ARCADIA, Calif. – Three graded stakes wins in a little more than 24 hours gave trainer Phil D’Amato a brilliant start to the Santa Anita autumn meeting on Friday and Saturday. At least two of those winners – and one runner-up from his stable – are being considered for Breeders’ Cup races on Nov. 2.

Pee Wee Reese won Friday’s Grade 2 Eddie D Stakes at five furlongs on turf and will be pointed for the BC Turf Sprint at the same distance on Nov. 2. Mirth, the upset winner of Saturday’s Grade 1 Rodeo Drive Stakes on turf, earned an automatic berth to the BC Filly and Mare Turf.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Catholic Boy returned to the work tab Sunday at Belmont Park, breezing a half-mile in 47.72 seconds over the outer turf course. Trainer Jonathan Thomas said that he will most likely train Catholic Boy up to the Breeders’ Cup with the options being the Mile on turf or the Dirt Mile. Thomas said he would also keep an eye on the Classic to see how that race is shaping up.

“We’re breezing him on the turf to at least keep [the Mile] under consideration,” Thomas said. “It’s worked for us before where we kind of used the turf to get to races.”

It was no surprise to see Uncle Mo atop the freshman sire list in 2015. After all, he was an unbeaten juvenile champion himself, with every right to start his stud career off fast. But he exceeded expectations, shattering records with his first crop.

Palace Malice never set foot on turf during his own racing career – but, drawing ability from the stamina and versatility of his sire line, the freshman sire has found success with his first juveniles routing on the turf. This was in evidence over the weekend at Belmont Park. Structor, Palace Malice’s top earner to date, remained unbeaten in two starts by winning the Grade 3 Pilgrim Stakes on the turf Saturday and is now bound for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. A day later, his daughter Crystalle, winner of the P.G.

ARCADIA, Calif. – An aging mare and a new red-hot rider combined to upset the Grade 2 Zenyatta Stakes on Sunday at Santa Anita.

Paradise Woods and Abel Cedillo parlayed a perfect trip to a 1 3/4-length victory in the $200,351 Zenyatta, earning a Win and You’re In berth in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

:: BREEDERS’ CUP 2019: See DRF’s top contenders

ELMONT, N.Y. – Though Selflessly got beat narrowly in her debut, her connections treated her as though she had won the race and pointed her and the filly that beat her, Jazzique, to Sunday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Miss Grillo Stakes at Belmont Park.

That turned out to be a wise decision as Selflessly turned the tables on her stablemate and won the Miss Grillo by three-quarters of a length over favored Crystalle. It was another three-quarters of a length back to Jazzique, who got third by a nose over Sparkling Sky.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Eddie Haskell, second in Friday’s Grade 2 Eddie D Stakes at five furlongs on turf, will be pointed for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, said trainer Mark Glatt.

Eddie Haskell closed from seventh in a field of eight to finish a half-length behind Pee Wee Reese in the Eddie D Stakes. Eddie Haskell broke from the rail and rallied well through the stretch.

“I think you can say the post beat him,” Glatt said.

:: BREEDERS’ CUP 2019: See DRF’s top contenders

ARCADIA, Calif. – The speedy 3-year-old Shancelot, the winner of the Grade 2 Amsterdam Stakes at Saratoga in July, worked a half-mile in 47.20 seconds on Sunday in advance of the Grade 1 Santa Anita Sprint Championship on Saturday.

Shancelot is rated as a leading contender for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint here on Nov. 2.

Sunday, Shancelot had his first workout at Santa Anita since arriving last Wednesday.

“I wanted to give him one [workout] over the track,” trainer Jorge Navarro said. “The main thing is to have him ready for the Breeders’ Cup.”

ELMONT, N.Y. – Though he may not make a final decision for another three weeks, trainer Chad Brown said Sunday that he is leaning toward running Bricks and Mortar in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile rather than the $4 million Breeders’ Cup Turf. Both races are on Nov. 2 at Santa Anita.

Bricks and Mortar, undefeated in five starts this year, has never raced beyond 1 1/4 miles and is 3 for 3 in his career at one mile. The BC Turf is at 1 1/2 miles.

Trainer Luis Carvajal Jr. said he received a congratulatory text from his colleague Arnaud Delacour following Imperial Hint’s nose victory over Firenze Fire in Saturday’s Grade 1, $300,000 Vosburgh.

“You look at a little pale in the face,” Carvajal said the text read. “I think I’m getting my color back.”