The son of Glitterman, ridden by Pat Day, won by three lengths and covered seven furlongs in 1:22.29.

Ethan Man is trained by Patrick Byrne, who is best known as the conditioner of 1997 "Horse of the Year" Favorite Trick and 1998 Breeders' Cup Classic (GI) winner Awesome Again.

"I don't know whether he's a mile-and-a-quarter horse," Byrne told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "But, if he is, the Kentucky Derby is in the picture. He may just be a good miler. We'll find out."

Byrne indicated that Ethan Man, who won for the third time in four races, could run next at Keeneland in the Toyota Blue Grass (GI) at 1 1/8-miles on April 13 or the 1 1/16-mile Coolmore Lexington (GII) on April 20.

Buddha is not yet nominated to the Kentucky Derby and Visa Triple Crown.

The Graham Motion-trained Mt. Livermore colt won by 2 1/4-lengths over the late-running Tails Of The Crypt and covered 1 1/16-miles in 1:43.66. Ramon Dominguez rode Equality to his third victory in six races. Favored Bunk N Ted finished fifth and Hutcheson (GII) winner Showmeitall was last in the nine-horse field.

WEST (California) -- Eclipse Award-winning trainer Bobby Frankel pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the Kentucky Derby campaign when he saddled Labamta Babe to an upset Siphonic in the Santa Catalina (GII) in February -- but Frankel may have topped that surprise in Sunday's San Felipe (GII) at Santa Anita.

Amerman Racing Stable's Siphonic, who closed as the favorite earlier Sunday in Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager, was the victim again as Frankel saddled Edmund Gann's lightly-raced Medaglia D'Oro to win the San Felipe by 2 1/2-lengths over U S S Tinosa. Siphonic had surged past the top pair heading into the far turn of the 1 1/16-mile race, but the David Hofmans trainee weakened in the final furlong to finish 3 1/2-lengths farther back in third.

"I think he just got tired," Hofmans said. "He was rubber-legged and just didn't finish. We'll scope him and see if anything went wrong and reevaluate where we're going from here."

Frankel, meanwhile, was beaming over Medaglia D'oro, a last-second entry in the San Felipe who covered the distance in 1:41.95 as he made a successful debut in stakes company and raced for the first time at a two-turn distance. The son of El Prado had scored a very fast victory in a six furlong maiden race at Oaklawn Park last time out and was purchased for Gann by Frankel as a replacement for Labamta Babe, who had been forced off the Kentucky Derby trail by injury.

"I knew the horse could run, but I didn't know if he was going to be ready today against these top horses," said Frankel. "He might really be a top horse."

Medaglia D'oro was ridden by 55-year-old Laffit Pincay, Jr. It was the sixth San Felipe victory for racing's all-time leading jockey. But the poor performance by Siphonic left another racing legend, jockey Jerry Bailey, looking for answers.

Tracemark, Puerto Banus and Shah Jehan completed the order of finish in the San Felipe, Santa Anita's last major prep for the Santa Anita Derby (GI) on April 6.

Medaglia D'oro has not been nominated to the Kentucky Derby and Visa Triple Crown, but Frankel said that would be taken care of by the March 30 deadline for late nominations. Gann will have to pay $6,000 at that time to make the colt eligible for those races.

EAST (New York, Maryland) -- Injury had kept Michael Tabor's speedy Mayakovsky away from the races since early September, but he displayed very little rust when the California invader returned to action Sunday with a dazzling 3 3/4-length victory in the 50th running of Gotham Stakes (GIII) at New York's Aqueduct.

Jockey Edgar Prado, who rode Harlan's Holiday to victory in Saturday's Florida Derby, completed a weekend to remember when as he guided the Patrick Biancone trainee to a frontrunning win over Remsen (GII) winner Saarland. Mayakovsky drifted out in the racetrack in the final yards as he completed the the one-turn mile distance in 1:35.40, but was never threatened by the runner-up or third-place finisher Parade Of Music.

