March 1, 2025, could turn out to be one of the most important racing dates of the year after trio of 3-year-olds enjoyed breakout performances Saturday that very likely punched their tickets to the 2025 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve and Locked announced his presence with authority in the older male division with a runaway victory in the the Santa Anita Handicap Presented by Yamaava’ Resort & Casino. America’s Best Racing’s Mike Curry offers five takeaways you need to know from a huge weekend on the path to the 2025 Kentucky Derby.

EXTRA, EXTRA: Racing fans will very likely see much ink on Journalism in the week to come after his scintillating 1 ¾-length victory in the $300,000 DK Horse San Felipe Stakes Saturday at Santa Anita Park. Making his first start in 2 ½ months, the bay colt by two-time Horse of the Year Curlin reeled in odds-on favorite Barnes – also the future book Kentucky Derby favorite – and pulled away late to his third straight win by open lengths for trainer Michael McCarthy. “I couldn’t ask for anything better, once I took him out and pressed the button, he put on the beast mode,” winning jockey Umberto Rispoli said. Indeed, Journalism looks like a major Derby contender.

Sovereignty, left, winning Fountain of Youth Stakes. (Eclipse Sportswire)

SOUTH FLORIDA STATEMENT: Credit Byron King of the BloodHorse for having Sovereignty atop his Derby Dozen for weeks. The Into Mischief colt showed no rust in his first start in more than four months since winning the Street Sense Stakes last October at Churchill Downs, storming from last to first in the final three-eighths of a mile to defeat River Thames by a neck in the $415,000 Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes Saturday at Gulfstream Park. Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott has a nice Kentucky Derby prospect. “It was a great run,” Mott said. “We got one under our belt and now we get with the team and see where we go.” Mott will strongly consider the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby March 29 at Gulfstream for Sovereignty’s next race.

GOTHAM DOWNPOUR: Flood Zone was a lightly regarded 3-year-old entering the $300,000 Gotham Stakes Saturday at Aqueduct and started the race at 17.80-1 odds, but his bandwagon no doubt swelled after he swamped eight rivals in a 3 ¼-length rout in the Big Apple. The Frosted colt led early, was passed in the middle part of the one-mile race, and did his best running in the stretch for trainer Brad Cox while stretching out from a sprint and making his first start in a stakes race. “Going two turns, he'll be even better in my opinion,” winning jockey Reylu Gutierrez said. “He has very good tactical speed and he has gears to go the distance.”

… AND LOADED: The older male division got a significant boost Saturday at Santa Anita with a career-best performance from Locked, who rallied from off the pace and pulled away to an 8 ½-length romp in the $301,500 Santa Anita Handicap to earn an eye-opening 109 Beyer Speed Figure. The Todd Pletcher-trained Locked entered the race off a runner-up finish in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes in January in his first race as a 4-year-old. He looked like a rising star in the division in his second race in 2025. “He had the blinkers on today. I talked to Todd, and he told me to be aggressive out of the gate and put him as close as I can and the horse will do the rest,” winning jockey Jose Ortiz said. “I feel great to win a race like this with a horse like Locked, he is unbelievable. I really loved him since he was a 2-year-old.”  

McCarthy all business on his big day. (Eclipse Sportswire)

MCCARTHY’S MAGIC: Journalism’s powerhouse win in the San Felipe Stakes was just part of a banner day in Southern California for trainer Michael McCarthy, who also won the $301,000 Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes with Formidable Man, the $200,500 Buena Vista Stakes with Liguria, and the nightcap at Santa Anita Park with Phosphorescence. “It was a memorable day,” McCarthy said Sunday morning. “I’m just very pleased for my guys at the barn. It takes a lot to have a day like yesterday. It was a real team effort.”