Despite a less-than-ideal break following a six-plus month layoff, Speedway Stables’ Cavalieri (Nyquist-Stiffed, by Stephen Got Even) was unbothered as she remained unbeaten with a victory in the Gr. II, $200,000 Zenyatta Stakes going 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita Park to lead the slate of stakes-winning OBS grads for the week.

    After hopping at the start and trailing the field, Cavalieri improved to 5-for-5 for trainer Bob Baffert while also earning a fees-paid berth to the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Del Mar. It was Cavalieri’s first start since winning the Gr. I Beholder Mile in March at Santa Anita. 

    “She is just so talented, the further the better for her,” Baffert said.

    A 4-year-old daughter of Nyquist, Cavalieri was purchased by Peter Fluor’s Speedway Stables for $900,000 from the Wavertree Stables consignment at the 2023 OBS April Sale after she breezed in :20 2/5.

    At Aqueduct, R. Lee Lewis’s Gun Song (Gun Runner – Nicole H, by Mr. Greeley) overtook Gr. 1 winner Randomized and powered away to a score in the Gr. II, $250,000 Beldame Stakes. By winning the Beldame, part of the Breeders' Cup Dirt Dozen series for the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff in November at Del Mar, Gun Song receives a credit of $30,000 toward entry fees for the Distaff. Trained by Mark Hennig, the 4-year-old daughter of Gun Runner enjoyed a tremendous sophomore season that included a win in the Gr. II Black-Eyed Susan at Pimlico Race Course.

    Gun Song was purchased by her owner for $400,000 at the 2023 OBS March Sale out of the de Meric Sales consignment after breezing in :10 1/5.

    Also at Aqueduct, George Mellon’s Patriot Spirit (Constitution- Mistical Plan, by Game Plan) power away late to post a 1 1/2-length score in the Gr. III, $200,000 Vosburgh Stakes, earning himself a fees paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Del Mar.

    Trained by Michael Campbell, the 4-year-old Constitution colt was purchased by George Mellon for $235,000 out of the Clary Bloodstock consignment at the 2023 OBS March Sale after breezing in :10 flat. 

    At Santa Anita Park, Innovative (Complexity-Lantiz, by Tizway) roared through the stretch to win Saturday’s Gr. III, $100,000 John C. Harris Stakes on the hillside turf course. Innovative prevailed by a neck over Lee’s Baby Girl with another half-length back to morning line favorite and fellow OBS grad Warming in third.

    Trained by Phil D’Amato, the daughter of Complexity is owned by Little Red Feather Racing and Sterling Stables. She was purchased by Little Red Feather Racing for $230,000 at the 2024 OBS April Sale from the consignment of Longoria Training & Sales after breezing in :9 4/5.

    At Gulfstream Park, rising star Lennilu (Leinster – Lulu’s Pom Pom, by Pomeroy) booked her ticket to Del Mar for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint by capturing her third stakes victory in the $75,000 Hollywood Beach.

    Owned by Amy Dunne, Cailtin Dunne, Brenda Miley, Jean Wilkinson, Hoffman Family Racing, Tranquility Lake Farms, Maury Hamilton and Christopher Harrington, the daughter of Leinster was making her return to turf after prevailing by a nose in the $100,000 Desert Vixen. Trained by Patrick Biancone, Lennilu was purchased by Glencrest Farm for $23,000 from the Abbie Road Farm consignment at the 2024 OBS Winter Mixed Sale.

    At Remington Park, trainer Danny Pish sent out Essential Time (Essential Quality-Twilight Curfew, by Twirling Candy) to victory in the $150,000 Clever Trevor Stakes.

    Owned by Duffy’s Racing Stable and Heider Racing Stables, Essential Time was bred by D. J. Stable and offered at the 2025 OBS April Sale where he failed to meet his reserve after breezing in :10 1/5 from the consignment of 1880 Bloodstock.

