Tom Pedulla presents five takeaways from coast-to-coast action that included the Champagne Stakes at Belmont at the Big A, the Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland and the American Pharoah Stakes at Santa Anita. All three races afforded the winner a fees-paid entry in the $2 million FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, the centerpiece of Future Stars Friday, on Nov. 3 at Santa Anita.

BLINKERS OFF: Blinkers are often added to young horses to help them focus. In the case of Timberlake, who controlled the one-turn mile Champagne by 4 ¼ lengths, it appears that trainer Brad Cox’s decision to remove the blinkers made all the difference. Timberlake was coming off a runner-up effort in the Sept. 4 Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga on behalf of WinStar Farm and Siena Farm. “He was very rank last time when he didn’t break well and was up behind heels,” noted Elliott Walden, WinStar’s CEO. “Brad worked him twice without blinkers and made the decision not to have them [Saturday]. It all worked out well.”

DOUBLING UP: Six horses have used the Breeders’ Futurity as a springboard to success in the Juvenile. Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher was the most recent to accomplish that, with Forte last year. He is in position to take another shot at that challenging double after Locked fended off The Wine Steward by half a length on Saturday. “He is a colt that we always felt like the further the better,” Pletcher said, adding, “He’s just been a colt that’s done everything right since day one.” Locked, a colt by 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner, is owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm.

Muth winning American Pharoah Stakes. (Eclipse Sportswire)

NO STOPPING HIM: Hall of Famer Bob Baffert trained American Pharoah in 2015 when that colt completed the first Triple Crown sweep in 37 years. Now, it seems there is no stopping him in the American Pharoah Stakes. Muth, with Juan Hernandez aboard, provided Baffert with his 12th victory overall in that race and his fifth win in the last six years when he passed his first two-turn test impressively. “I love the way Muth settled,” Baffert said. “When I saw that, I said, ‘Well, we’ll see how good he is.’ ” Expectations have been high for Muth, a son of Good Magic and an April 28 foal, since Zedan Racing Stables lavished $2 million on him as a 2-year-old in training.

DECISIONS, DECISIONS: Up to the Mark, owned by Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable, is sitting in a very good spot after nosing out Godolphin’s Master of The Seas in the $1 million Coolmore Turf Mile Stakes on Saturday at Keeneland. His reward for his tremendous late surge: a fees-paid slot in the $2 million FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile Presented by Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund. The $4 million Longines Turf represents another enticing option. “Either race could work, the mile or the mile and a half,” Pletcher said. “We’ll just see how he comes out of it, assess everything, and make a decision. But it’s great to have a horse that versatile.” Up to the Mark, partnering with jockey Jose Ortiz, notched his third consecutive Grade 1 victory in the Coolmore Turf Mile.

ON A ROLL: It may be hard, if not impossible, to look past Idiomatic in the $2 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff on Nov. 4 at Santa Anita. The Juddmonte homebred made it consecutive commanding victories in Grade 1 events when she registered a front-running, 4 ¼-length victory against Le Da Vida in the $600,000 Juddmonte Spinster Stakes on Sunday at Keeneland. In her previous start, she coasted on the front end to a four-length decision in the Aug. 25 Personal Ensign at Saratoga. She will ship to the West Coast as a winner of four straight, and seven of eight, for trainer Brad Cox. “She’s a monster. She has a tremendous stride and really covers a lot of ground. She’s really a freak,” Cox said. He is cautiously optimistic about the Distaff. “California is speed. She’s got speed and we’ll see who else signs on. It’ll be a showdown, I’m sure,” he said.