State of Play won a photo over Ill Conceived after the pair hooked up leaving the half-mile pole Saturday in an exciting renewal of the $75,000 John Battaglia Memorial Stakes at Turfway Park in northern Kentucky.

The Tom Fool Handicap was run at seven furlongs for 35 years before being shortened to six furlongs in 2011. The distance change has been a fortuitous development for Calibrachoa, who on Saturday became the race's first back-to-back winner since Groovy in 1986-87. For Caleb's Posse, not so much.

Pants On Fire launched his 2012 campaign with a huge effort in an allowence race at Gulfstream Park on Saturday.  Pants on Fire, trained by Kelly Breen won by a margin of 4 1/2 and returned $7.80 to win.  Dialed In finished a distant fourth in his first start since the 2011 Preakness. 

Following the race Mike Welsch (@DRFWelsch) tweeted: "Huge effort for Pants On Fire.  Kelly Breen guaranteeed he'd be cranked up 100 per cent ready to go off the bench. He was right.

Good fortune seems to shine regularly down upon the horses campaigned by the Brittlyn Stable of Evelyn and Maurice Benoit, and Lady Luck was on their side again Saturday at Fair Grounds, where Sunday's Child came out on the right side of a head-bob in the $60,000 Sarah Lane's Oates Stakes.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Trainer Mike Maker said it was the performance he was expecting. Jockey Ramon Dominguez said it was better than he expected.

Regardless of one’s expectations, Hansen’s three-length victory in Saturday’s Grade 3, $400,000 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct proved that reports of the demise of last year’s 2-year-old champion colt were a bit premature.

ARCADIA, Calif. - The third race at Santa Anita on Saturday was declared a no contest when four of the seven runners in the sprint on the hillside turf course failed to start in a timely manner, the stewards ruled.

Muny broke through the gate a moment before Mr. Bossy Pants, Oak Kye Why, and Sky Cape started without incident. Mr. Bossy Pants, Oak Kye Why, and Sky Cape finished the race, but the other four horses either never started or were being held at the gate by assistant starters.

Empire Way, second in the Grade 2 Robert Lewis Stakes on Feb. 4, worked five furlongs in 1:01 at Hollywood Park on Saturday, preparing for the $300,000 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita next Saturday.

“He’s not much of a workhorse and he galloped out strongly,” trainer Mike Harrington said. “He got a lot out of it.”

Harrington said he is considering starting Creative Cause, third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs last fall, in the San Felipe.

He said a decision will be made when entries are due on Wednesday.

OLDSMAR, Fla. - Racing close up from the outset under Ronnie Allen Jr., Fort Larned took over the lead in the second turn and then held favored 3-5 shot Wiki at bay through the stretch to post a solid 1 1/4-length victory in the $60,000 Challenger Stakes over 1 1/16 miles.

After running third to Wiki in his last outing in his first start since November, Fort Larned turned the tables Saturday, racing just off the early pacesetter I'm Steppin' It Up, then moving to the fore after six furlongs.

Millonreasonswhy passed her first test in her quest to win the $1 million Kentucky Oaks two months from now by successfully stretching out to seven furlongs for Saturday’s $77,750 Wide Country Stakes at Laurel Park.

Sent off as the narrow second choice at even money behind 4-5 favorite Dance to Bristol, Millionreasonswhy ($4.20) drew clear in the final sixteenth to score by 1 1/4 lengths while making her first start since mid-August.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – It’s Tricky made a successful return to the races Saturday, persevering over a laboring muddy inner track to a 2 3/4-length victory in the Grade 2, $200,000 Top Flight Handicap at Aqueduct.

In her first start since finishing second in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic last Nov. 4 at Churchill Downs, It’s Tricky tracked the pacesetting Love and Pride until upper stretch when she took over inside the three-sixteenths pole. She got noticeably tired in the final furlong, prompting jockey Ramon Dominguez to give her a few taps with the whip to get her home.