ARCADIA, Calif. - Beholder was allowed to set the pace in Saturday’s $300,250 Santa Anita Oaks, a strategy that worked spectacularly and has made the 2-year-old champion filly of 2012 unbeatable around two turns in her career.

Leading by as much as two lengths in the first six furlongs, Beholder ($2.60) was hand-ridden through the stretch of the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks, winning by 2 3/4 lengths over the former maiden claimer Iotapa.

Ridden by Garrett Gomez, Beholder ran 1 1-16 miles in 1:43.16, winning the third stakes of her career.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Close Hatches remained perfect from three starts and thrust herself into prominence as she brought Princess of Sylmar’s four-race win to a halt in Saturday’s $250,000 Gazelle Stakes at Aqueduct.

Coming off maiden and first-level allowance wins at Gulfstream Park for Juddmonte Farms and Bill Mott, Close Hatches was hustled to the front by Joel Rosario soon after the start, and established the pace in the two-path while flanked by Walkwithapurpose on the rail and Princess of Sylmar on the outside.

The Tim Hamm-trained entry of Significant Bling and Blazing Bling finished a half-length apart in front of the competition in the $50,000 Royal North for Ohio bred 3-year-old fillies at Beulah Park Saturday.

The Mister Diz Stakes is named in honor of the horse who was chosen Maryland-bred champion four consecutive years, 1968-1971. So it was fitting that Ben’s Cat became a four-time winner of the $75,000 Mister Diz at Pimlico on Saturday afternoon.

Launching his 7-year-old campaign against a field of five Maryland-breds in the state’s first turf race of the season, Ben’s Cat ($2.80) took command at the eighth pole and easily drew clear to win by 1 3/4 lengths while completing five furlongs on a firm course in 57.74 seconds.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Jockey Ramon Dominguez said Saturday that the brain injury he suffered in a spill at Aqueduct in January was more severe than he first thought, and while he continues to make progress his return to the saddle is still several months away.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Trainer David Nunn said he had no intention of running Withgreatpleasure in Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Ruffian Handicap at Aqueduct.

But a sharp workout earlier in the week and with the race shaping up, in Nunn’s words, “a soft Grade 2” he changed his mind.

Nunn was rewarded for the change of heart when Johnny Velazquez shot Withgreatpleasure through a gaping hole along the inside at the five-sixteenths pole, and she outlasted 4-5 favorite My Wandy’s Girl to the wire to win the Ruffian by three-quarters of a length.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Tiz Miz Sue, Don’t Tell Sophia, and On Fire Baby all worked within minutes of each other Saturday at Oaklawn in preparation for the Grade 1, $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap. The 1 1/16-mile race for fillies and mares will be run Friday as part of the weeklong Racing Festival of the South.

Tiz Miz Sue, winner of last month’s Grade 3, $150,000 Azeri under regular rider Joe Rocco Jr., went a half-mile in an effortless 50.60 seconds on a fast track, with clockers catching her final quarter-mile in 22.80 seconds.

No fewer than a half-dozen workouts were recorded at several Kentucky venues Saturday as final serious preparations were made for the annual marquee race at Keeneland, the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes.

Jockey Luis Quinonez will travel to Will Rogers Downs near Tulsa on Tuesday to team with Okie Ride in the $55,000 TRAO Classic Sprint. The six-furlong race is restricted to Oklahoma-breds, and the nine-horse field of 3-year-olds and up includes the race’s defending champ, Stickcrossmountain, and a five-time stakes winner, Steal Your Face.

Jazzin’ Okie will be giving up recency on Monday when she makes her first start in more than five months in the $55,000 Cherokee Casino Distaff Sprint at Will Rogers Downs. But what she lacks in recency, she makes up for in class.

Jazzin’ Okie is one of just two stakes winners in the six-furlong race for Oklahoma-bred fillies and mares. The other is Lady Jensen.