PHOENIX - Why Not Be Perfect was hammered down to 2-5 in Saturday’s $35,000 Wildcat Handicap at Turf Paradise, and while the 6-year-old validated that confidence, it wasn’t easy.

Owned by JC Racing Stable and trained by Jeff Metz, Why Not Be Perfect stalked the pace in the 1 3/8-mile turf event under Anne Sanguinetti, was asked to go challenge for the lead turning for home and had to fight hard to get up for the neck win.

Flexiplus rallied strongly from well back to be second while Bullittone finished third in the field of nine.

Jaws n’ Paws has now won 8 of her last 9 starts after wiring the field in the $50,000 Czaria at Sunland Park on Saturday. She won by a length over Pyrite On My Mind, while it was another 2 1/4 lengths back in third to African Rose.

Jaws n’ Paws ($4) broke on top in the six-furlong race for fillies and mares and took the field through fractions of 22.28 seconds for the opening quarter and 44.69 for the half-mile. Jaws n’ Paws went on to cover the distance on a track rated fast in 1:09.21.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Trainer Doug O’Neill enjoyed winning the Santa Anita Derby last year so much he decided to do it again. Guess he said, I’ll Have Another.

Goldencents, now starting on the path O’Neill trod last year with I’ll Have Another, ran his way into the May 4 Kentucky Derby with a 1 1/4-length victory over favored Flashback on Saturday in the Grade 1, $750,750 Santa Anita Derby before an ontrack crowd of 33,005.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Scarlet Strike won the first stakes of her career in Saturday’s $151,250 Providencia Stakes at Santa Anita, leaving Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer in a tie with King Leatherbury for fourth-place on the all-time wins list with 6,375 victories.

Hollendorfer entered Saturday trailing the Maryland-based Leatherbury by two wins. Hollendorfer won twice at Santa Anita and once at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday, while Leatherbury won the featured race at Pimlico, the Mister Diz Stakes with Ben’s Cat.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Officer Alex caught Bobcat Jim on the wire for a dramatic win in the $75,000 Bachelor for 3-year-olds at Oaklawn Park on Saturday. The six-furlong race was run on a perfect spring afternoon, before an ontrack crowd of 22,361.

Officer Alex ($12.20) settled in fourth in the early stages of the Bachelor, as Bobcat Jim jumped out to the lead and was clear through fractions of 21.51 seconds for the opening quarter and 45.17 for the half-mile. Officer Alex rolled into the stretch four wide, and rallied through the lane to catch Bobcat Jim.

ARCADIA, Calif. - After Jimmy Creed won the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes on opening day here at Santa Anita, trainer Richard Mandella was looking to run him farther in the remaining legs of the Strub Series. A cough took him out of commission for most of the meet, but Jimmy Creed began to make up for lost time on Saturday.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Undefeated, but no longer untested, Verrazano turned back the challenges of logical contenders Normandy Invasion and Vyjack to win Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Wood Memorial at Aqueduct by three-quarters of a length and perhaps earn himself the role as favorite for the May 4 Kentucky Derby.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. -   Sr. Quisqueyano rode a speed-favoring track to a convincing 7 1/2- length victory over the 4-5 favorite Speak Logistics in Saturday’s $250,000 Calder Derby. Reporting Star finished a distant third.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Circling five wide turning for home, the lightly regarded Swagger Jack ($33.60) unleashed a sustained run through the stretch to win Saturday’s 113th running of the $400,000 Carter Handicap.

Away slowest in the field of six, Swagger Jack raced in next-to-last position down the backstretch, as 26-1 outsider Consortium carved out early fractions of 22.17 and 44.63 seconds under pressure from Fort Loudon, Brigand and even-money favorite Discreet Dancer.

OLDSMAR, Fla. - Hooh Why, a 7-year-old mare making one of the last starts of her million-dollar career, rallied outside to be up in the final strides to defend her title in the Distaff Turf on Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs.

The race was one of six stakes, worth $75,000 apiece, for Florida-breds on a 12-race Florida Cup Day program.