March 10 (UPI) -- Thorpedo Anna did what a Horse of the Year is expected to do by winning her 3-year-old debut Saturday at Oaklawn Park, while Owen Almighty qualified at Tampa Bay Downs for a Kentucky Derby run that his trainer thinks might not suit him well.
The weekend also saw some impressive performances on the turf, especially from some 3-year-olds.
Let's jump right to it.
Distaff
Thorpedo Anna, the 2024 U.S. Horse of the Year, won her 2025 debut without too much fuss, taking Saturday's $400,000 Grade II Azeri Stakes at Oaklawn Park by 3 1/2 lengths. She was challenged briefly on the stretch turn and into the lane by Free Like a Girl, but shook loose from that rival when set to work by jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. She finished 1 1/16 miles on a wet-fast track in 1:44.02.
Winning trainer Kenny McPeek said Thorpedo Anna will resume training in New Orleans and likely return to Oaklawn for the $1.2 million Grade I Apple Blossom on April 12.
Out west, a potential rival is emerging in the form of Cavalieri, a Nyquist filly who won for the fourth time without loss, taking the $300,000 Grade I B. Wayne Hughes Beholder Mile at Santa Anita by 3/4 length from pacesetter Richi. Midwest invader Tarifa finished third.
Cavalieri finished the 1 mile on a fast track in 1:34.96 with Juan Hernandez riding for trainer Bob Baffert, who also trains Richi.
The Road to the Roses
Owen Almighty blitzed six rivals in Saturday's $400,000 Grade III Tampa Bay Derby, jumping into the No. 2 spot behind only Smarty Jones and Rebel Stakes winner Coal Battle on the "Road to the Kentucky Derby" leaderboard.
His owner and trainer, however, seem to have sharply different opinions about whether he's actually Derby material.
The Speightstown colt, with Irad Ortiz Jr. up for trainer Brian Lynch, broke sharply from the No. 1 gate and was in front all the way. He won by 3 1/2 lengths from Chancer McPatrick with Hill Road third and the favorite, Patch Adams, fourth.
The colt's owners are eager to take him to the Kentucky Derby, but Lynch thinks his sprint-related pedigree might not fit that 1 1/4-mile race.
"There will be conversation," he said. "But if I was to have my way, I'd still stick to the plan and go to the Pat Day Mile [on the Kentucky Derby undercard]."
Meanwhile, the winner of the "Euro/Mideast Road to the Kentucky Derby" will be decided in the Group 2 UAE Derby (G2) on April 5 in Dubai after the penultimate leg March 7 in Ireland ended in an upset.
Titanium Emperor, a first-time starter, finished first, with a filly second and the favorite, Mount Kilimanjaro, third. None is nominated to the Triple Crown.
Titanium Emperor moved into a three-way tie for the series lead, but since the winner of the final leg, the Group 2 UAE Derby, gets 100 points, that race will the the decider for the guaranteed Kentucky Derby bid.
Classic
Skippylongstocking won Saturday's $125,000 Grade III Michelob Ultra Challenger Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs for the third straight year and in track record time.
Most Wanted jumped out to lead and Skippylongstocking challenged with a furlong to run, edged clear and won by 1 1/4 lengths. Skippylongstocking, a 6-year-old by Exaggerator, finished the 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:41.20.
Filly & Mare Turf
Saffron Moon charged to the lead at mid-stretch in Saturday's $225,000 Grade II Hillsborough Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs and won by 3/4 length over another closer, South African-bred Gimme a Nother.
Nitrogen, third in last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, won her second straight race this season with a pace-stalking, 1/2-length score over Lush Lips in Saturday's $200,000 Grade III Florida Oaks at Tampa Bay Downs. She did it in 1:40.42, a course record for 1 1/16 miles.
Fionn rallied from last of six to win Saturday's $100,000 Allen Black Cat Lacombe Memorial for 3-year-old fillies by 1 1/4 lengths over Love and Poetry.
Turf Mile
Zulu Kingdom, last seen finishing seventh in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, held off a late bid by Reagan's Wit to win Saturday's $125,000 Columbia Stakes for 3-year-olds by a neck. Revolutionnaire was third.
Freedom's Not Free stalked the pace made by Friendly Confines in Sunday's $100,000 Pasadena Stakes for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita, challenged that rival through the stretch and finally got free to win by 2 lengths.
Turf Sprint
Eamonn started last of six in Saturday's $115,000 Silks Run Stakes at Gulfstream Park and got home first by a nose over Reef Runner.
Running on just one week's rest, Air Force Red rallied late to capture Saturday's $100,000 Grade III San Simeon Stakes down the Santa Anita hillside by 1 length over Lovesick Blues.
Sprint
Arrest Me Red got right to the front in Saturday night's $125,000 Big Daddy Stakes at Turfway Park and the odds-on favorite, 2023 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint winner Nobals, fell 1/2 length shy of catching him.
Filly & Mare Sprint
Nic's Style stalked the pace in Saturday's $165,000 Grade III Hurricane Bertie at Gulfstream Park, closed outside the early speed and was up to win by a neck over R Disaster. The 5-year-old Uncaptured mare ran 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:16.53 with Junior Alvarado riding for trainer Bill Mott.
Around the world, around the clock
Australia
It was a weekend of upsets Down Under.
At Randwick, Linebacker upset Saturday's Group 1 Randwick Guineas, defeating odds-on favorite Broadsiding by 1/2 length.
One race later, the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes always looked wide open but, even in that context, the nearly 1/2-length victory by 20-1 chance Royal Patronage rated as an upset. Here to Shock was best of the rest with the 4-1 favorite, Magic Time, relegated to third at the end of the 1,300 meters.
The result of the Group 1 All Star Mile at Flemington wasn't much of a shock, but an upset, nonetheless, as Tom Kitten narrowly edged the favorite, Mr. Brightside.
Joliestar salvaged things for the chalk players with a solid victory in the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap, defeating Headwall by 1 1/4 lengths.
