Main Event, Kingmax Answer the Bell in Mac Diarmida

Main Event  and Kingmax , a head apart when 1-2 in the 1 1/8-mile Fort Lauderdale Stakes (G2T) at Gulfstream Park Dec. 30, square off again at Gulfstream over an additional quarter-mile March 2 in the 1 3/8-mile Mac Diarmida Stakes (G2T). This marks their third consecutive meeting after they were 11th and seventh, respectively, in the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes (G1T) Jan. 27.

Both are unknowns at the distance in Saturday's $200,000 turf race. Harrell Ventures' Main Event has never raced beyond 1 3/16 miles, and Kingmax no longer than 1 5/16 miles, doing so in Britain earlier in his career. He has not raced longer than 1 1/8 miles in five starts in the United States for owner Amo Racing.

Javier Castellano is aboard the George Weaver-trained Main Event, a 5-year-old Bernardini horse who figures to shoot to the lead from the inside post.

Kingmax, a 5-year-old son of Kingman   trained by Jorge Delgado, starts from the far outside in the field of 10 under David Egan.

Other threats are graded stakes winner Tawny Port  for trainer Christophe Clement and three from the barn of trainer Mike Maker:

• William L. McKnight Stakes (G3T) runner-up Starting Over .
• Six-time winner Catch That Party , sixth in the John B. Connally Turf Cup Stakes (G3T) over yielding ground at Sam Houston Race Park.
• John B. Connally winner Dynadrive .

R Calli Kim Imposing in The 1 3/8-Mile The Very One Stakes

Three races after the Mac Diarmida, fillies and mares race the same distance in the $150,000 The Very One Stakes (G3T).

R Calli Kim —who went 4-for-4 in 2023, topped by winning the Nov. 12 Long Island Stakes (G2T) at Aqueduct Racetrack at 1 3/8 miles on grass—comes off a close runner-up finish in the La Prevoyante Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream on Pegasus Day Jan. 27.

Tyler Gaffalione rides the 7-year-old daughter of Revolutionary  for trainer Brendan Walsh and owners Averill Racing and Two Eight Racing.

Her chief opposition includes:

• La Preyoyante third-place finisher Anatolian .
• Graded winner Cairo Consort , 10th in the Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf Invitational Stakes (G2T).
• Local stakes winner Sister Lou Ann , seventh in the Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf.
• Angel Nadeshiko , who led throughout in the Dec. 30 Robert J. Frankel Stakes (G3T) at Santa Anita Park.