ARCADIA, Calif. – A seven-furlong sprint Sunday at Santa Anita marks the winter launch for a handful of Triple Crown candidates based in California, including the intriguing debut winner War Academy.

“If he is going to have any chance of making the Kentucky Derby, he needs to start this week,” trainer Bob Baffert said. “It’s time. It’s crunch time.”

War Academy is one of three Baffert runners in the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes, each starting for the first time this year. Shakin It Up is favored, lightly raced Belvin adds speed, and War Academy wants farther.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Salutos Amigos, winner of a six-furlong maiden race Feb. 9, is being pointed to the $300,000 San Felipe Stakes over 1 1/16 miles on March 9, a race expected to draw a strong field of 3-year-olds.

Owned by Southern Equine Stable and Mike Smith, Salutos Amigos made his third start Feb. 9. The Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes will be the first start around two turns for Salutos Amigos, who is by Salute the Sarge.

“Why not see if he’s a route horse?” trainer Eric Guillot said. “At least this way, we’ll know.”

ARCADIA, Calif. - Byrama, winner of two sprint stakes on turf for fillies and mares, was supplemented for $3,000 on Friday for Monday’s $150,000 Buena Vista Stakes.

The Grade 2 Buena Vista Stakes is run over a mile for fillies and mares on turf and will be Byrama’s first race at that distance since a fourth in the Sandy Blue Handicap on turf at Del Mar last August.

Owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Byrama was third in the Wishing Well Stakes here Feb. 10.

H OT SPRINGS, Ark. – Lady Diva Ga Ga thinks she owns Oaklawn Park. And at the moment, she does. She has won both of her starts at the meet, and if she captures the $60,000 Spring Fever on Sunday, she would become the winningest horse at the current stand.

NEW ORLEANS - Trainer Todd Pletcher will be sending Unlimited Budget from Florida for the Feb. 23 Rachel Alexandra, a mile and a sixteenth race for 3-year-old fillies which serves as the final local two-turn stakes prep for the Fair Grounds Oaks. She will be racing for the first time since leading all the way to win the Grade 2, 1  1/8-mile Demoiselle by 1  1/4 lengths on Nov. 24 at Aqueduct in her second start.

In her debut 15 days earlier, she won a mile race at Aqueduct by 9 1/2 lengths.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Stephanoatsee and Handsome Mike, second and fourth in the Grade 2 Strub Stakes for 4-year-olds Feb. 2, will start in the $750,000 Santa Anita Handicap on March 2, their respective trainers said.

Stephanoatsee, trained by Maryland-based Graham Motion, has remained in California since the Strub. A winner of 3 of 9 starts and $253,000 for My Meadowview Farm, Stephanoatsee will race at 1 1/4 miles for the first time in the Big Cap, the richest race of the meeting for older horses.

NEW ORLEANS – Five invaders – from Florida, California, and points in between – are expected for the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds on Feb. 23.

As of Thursday, the racing office considered 12 horses possible for the 1 1/16-mile race, the final two-turn stakes prep for the Louisiana Derby. Entries will be taken Monday.

Remsen runner-up Normandy Invasion, trained by Chad Brown, and Palace Malice, who will be making his stakes debut for trainer Todd Pletcher, will be coming from Palm Meadows in Florida. Each of those colts has raced three times.

NEW ORLEANS – Graydar and Bourbon Courage, who ran one-two in the Grade 1 Donn Handicap on Feb. 9 at Gulfstream Park, might be headed toward a rematch in the Grade 2 New Orleans Handicap on March 30 at the Fair Grounds.

Graydar, whose ownership group – Twin Creeks Racing Stables – has Louisiana connections, likely will run next in that race, said Twin Creeks managing partner Steve Davison.

“That’s the target,” said Davison, an attorney from Ruston, La.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Though post position no longer dictates her running tactics, Cubicle Queen still will likely play catch-me-if-you-can in Sunday’s $75,000 Dearly Precious Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Aqueduct.

The Dearly Precious was scheduled for Feb. 9, but that card was canceled due to a snowstorm, and this six-furlong race was rescheduled for Sunday. Originally carded with five runners, the Dearly Precious picked up an additional starter when trainer George Weaver supplemented True Fortune to the race.

Fastest qualifier Carverson heads a group of 10 3-year-olds chasing a $100,000 purse in Sunday’s South Florida Quarter Horse Derby at Hialeah Park.

The 440-yard derby is the richest of four stakes on a 10-race card on closing day that includes the $75,000 Hialeah Invitational at 440 yards, the $25,000 Sailfish at 1,000 yards, and the $20,000 Roble Ro Jo Bonus Challenge at 300 yards.