Seven-year-old Cherokee Queen is spending her first winter in New Orleans, and she likes it.

Cherokee Queen narrowly won the Blushing K.D. Handicap in her Fair Grounds grass-course debut Dec. 17, but was a more dominant winner of the $75,000 Marie G. Krantz Memorial Handicap on Saturday, coming from last in a nine-horse field to beat Juanita by 1 1/4 lengths while reinforcing the notion that she’s a cut above the rest of the local filly-and-mare turf division.

Salad Girl, slipping through along the rail turning for home, opened a daylight lead with a furlong remaining, and then had enough left to turn back the late challenge of favored Delightful Magic and come away with a hard-earned neck victory in the  $100,000 Gasparilla Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trainer Todd Pletcher said he thought Silver Medallion would be close to or even on the lead in Saturday’s $100,000 Ft. Lauderdale. Instead, he watched as his steadily improving 4-year-old rallied from next to last to a neck victory over Yummy with Butter in the Grade 3 turf fixture at Gulfstream Park.

Angled outside in the turn, Prospective rallied down the middle of the track and wore down Wildcat Creek in the final strides to post a half-length win Saturday in the $100,000 Pasco Stakes for 3-year-olds at Tampa Bay Downs.

Prospective, who was making his first start since finishing last of 13 in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs last fall, returned $7.20 as the second choice of the field of 10.

"It disappointed me," said trainer Mark Casse, referring to the BC Juvenile. "Whenever you see a race like that. … but, I have a little more faith after today."

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. -  After Jackson Bend stumbled at the break and had to extricate himself from traffic problems at the head of the stretch during his one-length victory over Sangaree in Saturday’s $100,000 Hal’s Hope at Gulfstream Park, trainer Nick Zito did what he always does after winning a major stakes race. He stood in the winner’s circle and thanked God.

“I was Tebowing before Tebow,” Zito said with a smile.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Agave Kiss made short work of Saturday’s $75,000 Ruthless Stakes, taking control soon after the start under jockey Ryan Curatolo and cruising to an easy 3 1/4-length victory over Well Kept. It was 1 3/4 lengths back to Corderosa in third.

 The win was the third in as many starts for Agave Kiss, a New York-bred daughter of Lion Heart owned by Flying Zee Stables, which is now headed by Viane Lizza.

Indigo River and She Spirit di Su won turf races for 3-year-old fillies on Friday at Santa Anita and could meet in the $150,000 Providencia Stakes over 1 1/8 miles on turf on April 7.

An import from Ireland, Indigo River won Friday’s second race, an optional claimer, over about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course. Ridden by Joel Rosario, Indigo River closed from fourth in a field of five to win by a half-length.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – On Fire Baby will spice up the first stakes in Oakawn Park’s series for 3-year-olds on Monday when she takes on males in the $100,000 Smarty Jones. The one-mile race drew a competitive group of 12 that includes Optimizer, the third-place finisher in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity; Laurie’s Rocket, fourth in the Grade 1 Hopeful; Jake Mo, fifth in the $500,000 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint; and Reckless Jerry, the runner-up in the $300,000 Springboard Mile at Remington Park.

Jockeys Alan Garcia and Junior Alvarado both appeared to have escaped serious injury from a spill in which they were involved during the running of Saturday’s fourth race at Aqueduct.

Garcia suffered just a bruised buttock and had a sore left bicep, and was released from North Shore University Hospital around 4 p.m. Saturday. Junior Alvarado, who got up right away, went to North Shore because he got kicked in the stomach. He was undergoing further evaluation.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Cornelio Velasquez said it was easier than it looked.

Sent off an overwhelming 1-9 favorite, San Pablo had to work hard to fend off Isn’t He Perfect approaching the stretch before drawing clear to a 4 3/4-length victory in Saturday’s $75,000 Shots Are Ringing Stakes at Aqueduct. Isn’t He Perfect finished second by 1 1/2 lengths over Sam Sparkle. C V Eis was last. Rustler Hustler and Socialsaul scratched.