A pair of 3-year-old fillies who made their last start against males in September’s Gottstein Futurity will square off in a first-level allowance/optional $30,000 claiming race that serves as the feature Saturday at Emerald Downs. The feature is part of a nine-race card that gets started at 2 p.m. Pacific.

None of this year’s North American freshman sires have yet recorded a winner on this continent, but Eclipse Award champion sprinter Mitole was first off the mark anywhere in the world, with a winner in Russia on Tuesday.

Mit Myth won his maiden at first asking at Nal’chik in Southern Russia. The Louisiana-bred colt, out of the Artie Schiller mare Family Myth, was a $30,000 purchase as a short yearling out of the Keeneland January horses of all ages sale, under the name Delta Bloodstock.

Six years ago, Daddys Lil Darling headed overseas for a tilt in the Epsom Oaks. But the plan fell apart at the last moment when the filly was unnerved by thunder and lightning on her way to the gate, lost her rider, and was a late scratch.

In a nice bit of kismet, Daddys Lil Darling is now the dam of the early favorite for this year’s Epsom Oaks. Her first foal, Savethelastdance, scored a devastating 22-length victory in the Cheshire Oaks on Tuesday at Chester to stamp herself as a classic threat.

Steve Cauthen rode his way into the history books while still a teenager on 1978 Triple Crown winner Affirmed, then went on to a highly successful career riding in Europe, winning multiple classics among other major events.

Now in another phase of his involvement in the Thoroughbred world, Cauthen owns Holding the Line, a juvenile getting ready to take his own trip across the pond with an eye on next month’s renowned Royal Ascot meeting.

While the thrill of winning the Kentucky Derby is still sinking in to his connections, Mage seemingly just wants to get back to business.

Mage returned to the track Tuesday at Churchill Downs, where he jogged a mile and galloped a mile over a sloppy track. Wednesday, he did a bit more, galloping 1 1/2 miles.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Approximately two decades ago, James Chapman trained a talented sprinter in Caller One, a seven-time stakes winner who earned more than $3.2 million.

In Drew’s Gold, a horse who has won all three of his starts, Chapman thinks he has one with talent on par, if not better, than Caller One.

“Scary good,” Chapman said when asked to describe Drew’s Gold. “He could be the best horse I’ve ever had, including Caller One. This is a freaky horse.”

ARCADIA, Calif. – Conditions are not ideal, but close enough for key entrants in the featured seventh race for 3-year-old fillies Friday at Santa Anita.

Getthemoney, an easily distracted sprint filly adding blinkers, faces Doinitthehardway, a two-turn specialist shortening to seven furlongs in the entry-level allowance. Six entered the Friday feature on a card that includes the first unrestricted 2-year-old maiden race of the meet.

Awesome Pic figures to be a short price when she runs in a first-level allowance race for Florida-bred 3-year-old fillies Friday at Gulfstream. The six-furlong dash drew six horses, goes as race 7, and headlines an eight-race card that begins at 12:50 p.m. Eastern.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Catiche, who nearly won a Grade 3 stakes in her last visit to Woodbine, should be favored in Friday’s featured conditioned allowance, which has a $50,000 claiming option.

A daughter of the late, great Arrogate, Catiche checked in second when debuting here in the fall of 2021. She was campaigned in the United States after that and eventually graduated in a two-turn maiden-special over Gulfsteam Park’s Tapeta in March of last year.