HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Bobby Dibona said one of the fondest memories of his late mother came on an Easter Sunday many years ago – a winner’s circle picture that he still cherishes to this day.

“The horse actually had some heat issues after the race. We had to keep him moving and under a hose the whole time,” Dibona recalled. “He turned out to be fine although he never actually made it into the winner’s circle himself. But the picture we took with myself, my mom, and the owner that day is one I’ll always treasure.”

Darya and Inbox are European imports entered in Sunday’s $100,000 Providencia Stakes at Santa Anita with remarkably similar records.

Both are trained by Phil D’Amato, won their last starts in maiden races at 1 1/8 miles on turf, and are relatively inexperienced.

Darya was a 2-5 favorite when she won her third appearance, and second in the United States, on March 21. Inbox was the 7-10 favorite when she won her second start in her American debut by 1 1/4 lengths on Jan. 24.

Authentic Gallop will represent a significant change to the trainer lineup in Louisiana on Saturday night, when he seeks to win his third straight race in the $100,000 Evangeline Downs Mile.

He will be one of the first starters in the state for Kinnon LaRose, who is taking over the stable of Louisiana native Tom Amoss. The barn will be based in Kentucky this spring, but LaRose will be active at Evangeline over opening weekend.

Evangeline’s 73-date meet that began Friday will run through Labor Day.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Book’em Danno, the champion sprinter of 2025, returns from a layoff of more than seven months in Saturday’s Grade 2, $300,000 Carter Stakes at Aqueduct. Though he’ll meet just four rivals in the seven-furlong race, it is no easy spot.

Among his rivals in the Carter are Rated by Merit, unbeaten in five career starts but who has only raced once in 16 months, and Point Dume, who comes in off a solid victory in the General George at Laurel Park.

First the Blue Grass lost Derby favorite Paladin, and then it lost Rebel winner Class President. The race has lost luster.

Iron Honor looks like he’ll win the Wood as the favorite.

We’ll try to find a winner of the day’s third Derby prep and unearth something in two of Keeneland’s other stakes.

Madison

Takethemoneyhoney must bear the burden of heavy favoritism before she can reap the rewards on Saturday at Laurel Park. The 5-year-old mare seems ideally prepared as a heavy favorite in the $100,000 Heavenly Cause Stakes, but trainer Mike Moore is understandably wary of near-certainties.

“You want to be the favorite, but I do think you feel a little pressure,” Moore said. “If you win, you’re supposed to win, and if you don’t win, everybody says, ‘Whoa!’ ”

A week ago, the Blue Grass Stakes felt like a one-horse race. Tuesday, when the Saturday card was assembled, it seemed like a three-horse affair, but that did not last either. And after a pair of important defections, Further Ado and Reagan’s Honor head what will be, at most, a seven-horse Blue Grass on Saturday at Keeneland.

Trainer Chad Brown had aimed undefeated Kentucky Derby favorite Paladin toward the Blue Grass all winter, but plans came apart when Paladin incurred an injury while breezing March 28.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – It’s looking like a little bit of déjà vu for Strollsmischief heading into the second start of his career Saturday in the $150,000 Rainbow Stakes at Oaklawn Park.

“We got the one-hole the first time out in the slop and he won, and here we go again,” trainer Dewaine Loy said. “We’ve got the one-hole again, and it’s probably going to be in the slop or muddy.”

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The sprinter Book’em Danno, who runs in Saturday’s Grade 2 Carter, is not the only champion making a comeback Saturday at Aqueduct.

Immersive, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2024, makes her 4-year-old debut in the Grade 3, $150,000 Distaff Stakes at seven furlongs. Immersive, a Godolphin homebred daughter of Nyquist who won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at 2, has not raced since she won the Seneca at Churchill Downs last September, one of just three starts she had as a 3-year-old.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The favorite is marooned on the outside in a bulky 12-horse field. The second choice is parked on the rail and coming off a poor effort. As has been the case in recent years, the Grade 2 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct is ripe for chaos.

With a golden ticket to the Kentucky Derby awaiting the winner, a near certain spot in the Derby starting gate for the runner-up, and the lack of a standout, Saturday’s $750,000 Wood Memorial drew 13 runners though one, Ottinho, will scratch to run in the Blue Grass.