"I wanted to start him out with one turn, so we could turn him back if we wanted to," Biancone said. "Edgar said that the drifting out in the stretch was not a product of him getting tired. He did the same thing at home when he was working."

Mayakovsky, was racing for the first time since a runner-up finish to Kentucky Derby contender Came Home in the Hopeful (GI) at Saratoga. In his only other start the son of Matty G broke a 55-year-old track record in a win at 5 1/2 furlongs at Saratoga. Biancone is unsure about the immediate future for his colt.

"Tonight I am going to dream about the Derby," said Biancone. "Maybe tomorrow, when I wake up, I can change my mind. Tonight, we're allowed to dream."

If the Kentucky Derby becomes the objective for Mayakovsky, Biancone indicated that the Wood Memorial (GI) on April 13 at Aqueduct would probably be his next race.

Trainer Shug McGaughey was just as pleased with the runner-up finish by Cynthia Phipps' Saarland, a son of 1990 Kentucky Derby winner Unbridled who rallied strongly to finish second in his first race since November.

"I was hoping for more pace," said McGaughey. "But this gives me a lot of confidence the way he finished up. He looked good coming back."

McGaughey said Saarland would be more effective at two-turn distances and he will run next in the 1 1/8-mile Wood Memorial.

Heir D'Twine, Rum Splasher, Tank's Expectation and Two Shakes completed the order of finish.

MIDWEST (Kentucky, Illinois, Louisiana, Arkansas) -- Sandbar Farm's Cashel Castle made a long awaited return to competition in an easy victory over older foes in a six furlong optional claiming race on Sunday at Sportsman's Park in Cicero, Ill.

The unbeaten son of Silver Ghost won by 5 1/4-lengths and covered the distance in 1:11.75 on a "fast" track under jockey Eusebio Razo, Jr.

"From the first time I got on this horse, I felt like I was driving a car," Razo said. "Every time I push the button or step on the gas, he does everything I want him to do."

Trainer Chris Block had planned to start Cashel Castle's 3-year-old campaign in Florida, but a slight injury knocked him out of planned run in the Hutcheson (GII) at Gulfstream Park. Block said the colt would now be pointed toward the Lafayette (GIII) at Keeneland on April 7.

Also on Sunday at Sportsman's Park, Russell Reineman Stable's War Emblem won the Illinois Derby Prep by 10 3/4-lengths. He covered the one-mile distance in 1:39.22. Trainer Bobby Springer said the son of Our Emblem is expected to run next in the Illinois Derby (GII) on April 6.

Johannesburg Update -- The lone prep for Michael Tabor and Mrs. John Magnier's unbeaten Breeders' Cup Juvenile (GI) winner Johannesburg could come on the all-weather racing surface at Britain's Lingfield Park rather than on the grass in Ireland.

The Daily Telegraph reported that trainer Aidan O'Brien is considering a run by America's 2001 2-year-old champion in a one-mile race proposed for April 6 on Lingfeld's Polytrack course, which simulates a dirt track.

"This is a great opportunity to get a run into a horse like Johannesburg, indeed any horse being trained for the Kentucky Derby or any classic," O'Brien told the Daily Telegraph. "At this time of the year being able to run on a consistent, sound surface, whatever the weather happens to be, is most important."

Kentucky Oaks 128 Update -- Friday's Bonnie Miss Stakes (GII) at Gulfstream Park had the look of a coronation for Robert Manfuso's unbeaten Belterra, an easy winner over rising star Take Charge Lady in her most recent race in the Golden Rod (GII) in late November at Churchill Downs.

But the Carl Nafzger-trained daughter of Unbridled came up short and the 3-year-old filly in the winner's circle turned out to be Cynthia Knight's Dust Me Off, who led wire-to-wire to win the 1 1/16-mile race under jockey Mark Guidry. Nonsuch Bay was third and Belterra, the odds-on favorite, finished third.

Dust Me Off is trained by Hall of Fame conditioner H. Allen Jerkens.

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