Discreet Dancer and Verrazano work in tandem at Palm Meadows in early March

Three-year-olds were once again in the spotlight over the weekend with two major Kentucky Derby preps held – the San Felipe at Santa Anita and the Tampa Bay Derby in Florida.

Verrazano proved no match for his rivals as he cruised to a sharp victory in the Tampa Bay Derby, while Hear the Ghost surprised favorites Flashback and Goldencents in the San Felipe.

The highly-anticipated 2013 debut of Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Fort Larned was over almost before it began, as the horse stumbled out of the gate and lost his rider in the Gulfstream Park Handicap.

To see more great photos like these, just click on any of the EquiSport Photos images; that will take you directly to a Gallery on the EquiSport Photos website.

To see the captions for the photos, please hover your mouse over the top of each photo.

If you have any photos you would like to submit, email them to photos@paulickreport.com.

Once again, we’d like to thank our friends at EquiSport Photos for compiling these wonderful photos from around the country!