ARCADIA, Calif. – Creative Cause, back at the same distance and over the same track at which he won the Norfolk Stakes last fall, cemented his position as the West Coast’s leading contender for the May 5 Kentucky Derby with a determined victory over Bodemeister in the Grade 2, $300,000 San Felipe Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita.

ARCADIA, Calif. – As a filly racing on turf, Lady of Shamrock is much farther along in her career than she is racing on dirt.

Saturday at Santa Anita, Lady of Shamrock won her second minor stakes in the $74,500 China Doll Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on turf. She won the Blue Norther Stakes on turf Dec. 30. A month later, she was third in her first career start on a dirt surface in the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes.

“Being on her on both [surfaces], she’s so much more balanced on the turf,” winning jockey Mike Smith said. “She can run on the dirt, though.”

Trainer Larry Jones sent out the first two favorites in the $75,000 Allen Lacombe Stakes, including 6-5 favorite Robi Jo, on Saturday at Fair Grounds, and both failed to win, as 11-1 shot Miz Ida came home first.

Wouldn’t you know it, the Jones-trained Icon Ike, who was overlooked at 11-1 with leading rider Rosie Napravnik up, got the money two races later in the $75,000 Black Gold Stakes.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - In a departure from his off-the-pace style, Alternation moved to the lead soon after the start of the Grade 3, $125,000 Razorback Handicap at Oaklawn Park on Saturday and never relinquished his position for 1 1/2-length win over favorite Tapizar. It was another 5 3/4 lengths back in third to Color Me Blue.

The Razorback shared a card with the Grade 3, $125,000 Honeybee won by On Fire Baby.

Jaws n’ Paws, a $20,000 claim-back by trainer Robertino Diodoro at Santa Anita last month, backed up that confidence as the 5-year-old mare shipped to Turf Paradise and captured Saturday’s $35,000 Mesa Handicap.

 HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. -   After breezing Trinniberg prior to his start in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint, jockey Willie Martinez suggested to trainer Bisnath Parboo that they take the blinkers off the speedy colt. Four months later, Martinez’s advice paid big dividends when Trinniberg cruised to an easy six-length victory over 45-1 outsider Hello Prince in Saturday’s $150,000 Swale at Gulfstream Park.  Ever So Lucky finished third as the 6-5 favorite.

Prospective rebounded from a second-place finish in last month’s Sam F. Davis Stakes and put himself on the Kentucky Derby trail with a three-quarter-length victory over Golden Ticket in Saturday’s Grade 2, $350,000 Tampa Bay Derby.

Equipped with blinkers for the first time, Prospective made a big move into contention around the turn and then battled back in the stretch after being passed briefly by Golden Ticket, who finished second by three lengths over Cozzetti.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark.- On Fire Baby fought to get past a determined Amie’s Dini in the stretch and win the Grade 3, $125,000 Honeybee Stakes by two lengths Saturday at Oaklawn Park. It was the third graded win in six career starts for the filly, whose connections said her next race would come locally, in either the Grade 2, $300,000 Fantasy for 3-year-old fillies or the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby.

The Honeybee shared a card with the Grade 3, $125,000 Razorback Handicap.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Though Hardened Wildcat won his last start, jockey Junior Alvarado wasn’t enthused with the manner in which it was accomplished.

So, going into Saturday’s $100,000 Fred “Cappy” Capossela Stakes at Aqueduct, Alvarado decided to employ different tactics.

In the end, Alvarado and Hardened Wildcat got the same result.

OLDSMAR, Fla. - Favored Wait Til Dawn overcame a bit an eventful trip to run down leader Ciguaraya late and come away with a half-length win in $100,000 Suncoast Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs.