A sloppy racetrack and an early speed battle led to a major upset in the $125,000 Affirmed Stakes after the 21-1 D’nied Permission outfinished the 25-1 maiden Joshua’s Comprise to win the middle leg of Saturday’s Florida Stallion Stakes at Calder. Two T’s At Two B, unbeaten and untested in three previous starts, finished a tiring third as the 2-5 favorite.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - A race that lacked significance in terms of year-end divisional honors became historic Saturday afternoon at Saratoga when favored Alpha and longshot Golden Ticket dead-heated for win in the $1 million Travers Stakes at Saratoga.

It was nearly a triple dead heat, as Fast Falcon, last of 11 through the first six furlongs, came with a flying finish to finish third, beaten only a neck.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Clare Skies Ahead stormed past Martita Sangrita on Saturday to win the $60,000 Omnibus Stakes for fillies and mares on the turf at Monmouth Park.

A 5-year-old trained by Flint Stites and ridden Horacio Karamanos, Clare Skies Ahead improved to 4 for 17 with her first stakes victory.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -  Trainer Richard  Dutrow Jr. turned a $25,000 claimer into a Grade 1 winner and did it on just two day’s rest after Willy Beamin rallied to a half-length victory over Fort Loudon in Saturday’s $500,000 King’s Bishop at Saratoga.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Contested started a little slowly, but she finished pretty fast to win Saturday's Grade 1, $500,000 Test Stakes by two lengths at Saratoga.

Gypsy Robin, who chased a rapid early pace established by Ullapool, held second, a half-length in front of the New York-bred Beautiful But Blue.

The win was the fifth from seven starts for Contested, a daughter of Ghostzapper trained by Bob Baffert and owned by his wife, Jill.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario — Colonial Flag, the favored shipper from Maryland, notched her first stakes on Saturday at Woodbine in the Grade 3, $161,300 Ontario Colleen.

Actionontwo set honest fractions in the one-mile turf route for 3-year-old fillies. Colonial Flag raced two-wide in mid-pack on the turn, and was angled wide for the drive before overhauling 20-1 shot Evil Kitten late to score by a length, in 1:35.15. Runfor Ro edged out Poetic Kid for third in the 10-horse field.

Joe Rocco Jr. rode Colonial Flag for trainer Mike Matz.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - "Do you think she's lost a step?"

Those were trainer Chad Brown's first thoughts as he walked into the winner's circle following Zagora's record-setting 1 1/2-length victory over Hungry Island in Saturday's $250,000 Ballston Spa at Saratoga.

Anybody who felt Zagora might not be quite the same filly she was a year ago after failing to kick on in defense of her title in the Grade 1 Diana had to believe otherwise after her performance on Saturday against a Grade 1 quality field in the Grade 2 Ballston Spa.

Dreamin Big won her fourth consecutive race in the $87,000 Merrillville Stakes at Hoosier Park on Saturday.

Dreamin Big was kept back off the early pace in the six-furlong sprint. Jockey Francisco Torres moved the 4-year-old filly to the rail in upper stretch and she went to the lead, with her final margin of victory over her seven Indiana-bred rivals being three-quarters of a length.

Slim Shady’s Lady led to late stretch, could not go with the winner, but finished five lengths in front of third-place finisher Linda's Lace.

Mom’s Law, a 15-1 outsider stepping up sharply in class from a nonwinners-of-two allowance, repelled separate bids from two challenges to score a surprise victory in Saturday’s $75,000 New York Oaks for statebred 3-year-old fillies at Finger Lakes.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Brother Francis was six races into his career before he won a maiden race here over 6 1/2 furlongs on Aug. 5. He was the most accomplished maiden on the grounds at that time, having finished second in the Grade 3 Hollywood Prevue Stakes and third in the Grade 1 CashCall Futurity last fall.

The recent win, by six lengths, has led owner Norman Cheng to plan for a start in the $300,000 Del Mar Derby over 1 1/8 miles on turf next Sunday.

Trainer Jim Cassidy would prefer a start in the $100,000 El Cajon Stakes over a mile on the Polytrack surface on Friday.