    At Remington Park, Everything’s Cricket Racing’s Sabalenka (Good Samaritan-Darling Daughter, by Maria’s Mon) won the $75,000 Ricks Memorial Stakes as she rallied from sixth place to gain the victory over fellow OBS grad Neom Beach. Trained by Joe Sharp, she won by 2 3/4 lengths in a time of 1:42.12 over the firm course.

    Sabalenka was purchased by Four Quarters at the 2022 OBS April Sale and for $35,000 from the Harris Training Center consignment after breezing in :10 1/5.

    So There She Was (Munnings-Risk Premium, by Take Charge Indy) highlighted the Remington Park card when she put away heavy favorite Lemon Zest to take the $200,000 Remington Park Oaks. The 3-year-old filly pocketed $120,000 for owners Great Friends Stables and Mark Davis of Vista, Calif.

    Trained by Doug O’Neill, she was purchased by Mark Davis for $100,000 at the 2024 OBS March Sale from the Gene Recio consignment after breezing in :10 1/5.

    Another winner on the Oklahoma Derby Day card was Paradise Farms, David Staudacher, Gata Racing Stable and Turman Racing’s Woodstock (Yaupon-Hot Hippie, by Medaglia d’Oro) who captured the $50,000 E. L. Gaylord Memorial. The filly, trained by Michael Maker, was purchased by Maker from this year’s OBS March Sale for $100,000 from the Global Thoroughbreds consignment after breezing in :10 2/5.

    HALLANDALE BEACH - Amanda Hernandez’s Willow Case came with a steady drive through the stretch to reel in favored Vita Mia and edge clear by three-quarters of a length to extend her win streak to three races in Friday’s $75,000 Hallandale Beach at Gulfstream Park.

    Named for the city that Gulfstream has called home since it opened in 1939, the Hallandale Beach for 2-year-old fillies going a one-turn mile headlined a nine-race program to kick off September’s final weekend of the Sunshine Meet.

    Ridden by Leonel Reyes for trainer Ramon Minguet, Willow Case ($8) covered a fast main track in 1:38.01 to win her second consecutive stakes following Gulfstream’s six-furlong Sharp Susan Aug. 9.

     “I was very confident because she is a very professional, very focused filly,” Minguet said. “I thought that running a mile it would fit her very well. I think the longer distance is better for her than the short distance.”

    Reyes had Willow Case positioned in fourth as 45-1 longshot Triple Threat led along the rail through a quarter-mile in 24.02 seconds with Sharp Susan runner-up Tessellate between horses in second and Sept. 6 maiden winner Vita Mia cruising three wide in third. Tessellate inherited the lead pressed to her outside by Vita Mia when Triple Threat began to drop back after a half in 47.19.

     “This filly ran beautifully,” Reyes said. “It was the plan to sit behind the speed. I was behind two or three horses and at the eighth pole, I took her out and she finished good.”

    Reyes tipped Willow Case to the far outside approaching the stretch and, after Vita Mia put away Tessellate, the bay daughter of Neolithic continued to gain ground with every stride before moving up on even terms past the sixteenth pole and galloping past the wire.

    “That was the plan, to stalk the pace behind the speed horses. She was running well and I was happy with her position. She closed the way I expected,” Minguet said. “In the last half-furlong I got a little worried, but at the end she responded.”

    Vita Mia was second, followed by Tessellate, Dakota’s Lil Auror, That Police – who stumbled badly out of the starting gate – and Triple Threat.

    Reyes was encouraged with the way Willow Case galloped out in what was her fourth career race and first at a route of ground. “I think she can get more distance – a mile, a mile and an eighth, a mile and a sixteenth,” he said. “That will be OK for her.”

    Willow Case went off a 30-1 longshot when she ran a distant fourth behind subsequent Grade 3 winner Mythical in debut April 17, returning two weeks later to graduate by a neck at 14-1 odds going the same 4 ½-furlong distance. She went unraced until the Sharp Susan, which she won in a 27-1 upset. Friday she was the third choice in a field of six at 3-1.

    “We’ll see how she comes back to the barn. It’s been working for her to give her some time between races, four weeks to six weeks, and she responds to that,” Minguet said. “We’ll see in a few weeks what it looks like.