OLDSMAR, Fla. - Jorge M. Perez, a 20-year-old apprentice jockey from Bayamon, Puerto Rico, got the first victory of his career in Saturday’s fourth race, steering the 4-year-old gelding Gasparilla Invader ($6) to a front-running neck win over Tai Kai in a maiden $8,000 claiming race. Perez won with his 38th mount, including 28 races at Camarero in Puerto Rico. He had finished second twice and third two more times since coming to Tampa two weeks ago.

Gasparilla Invader, a 4-year-old Montbrook gelding owned and trained by Christos Gatis, won in his 19th start.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The prevailing feeling is that Saturday’s $1 million Florida Derby is actually two races in one: Mohaymen vs. Nyquist for first and second, and everyone else against Fellowship for third and the $100,000 and 20 Kentucky Derby qualifying points that go with it.

Stanley Gold, who trains the homebred Fellowship for Jacks or Better Farm, is one of the few who do not ascribe to that theory.

OLDSMAR, Fla. – The Tampa Bay Downs stakes schedule concludes April 9 with Florida Cup Day, when six stakes for Florida-breds worth $75,000 apiece will be run, and leading local trainers Gerald Bennett and Kathleen O’Connell are hoping for solid paydays, having nominated a total of 18 horses to the stakes races.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Her Emmynency, last of five as the 4-5 favorite, lost a shoe shortly after the start of Saturday’s $200,000 Santa Ana Stakes at Santa Anita, trainer Kristin Mulhall said.

Mulhall said the shoe likely was dislodged when Her Emmynency ducked sharply to the inside shortly after the start, forcing jockey Joe Talamo to keep her from striking the inside rail. Her Emmynency took the lead shortly after that incident. She led to the turn before fading to finish 3 3/4 lengths behind race winner Tuttipaesi.

“I think that killed everything,” Mulhall said.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Drayden Van Dyke, 12th in the jockey standings at the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting with 16 wins through Saturday, will be based at Keeneland for most of April, he said on Sunday.

Van Dyke said he based the decision on the preponderance of turf races run at Keeneland’s spring meeting, which runs from April 8-29, and because trainer Tom Proctor will be based there. Van Dyke has been closely allied with Proctor since he began riding in late 2013, having worked for the trainer prior to that.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Kasseopia, third in the Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields on Feb. 13, is a possible starter in the $1 million Santa Anita Derby on April 9, trainer Graham Motion said on Sunday.

Sunday, Kasseopia worked five furlongs in 1:00.40 at Santa Anita. The colt has worked quickly in recent weeks, including six furlongs in 1:12.60 on March 20, the fastest of eight works at the distance that day.

NEW ORLEANS – The two horses who shared the headlines in the Louisiana Derby on Saturday at Fair Grounds, the victorious Gun Runner and troubled fourth-place finisher Mo Tom, both came out of the race well, their trainers reported Sunday morning, and both will not race again until the Kentucky Derby on May 7 at Churchill Downs.

NEW ORLEANS – When trainer Dallas Stewart runs a 3-year-old in a major stakes race and the odds say the horse has little chance – bettors beware.

Stewart has a track record for getting 3-year-olds to perform at a high level when the bettors aren't on board. His latest of four against-the-odds successes, all second places, came with Tom's Ready in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby on Saturday at Fair Grounds. A 30-1 shot, Tom's Ready finished second, 4 1/2 lengths behind Gun Runner, and earned a spot in the Kentucky Derby.

Tom's Ready paid $24 to place and $12.40 to show.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Sheer Drama moved another step closer to her 2016 debut, working six furlongs in 1:15.38 around the dogs over a fast but slightly cuppy track here Friday. Sheer Drama, who has not started since finishing fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, posted splits of 26.40 seconds and 50.60 before galloping out seven-eighths in 1:29.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – While the much-anticipated encounter between division leaders Mohaymen and Nyquist in the $1 million Florida Derby highlights next Saturday’s program, the race is just one of eight stakes on the card, seven of which have graded status.