ARCADIA, Calif. – Gold Phoenix, an 8-year-old gelding, is acting like a kid heading into his Saturday comeback at Santa Anita.

“He’s training like he’s a young 3-year-old,” trainer Phil D’Amato said. “He’s fresh and happy. Judging by his last couple drills, he’s all systems go.”

Gold Phoenix returns as the favorite in the Grade 3 San Marcos Stakes, a 1 1/4-mile turf race that will get easier after his main rival defects. Truly Quality, a multiple graded stakes winner, is likely to scratch to wait for the Grade 3 San Luis Rey Stakes on March 21.

Encino will look to keep rolling at his favorite track as he towers over the field for Saturday night’s $125,000 Dust Commander Stakes for older horses going 1 1/16 miles on the Tapeta at Turfway Park.

The world’s richest horse race doubled as last year’s most exciting horse race.

Forever Young, the Japan-based standout who wound up as North America’s champion older-male dirt horse of 2025, fought back in deep stretch to nail the Hong Kong superstar Romantic Warrior, who had sailed to the lead at the head of the homestretch, the winner’s share of $20 million on the line.

The chances of a second straight spine-tingling Saudi showdown? Not great. The chance that Forever Young wins another Saudi Cup on Saturday? Very strong.

Stella Thayer’s first memory of what is now Tampa Bay Downs came when she was 11 years old, going there with a friend whose father ran the track at the time when it was known as Sunshine Park.

“As minors, we could not go in, so we stood on the roof of the car and watched the races,” said Thayer, now 85.

Mark Casse has a similar first memory. As a young teenager, Casse came to the track with his father, a trainer, but also was not allowed inside.

Sierra Leone, by Gun Runner, won his debut at Aqueduct in November 2023. He came back with a bang-up second by a nose in the Remsen Stakes before beginning his 3-year-old season capturing the Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds. Sierra Leone cost $2.3 million as a yearling, campaigned for Coolmore connections and prominent owner Peter Brant, and was trained by Chad Brown.

Perfect Shot, who won the Grade 3, $300,000 Houston Ladies Classic over a strong field last month at Sam Houston, is being discussed for a possible start in the Azeri at Oaklawn Park, trainer Steve Asmussen said last week. The Grade 2, $400,000 race is March 7.

Perfect Shot was up for a half-length win in the 1 1/16-mile Ladies Classic for Whisper Hill Farm.

“Solid mare, ran her best race to date,” Asmussen said.

Asmussen said the 5-year-old is improving with age, which tends to be the case with the offspring of her sire, Gun Runner.

Brad and Sharon Kleven will jump onto the Kentucky Derby trail Sunday with recent auction purchase Express Kid, the 3-1 morning line favorite for the $500,000 Sunland Derby at Sunland Park.

Express Kid brought $800,000 during a Fasig-Tipton digital flash sale last month and was sent to trainer Justin Evans. The horse won the $300,000 Springboard Mile and earned 10 points for the Kentucky Derby in December at Remington Park for trainer Wade Rarick. Express Kid was then moved to Turf Paradise.

Buetane, who ran third in last week’s Grade 3, $1 million Southwest at Oaklawn, has returned home to Southern California, according to his trainer, Bob Baffert.

Baffert said Monday that plans for the horse have yet to be determined. Buetane was Grade 1-placed in September, when he ran second in the Hopeful, won by eventual champion Ted Noffey. Buetane, who is by Tiz the Law, was making his two-turn debut in the Southwest.

Friday night’s $125,000 Forego Stakes for older sprinters, rescheduled from Jan. 28 due to the winter weather at Turfway Park, goes with a slightly larger field and a prominent newcomer. The Forego features many solid local performers with strong recent figures, including Multitask, who was not entered in the original renewal but is now the morning-line favorite.

Turfway opened a four-day race week on Wednesday night, with a jackpot pick six carryover of $498,746 surviving from last week.