Randomized, an Eclipse Award finalist in the 3-year-old filly division last year, makes her 2024 debut Saturday in the Grade 2, $200,000 Ruffian Stakes for fillies and mares at the Belmont at the Big A meet. The 11-race card also includes the Fort Marcy Stakes and the Elusive Quality.

Randomized came to hand last summer for Chad Brown, reeling off victories in the restricted Wilton at Saratoga on July 14, the Grade 1 Alabama there on Aug. 19, and the Grade 2 Beldame at Belmont At The Big A on Oct. 8.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – It comes as no surprise that trainer Chad Brown, longtime king of the North American filly and mare turf-route division, has a presence in Saturday’s Grade 2 Distaff Turf Mile at Churchill Downs. Brown has won the last three renewals of this race.

Also unsurprising is the fact bettors must figure out which Brown is the right Brown. Eleven fillies and mares were entered in the $750,000 Distaff Turf Mile, three trained by Brown: Chili Flag, Delahaye, and Coppice.

ARCADIA, Calif. – The only derby winner running on the first Saturday in May at Santa Anita, Planetario happens to be the likely favorite in the Grade 2 Charles Whittingham Stakes.

A Brazilian import who won the Group 1 Grande Premio Derby Paulista in his native land before emerging as one of the top distance turf horses in California, Planetario is the horse to beat in the 1 1/4-mile Whittingham. He is no walkover, despite a familiar rival who is missing.

No rival could get close to City of Troy in his three starts as a 2-year-old in Ireland and England last year.

A winter of hype has led to the impeccably bred colt’s much-anticipated 3-year-old debut in Saturday’s Group 1 English 2000 Guineas at a mile at Newmarket Racecourse.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Skelly can go over $1 million in Oaklawn Park earnings on Saturday when he defends his Lake Hamilton title against a field that includes Southern California shipper Straight No Chaser and South Florida invader Mish.

The $200,000 Lake Hamilton, a six-furlong race for 4-year-olds and up, drew a field of eight. It goes as the 10th race on a 12-race card that includes the $200,000 Arkansas Breeders’ Championship.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – It should have been obvious. It should’ve been obvious that when Chad Brown chose the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf for I’m Very Busy’s 4-year-old debut that something, behind the curtain, had changed with this horse. That a colt with a grand total of two wins his first two years racing, no stakes success, a distant second finishing his 3-year-old campaign in a modest Grade 2, would show up in a $1 million race.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The defections of Knightsbridge and Glengarry from the field certainly appear to have made Saturday’s Grade 2, $600,000 Pat Day Mile a wide-open affair.

Knightsbridge, off two impressive wins, has an injury that will keep him out through the summer, trainer Bill Mott said. Glengarry, winner of the Lafayette Stakes at Keeneland last month, had a few minor issues that prevented trainer Doug Anderson from entering him.

Thus, the Pat Day field ballooned to a competitive field of 12 with many ways to go.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Godolphin’s raiding party from Charlie Appleby’s Newmarket yard had a stellar Keeneland meet in April. The outfit looks to continue that magic at Churchill Downs, with stakes runners on Saturday starting off with Mischief Magic in the Grade 2, $600,000 Twin Spires Turf Sprint.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. sends out Tapeta experts Accomplished Girl and Blind Spot in Saturday’s Grade 3, $135,000 Whimsical at Woodbine.

Accomplished Girl was unbeaten in two synthetic-track starts last year. She won a first-level allowance/optional claimer at Gulfstream in July and led throughout the Grade 2 Presque Isle Downs Masters in September.

PHOENIX – The Hasta La Vista Stakes has traditionally brought down the curtain on Turf Paradise meets over the years. On Saturday, the $60,000 turf marathon fills that role again, going as the final race on the 11-race closing-day card. The question is, will this running merely be a cymbal crash on another meet or on the Phoenix track for good?

The track mustered a meet this year, after all indications were that it had died on the vine. And while the meet commenced nicely, there’s no guarantee there will be racing again at Turf Paradise after Saturday.