West Coast Derby contenders get going in Saturday's San Vicente Stakes

Jan. 9 (UPI) -- Santa Anita is back in action with a pair of interesting challenges for 3-year-old Derby and Oaks hopefuls, while some of last year's Breeders' Cup contenders get back into the swing of things on both coasts.

Let's get right to it:

The Road to the Roses

Saturday's $200,000 Grade II San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita has Buetane, idle since finishing second to Ted Noffey in the Grade I Hopeful at Saratoga in September, and Greenwich Village, a Dec. 6 maiden winner at Del Mar, both trained by Bob Baffert.

Doug O'Neill fields two challengers, Acknowledgemeplz and Thirsty Rebel, and the Mark Glatt-trained So Happy rounds out the field. Buetane is the narrow favorite over Acknowledgemeplz.

Saturday's $125,000 Pasco at Tampa Bay Downs didn't draw sufficient entries and was reposted as an "extra" for Sunday, but again was dropped for lack of entries.

While the San Vicente eventually could prove important as a prep for the Run for the Roses, neither race was included in the official "Road to the Kentucky Derby" schedule. Nyquist won the San Vicente in 2016 and followed that with victories in the Florida and Kentucky derbies.

The Path to the Oaks

Baffert has three of the five entries in Saturday's $100,000 Santa Ynez, 7 furlongs at Santa Anita.

Explora finished second in the Grade II Del Mar Debutante, won the Grade II Oak Leaf at Santa Anita and finished second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.

Bottle of Rouge won the Del Mar Debutante but then was sixth in the Breeders' Cup. Himika exits a second in the Desi Arnaz at Del Mar.

Revera won the Desi Arnaz on Nov. 16 and hasn't raced since. La Wally has been chasing those gals for several starts and tries again. Explora is the 3-5 favorite.

Tessellate, last seen winning the Gulfstream Park Juvenile Sprint in November, is the favorite among six entered for Saturday's $175,000 Gasparilla at Tampa Bay Downs.

Filly & Mare Turf

Paradise Lake stalked the pace made by Starry Night in Thursday's $100,000 Grade III Robert J. Frankel at Santa Anita, edged past that one in the stretch and held off another bid from that rival to win by a head. It was just another neck to Watchtower in third with the odds-on favorite, Public Assembly, fifth.

Paradise Lake, a 5-year-old Uncle Mo mare, ran 1 1/8 miles on firm turf in 1:50.72 with Juan Hernandez up for trainer Peter Eurton.

Turf Mile

Stark Contrast, making his first start since finishing second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, pressed the pace in Thursday's $100,000 Eddie Logan Stakes for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita, took charge in the stretch run and won by 2 1/4 lengths over Brigante.

A Caravaggio colt, Stark Contrast finished the 1 mile in 1:35.38 with Kazushi Kimura in the irons for trainer Michael McCarthy.

Turf Sprint

Nine fillies and mares are set for Sunday's $100,000 Grade III Las Cinegas for fillies and mares down the Santa Anita hillside course.

Distaff

Drexel Hill, second in both the Kentucky Oaks and the Grade II Mother Goose last season, returns in Saturday's $125,000 Wayward Lass at Tampa Bay Downs. She's the odds-on favorite in a field of six going 1 1/16 miles.

Saturday's $125,000 Likely Exchange at 1 mile on the Turfway Park all-weather attracted a very competitive field of eight.

Filly & Mare Sprint

Sunday's $100,000 Las Flores at Santa Anita drew a well-balanced field of seven.

Around the world, around the clock

Perhaps acknowledging an uptick in interest in South African horses, the Breeders' Cup has expanded its "Win and You're In" program to include three races Saturday in Cape Town.

The card features the Group 1 King's Plate with 2024-25 South African Horse of the Year Eight on Eighteen meeting the previous South African Horse of the Year, Dave the King. The race provides a free entry to the Fan Duel Breeders' Cup Mile on Halloween at Keeneland.

The Group 1 Paddock Stakes is a "Win and You're In" for the Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. And the new entry in the program, the Group 1 Cape Flying Championship, offers entrée to the Prevagen Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.

Breeders' Cup also has added a South American race, the 1-mile Group 3 Gran Premio Pedro Pineyrua at Hipodromo Maronas in Uruguay, won Tuesday by Herr Kitten, who edged defending champion Si Senor. Herr Kitten won an invitation to the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile on Oct. 31 at Keeneland.