Free Drop Billy and Firenze Fire certainly established themselves as contenders for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile by virtue of their Grade 1 victories last weekend. However, it was another 2-year-old who could be an intriguing player in the race if – and it’s a big if – his connections choose to run.

Montauk, a son of Medaglia d’Oro trained by Todd Pletcher, was most impressive winning a seven-furlong maiden race by 11 1/4 lengths last Saturday at Belmont Park. He covered the distance in 1:22.97 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 87.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Mrs McDougal was a multiple graded stakes winner on turf before heading to California, but she has yet to reproduce that form in three starts here, so trainer Richard Mandella is thinking of trying something different. Mandella says Mrs McDougal has trained like she’s still eager to compete.

ARCADIA, Calif. – It was the distance, not the surface, that sealed the fate of My Boy Jack this summer and fall, and that has put him in position to compete Nov. 3 in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar following a victory Monday in the Zuma Beach Stakes at Santa Anita.

Keith Desormeaux, his trainer, wanted to run My Boy Jack around two turns as soon as he could.

“I’m ready to go long in June,” he said of his 2-year-olds, only half-joking.

Bigger Picture is set to start in the $4 million Breeders’ Cup Turf on Nov. 4 at Del Mar after a 10-week break. Oscar Nominated may start in the BC Turf after a break of less than three weeks.

The two horses may be on different schedules, but trainer Mike Maker hopes to have both runners in the richest turf race in the United States, depending on Oscar Nominated’s performance in the Grade 1 Canadian International on Sunday at Woodbine.

“Hopefully, Monday I’ll have an answer,” he said.

The home team may not have representation in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on Nov. 3 at Del Mar.

Monday at Santa Anita, the French import Fatale Bere edged Moon Dash by a nose to win the $102,345 Surfer Girl Stakes at a mile on turf for 2-year-old fillies. The Surfer Girl was the leading prep for the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf in Southern California.

The results from the two final preps for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint last weekend likely clinched the order of favoritism for the Nov. 4 race at Del Mar.

Unique Bella won the L.A. Woman Stakes at Santa Anita by three lengths Sunday, one day after Finley’sluckycharm flashed versatility in winning the Thoroughbred Club of America at Keeneland by 1 3/4 lengths. Both prevailed as odds-on favorites in cementing their respective status as the one-two favorites for the seven-furlong Filly and Mare Sprint.

Los Alamitos will run five stakes, including four for juveniles, at its 12-day winter meeting, which runs from Nov. 30 to Dec. 17.

The stakes schedule is led by two Grade 1, $300,000 races for 2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on Dec. 9 – the Los Alamitos CashCall Futurity for 2-year-olds and the Starlet Stakes for fillies. For the first time since 2014, Los Alamitos will run the Grade 2 Bayakoa Stakes, a $200,000 race for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on Dec. 3.

ARCADIA, Calif. – The 2-year-old filly Pulpit Rider will have her stakes debut at the Del Mar autumn meeting after winning an optional claimer for California-bred fillies Sunday at Santa Anita.

Trainer Mike Puype said he will target the $200,000 Golden State Juvenile Fillies on Nov. 3 at Del Mar, part of the undercard of the first day of Breeders’ Cup races. The Golden State Juvenile Fillies is run at seven furlongs for 2-year-old statebred fillies.

“We’ll be there,” Puype said.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Jockeys Rafael Bejarano, Drayden Van Dyke, and Kent Desormeaux have dropped appeals of suspensions issued during the Del Mar summer meeting, according to recent rulings published by Santa Anita stewards.

Bejarano and Van Dyke begin three-day suspensions Saturday that end Thursday, Oct. 19. Desormeaux will serve a four-day suspension from Oct. 19-22.

Bejarano was cited for causing interference in the fifth race Aug. 20. Van Dyke was penalized for causing interference in the third race Aug. 13.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Trainer Mike Mudaris has been fined $17,500 and suspended 18 months after two of his horses that ran at the 2016 Del Mar summer meeting tested positive for the prohibited medication sildenafil, which is more commonly known by the trade name Viagra.

Sildenafil, a Class 1 drug, is thought by some to have the potential to decrease bleeding in the lungs, but studies of the class of drugs that includes Sildenafil have show that the drug is unlikely to have any effect on a racehorse.