An upset appeared to be brewing in Saturday’s Joe Hernandez (G2) when the 12.90-1 Sumter kicked away from the 9-10 Motorious down the Santa Anita stretch.

Last seen missing by a neck in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1), Motorious looms as the class of the field in Saturday’s Joe Hernandez (G2) at Santa Anita.

The Pacific Classic (G1) may have been the feature race on Saturday’s action-packed card at Del Mar, but the seaside oval hosted four other graded stakes for good measure.

Formerly an underachiever on dirt, C R K Stable’s Exaulted has become an overachiever since switching to turf. His transformation reached a new level in Monday’s Shoemaker Mile (G1) at Santa Anita.

Monday’s $500,000 Shoemaker Mile (G1), the first Breeders’ Cup Challenge event staged at a U.S. track this year, has added significance: it’s also held at the 2023 Breeders’ Cup host site, Santa Anita.

Bob Baffert made it a Saturday graded double with 1-2 favorite Fun to Dream in the Santa Monica (G2). Irish imports Earls Rock and Quattroelle won the graded turf stakes at Santa Anita.

The first of four stakes races at Santa Anita on Saturday, the $200,000 Robert B. Lewis (G3) pits just four promising sophomores against each other.

For the second straight day at Del Mar, jockey Flavien Prat made a well-timed move aboard a Phil D’Amato trainee to win a Grade 2 turf event.

Speed held sway in the graded turf routes at Santa Anita on Saturday, as Masteroffoxhounds and Beyond Brilliant, respectively, dictated terms in the John Henry Turf Championship (G2) and City of Hope Mile (G2).

In town to ride the sublime Flightline in the Pacific Classic (G1), Flavien Prat also turned a graded turf double aboard Gold Phoenix in the Del Mar H. (G2) and Hong Kong Harry in the Del Mar Mile (G2).

At Del Mar on Sunday, Heywoods Beach dethroned 9-10 favorite Tizamagician in the Cougar II (G3), and Irideo pulled a $65 upset in the Wickerr S. after the big scratch of Smooth Like Strait.

The $125,000 Cougar II (G3) is Del Mar’s Sunday feature, but the real headline act comes one race later in the $100,000 Wickerr S.