"I could just see it in his eyes; he just wasn’t going to let that horse pass him," trainer Phil D'Amato said.

Forged Steel ran away with Monday’s renewal of the Hollywood Gold Cup (G2) at Santa Anita, and Thought Process and Formidable Man starred in the Grade 1s on turf.

Third as the favorite in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1), Notable Speech returned to Del Mar as an older, fresher customer.

Rare is a horse so talented and durable that they can win the same graded stakes four years in a row. It had never been done at Del Mar until Gold Phoenix joined the elusive four-peat club with his triumph in Saturday’s $300,000 Del Mar H. (G2) on Pacific Classic (G1) day at Del Mar.

Pacific Classic Day features two other Breeders’ Cup Challenge events, the Del Mar H. (G2) and Green Flash H. (G3), plus the Del Mar Mile (G2) and Torrey Pines (G3).

Odds-on favorite Formidable Man extended his local mark over the Del Mar turf course to a perfect 5-for-5 in Sunday’s Eddie Read (G2).

The adjective in his name fits Formidable Man, who figures to be a shorter price than usual in search of his fourth career graded stakes triumph Monday in the $300,000 Shoemaker Mile (G1) at Santa Anita.

On a stakes-packed Saturday at Santa Anita, Locked impressed with an 8 1/2-length demolition of the historic Santa Anita H. (G1).

The Chad Brown-trained Spirit of St Louis has spent far more time among New York-breds than in open company, but that might have to change after he upstaged Saturday’s Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1).

The last time Godolphin globetrotter Nations Pride graced the U.S. turf, he justified favoritism in the Aug. 11 Arlington Million (G1) at Colonial Downs.

Hero of the Del Mar Derby (G2) and Oceanside S. during Del Mar’s summer meet, Formidable Man made it three in a row in Saturday’s Hollywood Derby (G1) on the penultimate day of the Bing Crosby season.

After dangling a few high-profile comeback options for Muth over the summer, Bob Baffert ultimately settled on Sunday’s Shared Belief S. at Del Mar.

Two fillies brought perfect records into Saturday’s $202,500 San Clemente H. (G2), but only one retained her unbeaten status on opening day at Del Mar.

With Del Mar kicking off on Saturday this year, rather than a weekday, the traditional opening-day feature, the $100,000 Oceanside S., now serves as an appetizer for the $200,000 San Clemente (G2).

Godolphin’s Ottoman Fleet made short work of Saturday’s Arlington (G3), the first of three turf stakes on Stephen Foster Preview Day at Churchill Downs.

Trikari led a parade of longshots home in the $596,560 American Turf (G2) for three-year-olds at Churchill Downs on Saturday.