SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – If there has been one constant in the 3-year-old division this year – aside from injuries and premature retirement – it has been the success of the horses based in Southern California.

I’ll Have Another and Bodemeister put forth two scintillating performances running one-two in both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness. The inexperienced Paynter nearly stole the Belmont Stakes – losing by a neck to Union Rags – before dominating the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational last month at Monmouth Park.

After scoring her first sprint victory in her last race, Southoftheborder is poised for some overdue respect when she defends her title in Saturday’s $50,000 First Episode Stakes at Suffolk Downs against fellow Massachusetts-bred fillies and mares. The First Episode is run at a mile and 70 yards.

Navy Chapel, 2011’s champion West Virginia-bred 2-year-old filly but winless in four starts this season, seeks to regain her good form when she takes on six statebred 3-year-old fillies in Saturday’s $50,000 Sylvia Bishop Memorial Stakes at Charles Town.

In five starts at 2, Navy Chapel went undefeated against fillies, and her lone defeat came against males in the Tri-State Futurity. She won three stakes, including the West Virginia Triple Crown Nutrition Breeders’ Classic.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Zagora may have lacked her usual closing punch earlier this summer in the Grade 1 Diana, but trainer Chad Brown is confident she’ll make amends when topping a stellar field set to go 1 1/16 miles Saturday at Saratoga in the Grade 2, $250,000 Ballston Spa.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Calimonco has shown an affinity for Del Mar’s turf course, a trend that trainer John Sadler hopes continues in Sunday’s $200,000 Del Mar Mile.

“I don’t necessarily know why he runs so well here,” Sadler said. “This is his best track.”

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Calimonco is considered by owners Marty Wygod and Don Cohn to be a candidate for the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita on Nov. 3. But Sadler said Calimonco must show better form to earn a spot in that race.

The question was innocent enough. Neil Drysdale was asked about the filly Amani, the Chilean champion who will be running against the boys on Sunday in the $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar.

“You know about her rabbit,” Drysdale said, lending no particular expression to the statement. His visitor bit.

“Her rabbit?”

“Yes, she has a rabbit,” said the trainer.

His visitor drew the obvious conclusion.

“You mean a pacemaker. She’s a stretch-runner. She gets help from a ‘rabbit.’ ”

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Currency Swap and Trinniberg split their first two meetings and will square off in the rubber match as part of a highly competitive field of 10 3-year-old sprinters set to go seven furlongs in Saturday’s $500,000 King’s Bishop at Saratoga.

Handicappers may have a difficult time separating eight New York-bred 3-year-old fillies, none of whom has won more than twice, in Saturday’s $75,000 New York Oaks at Finger Lakes. The Oaks is run at 1 1/16 miles.

Two T’s At Two B, unbeaten and virtually untested in three career starts, will be the star of the show on Saturday’s Juvenile Showcase card at Calder.

Two T’s At Two B will be heavily favored to extend his winning streak in the $125,000 Affirmed, middle leg of the open division of the Florida Stallion Stakes. The seven-furlong Affirmed and its filly counterpart, the $125,000 Susan’s Girl are two of the 12 races, all for 2-year-olds, on Saturday’s program.

DEL MAR, Calif. – The winner of the Kentucky Derby has been retired, so too the runner-up, but the third-place finisher, Dullahan, soldiers on, and on Sunday at Del Mar he will attempt to raise his game to a new level when he takes on elders for the first time in the Grade 1, $1 million Pacific Classic.

On Wednesday night, Dullahan landed post 5 in a field of 10 when post positions were drawn for the Pacific Classic. Joel Rosario will ride him for the first time. Dullahan is 6-1 on the morning line of Del Mar’s Russell Hudak, who made Game On Dude the 5-2 favorite.