Tom Pedulla offers takeaways from a major weekend of racing centered around the inaugural running of the $1 million California Crown Stakes presented by SirDavis American Whisky Saturday at Santa Anita Park. The Crown, as part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series, awarded the winner a fees-paid berth in the $7 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Nov. 2 at Del Mar. Pedulla also looks at three other races that carried automatic Breeders’ Cup berths, namely the City of Hope Mile Stakes Presented by MyRacehorse (FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile Presented by PDJF), Vosburgh Stakes (Breeders’ Cup Sprint) and the Pilgrim Stakes (Prevagen Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf). The Vosburgh and Pilgrim were contested at Belmont at the Big A.

THREE-HORSE THRILLER: If there is a way to bring out the best in a horse, count on Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella to find it. Five-year-old Subsanador appears to be hitting his best stride for his new barn as he prevailed in a three-horse photo with National Treasure and Newgate in the inaugural California Crown. It was Subsanador’s third start since he joined Mandella and it followed a victory in the Aug. 17 Philip H. Iselin Stakes at Monmouth Park. “I’ve got to give Richard Mandella all the credit,” winning jockey Mike Smith said. “He’s got this horse so confident, he thinks he owns the place.”

SURFACE CHANGE: Johannes made the first three starts of his career on dirt during the second half of the 2022 season with results that were far from encouraging. He finished 10th, third, and fifth. When trainer Tim Yakteen switched him to turf on New Year’s Eve of 2022, the difference was dramatic. Johannes dominated by nine lengths to begin a run in which he’s swept seven of his last eight starts. He improved to 4-for-4 in 2024 when he took the City of Hope Mile by 1 ¼ lengths under jockey Umberto Rispoli. Yakteen said he will look forward to advancing to the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile Nov. 2 at Del Mar.

Mufasa winning Vosburgh Stakes. (Eclipse Sportswire)

COMMANDING PERFORMANCE: Mufasa, a 5-year-old son of Practical Joke, made his first appearance in a United States stakes race a successful one when he controlled the seven-furlong Vosburgh by 4 ¼ lengths over runner-up Scotland. “It was impressive. We were expecting something big from him,” winning trainer Ignacio Correas IV said. Correas said he must decide between the Breeders’ Cup Sprint and the Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. Both will be run Nov. 2 at Del Mar.

GREAT BUY: Zulu Kingdom, purchased privately by the partnership of Sol Kumin’s Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, William Strauss, and Michael Caruso after he made a winning debut in France in June, looks to be an excellent buy. He won his second graded stakes race in as many tries for trainer Chad Brown since he came to the United States when he added the 1 1/16-mile, Grade 2 Pilgrim Stakes to a previous success in the Aug. 29 With Anticipation Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. The margin was a neck each time. The Pilgrim win carried an automatic, fees-paid berth in the Prevagen Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, which will be run at a mile Nov. 1 at Del Mar. Brown expects Zulu Kingdom to be formidable at the Breeders’ Cup. “I think we’ll see the best of him at a flat mile,” the trainer said.

WELCOME VERSATILITY: Many horses have one running style and they will not perform well if asked to depart from it. Far Bridge, trained by Christophe Clement, can adapt to any scenario. He led from start to finish in the Aug. 24 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer Stakes. He came from off the pace to get the job done in Saturday’s Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes. With those consecutive Grade 1 victories, owner Randy Sarf of LSU Stables could not be more excited about his prospects in his next start, the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf. “He is in top form right now and he is ready to win the Breeders’ Cup,” Sarf said. War Like Goddess, who had defeated males in each of the previous two editions of the Joe Hirsch, finished second.