HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Awesome Maria was just that and then some Saturday at Gulfstream Park, destroying five rivals including reigning Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic winner Unrivaled Belle with a devastating eight-length victory in the Grade 3, $150,000 Rampart Handicap.

More than two years have passed since the 6-year-old mare D Day visited the winner’s circle prior to Saturday’s $50,000 Shine Again Stakes at Pimlico. But that drought was nothing compared to how long it had been since Day’s owner and trainer, Sam Cronk, had won a stakes.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Stop us if you’ve heard this one before, perhaps as recently as last week. The lone New York-bred from a small stable runs in a long-time stakes fixture and beats out Todd Pletcher Inc. in a field of five.

That was the script for last week’s 139th Ladies when the Linda White-trained R Betty Graybull ran down 2-5 Quiet Giant, and it was déjà vu all over again when Inherit the Gold powered to a decisive score in Saturday’s 99th running of the Grade 3, $98,000 Excelsior Stakes.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Jaycito, second in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita last month and one of trainer Bob Baffert’s best hopes for the Kentucky Derby, is likely to make his next start in the $1 million Santa Anita Derby next Saturday, Baffert said.

SANTA ANITA DERBY DAY: See Brad Free’s video previews and watch full card live on DRF.com

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Don’s Folly came on strongly from well back under Emma Wilson to capture Saturday’s $102,400 Debut Stakes, Woodbine’s opening day feature.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Leading trainer Bob Baffert nearly completed a sweep of the first three positions of Saturday’s $100,000 Las Flores Stakes at Santa Anita, finishing first and second with Gilded Gem and Subsidized and fourth with Mother Ruth.

At the eighth pole, Baffert’s three fillies and mares occupied the first three positions in the field of five, but pacesetter Mother Ruth faded late, spoiling the potential milestone.

GROVE CITY, Ohio - School Lass took advantage of a ground-saving trip under jockey Jake Radosevich to win the $50,000 Royal North at Beulah Park on Saturday.

Radosevich, collecting his first stakes win,  kept School Lass ($3.60), a  daughter of Private School,  along the rail in the six- furlong Royal North before asking her for run on the turn and she responded, getting through along the rail and dueling with second-place finisher Startin Something.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Tapitsfly on Saturday recorded her first victory since winning the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf by leading gate to wire under Julien Leparoux to win a $63,900 allowance race at Gulfstream Park by 2 1/4 lengths.

Galloping to the lead through an opening quarter of 24.09 seconds, Tapitsfly kept on cruising through a half-mile of 48.41 seconds, six furlongs in 1:11.96, a mile in 1:34.69 before covering the 1 1/16 miles in 1:40.55. She returned $7.40 to win as the third choice in a field of six.

STICKNEY, Ill. – Want to know who’s running April 9 in the Illinois Derby? Sorry - you will just have to wait.

Waiting and hoping is what Hawthorne people themselves are doing this weekend. As of Saturday afternoon, the Grade 3, $300,000 Illinois Derby had the same four probable starters as it did two days ago. Debbie Lindsay, Hawthorne’s stakes coordinator, said the status of at least four more possible runners won’t be determined until early this week, a claim confirmed by the trainers of those horses.

Apriority, who may be as good as any sprinter in the country right now, including his Eclipse Award-winning stablemate Big Drama, breezed five furlongs in 1:01.60 in company with no less a workmate than multiple graded stakes winner Duke of Mischief after the renovation break Saturday morning at Calder.

Luis Saez, who sustained a minor leg injury in a spill here at Gulfstream Park on Thursday, was aboard Apriority while Joe Bravo worked Duke of Mischief.