When he's right, he's right. In his most spectacular performance yet, Quality Road served notice that we'd better not concede the entire season to the ladies just yet, running away with the Grade I Donn Handicap.

The highweight at 123, Quality Road sat in second throughout, took command on the far turn, and steadily drew away under no urging from Johnny Velazquez to win by nearly 13. His time of 1:47.49 broke his own track record of 1:47.72 that he set in last year's Florida Derby.

Quality Road showed flashes of brilliance last year - winning the Fountain of Youth and Florida Derby and setting a Saratoga track record in the Amsterdam - but also struggled with quarter cracks, muddy tracks and gate issues. Trainer Todd Pletcher hopes that is behind the colt now; he says Quality Road will be freshened and pointed to the Met Mile.

"He’s got a very high cruising speed and can go 46 and 1:09 and still keep going. Not many horses can do that and he was spotting weight to all those horses, six pounds or more," Pletcher said. "The plan for him here all along was to run in the Hal’s Hope and then the Donn, give him a little break, and then point for the Met Mile and the big races at Saratoga before the Breeders’ Cup Classic in the fall."

Dry Martini, winner of last year's Suburban, rallied for second and Delightful Kiss came from last to be third.

Quality Road's performance helped erase some of the sting of the day for Pletcher, as he saw his Take the Points cross the line first in the Grade I Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap only to be disqualified.

Coming down the stretch, Kent Desormeaux, on Yate's Black Cat, went for a hole between pacesetter Le Grand Cru on the rail and a closing Take the Points. But the hole was moving faster than he was, Le Grand Cru was holding his ground at the rail, and Take the Points worsened the problem by drifting in under right-handed urging from Edgar Prado. Yate's Black Cat clipped heels badly in traffic and stumbled.

Following a steward's inquiry, Take the Points was placed fifth. Pletcher says he'll consider an appeal since Take the Points wasn't solely to blame for the issue.

The beneficiary was Court Vision, who closed on the outside to be second and was moved up to first with the DQ. The winner of last year's Shadwell Mile, the 5-year-old was ridden by Robby Albarado for Rick Dutrow and IEAH Stables. Never on Sunday was second and Le Grand Cru third.

Also on the card, Tottie won the Grade III Suwanee River over Cable and In My Glory.

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Peppi Knows scored his second stakes win in the Whirlaway at Aqueduct after favored Eightyfiveinafifty took himself out of the race on the first turn.

Eightyfiveinafifty was rank while being rushed up to the lead in the first quarter mile under Jorge Chavez. He then blew the turn and Chavez, sensing it wasn't his day, attempted to pull him up along the outside rail. At some point, however, the bit and reins broke, causing Chavez to lose control of the colt. Eightyfiveinafifty jumped both outside rails, tossing Chavez, and ran back through the stable area, where he was caught by a stable gate employee before he could escape onto the highway.

Trainer Gary Contessa says he'll go back to the drawing board with the colt, who was physically fine except for a cut on his hind leg that needed stitches.

"He'll need a couple of stitches. I'll need a Valium," Contessa quipped.

Chavez complained of back pain and will take off his lone mount Sunday; X-rays were negative and he's expected to ride again Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Peppi Knows led wire to wire but was shortening stride at the end, just holding off a closing Afleet Again. Richie Migliore, in his second day back after sustaining a mild concussion, rode the winner.

The winner flattered the form of Buddy's Saint, who he finished second behind in last fall's Remsen. Peppi Knows also won the Finger Lakes Juvenile Stakes in October.

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A pair of horses who were on last year's Triple Crown trail turned in solid performances on Saturday. In the Essex Handicap at Oaklawn, Racing Bran upset favored Win Willy, but the second was an encouraging effort from a promising colt who missed last year's Triple Crown with an injury.

In his first start since finishing third in the Preakness, Musket Man held off Guam Typhoon to win the Super Stakes at Tampa by a neck.

Musket Man, who is 6-for-9 lifetime, also won the Illinois Derby and was third in the Kentucky Derby last year.