgate in the California Crown (G1) at Santa Anita, earning a ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).

On a stakes-packed inaugural California Crown Day at Santa Anita, First Peace won the Eddie D (G2), Cabo Spirit stunned the John Henry Turf Championship (G2), and Toupie wired the Unzip Me S.

The stakes-packed Friday evening card at Charles Town provided a chance for proven stakes winners to add rich victories to their decorated resumes.

The Del Mar Debutante (G1) just eluded Hall of Famer Beholder during her 2012 juvenile campaign, but now she can boast of her daughter Tamara’s stunning victory in Saturday’s $303,500 renewal.

As the region braces for Hurricane Hilary, a more benevolent force of nature blew through Del Mar on Saturday – 4-5 favorite Anisette, who stormed from last to first in the Del Mar Oaks (G1).

Trainer Bob Baffert pulled off a Grade 1 double on opening day of the Santa Anita meet, nabbing the Malibu with Taiba and the La Brea with Fun to Dream.

Santa Anita’s Grade 3 events for turf juveniles on Sunday produced Breeders’ Cup contenders, as heavy favorites Packs a Wahlop and Comanche Country remained unbeaten on the Southern California circuit.

Trainer Mark Glatt swept both of the graded sprint stakes at Santa Anita on Saturday. Howbeit held on by a pixel in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G2), and a half-hour later, Whatmakessammyrun upset the Eddie D. (G2) on turf.

After inexperience arguably cost him in his Haskell (G1) near-miss, Zedan Racing Stables’ Taiba was a savvier operator in Saturday’s $1 million Pennsylvania Derby (G1).

Cave Rock conquered Sunday’s $302,000 Del Mar Futurity in stakes-record time, completing the second half of a juvenile Grade 1 double for late sire Arrogate.

Dubai World Cup (G1) hero Country Grammer was sent off as the 2-1 favorite in his comeback in Saturday’s San Diego H. (G2), but his old archrival Royal Ship was too sharp in the 1 1/16-mile test.

American Theorem nipped an ultra-game Principe Carlo in the Triple Bend (G2), as the 3-10 favorite Brickyard Ride faded at Santa Anita.

It was no surprise that trainer Tim Yakteen won Saturday’s $750,500 Santa Anita Derby (G1). Less expected was the fact that it was Taiba.

In the trio of graded turf stakes on Santa Anita Derby Day, Going Global made it look easy in her Royal Heroine (G2) comeback, Kentucky invader Brooke Marie plundered the Monrovia (G2), and Cairo Memories wired the Providencia (G3).

DEL MAR, Calif. -- They say that anything can happen in a horse race, but every so often the results play out exactly how it looks on paper.

Odds-on favorite Corniche stamped his Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) ticket in Friday’s American Pharoah S. (G1) at Santa Anita, and fellow unbeaten One Timer captured the Speakeasy S., a “Win and You’re In” for the Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2).