Plenty of racing action took place throughout the Mid-Atlantic this past week.

Here’s a look at the “three stars” of each track:

REGION’S BEST

FIRST STAR: THE PUMA. Parx played host to their signature event, the grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby, on Saturday. Further Ado, a two-time graded stakes winner on the year and the slight Kentucky Derby favorite, went off favored here as well, going off at 2-1 in the 10-horse field. However, he proved second-best to The Puma, who won by a half-length for his long-awaited first grade 1 win. He raced six lengths off the pace in the early stages, while longshots Ponder and Dream and Talk to Me Jimmy set a sharp opening quarter-mile fraction of 23.27 and a first half-mile split of 47.69. On the final turn, Javier Castellano asked The Puma for run, and he responded with a powerful six-wide move that quickly inhaled the field. By the time he passed the eighth pole, he was three lengths in front, and though Further Ado cut into the margin late, the wire came in time. He ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.10 for his second career graded stakes win, having previously broken his maiden in the Tampa Bay Derby. He’s owned by OGMA Investments LLC, High Step Racing, TCC Stables LLC, YNG Stables LLC, and JR Ranch, trained by Gustavo Delgado, and ridden by Javier Castellano.

SECOND STAR: BODACIOUS BAY. The filly equivalent of the Pennsylvania Derby, the grade 1 Cotillion Stakes, also took place at Parx on Saturday. Bodacious Bay, most recently second in the Monmouth Oaks, broke through for her first stakes win, prevailing by a half-length over Kentucky Oaks champion Always a Runner. The winner pressed Monmouth Oaks victress My Miss Mo for most of the way, then took control on the final turn and pulled away from the rest. Always a Runner closed well from far off the pace, but could do no better than second, holding off Measure for the runner-up spot by a neck. Bodacious Bay now sports a record of 2-3-0 in five career starts, with earnings of $708,496. She ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.60, with Micah Husbands up for an ownership group led by C2 Racing Stable LLC and trainer Saffie Joseph.

THIRD STAR: STRADALE. 3-year-old males sprinted six furlongs in the grade 2 Gallant Bob Stakes, held one race prior to the Cotillion at Parx on Saturday. The winner was Stradale, who took advantage of a hot early pace and won by 1 1/4 lengths. Tallmar, Mailata, and My Boy Star all battled for the early lead, going through a first quarter-mile in a blazing 21.78. When the leaders began to tire on the final turn, Stradale made a five-wide move and soon took command. Even though he drifted out in the stretch, he had plenty left to give and won by 1 1/4 lengths, with Dr. Kapur second and Capitulator third. This was his second consecutive graded stakes win, after a victory in the Mahony Stakes at Saratoga last out, and he’s now 4-for-11 lifetime with career earnings of $610,300. He’s owned by Kaleem Shah Inc, trained by Steve Asmussen, and ridden by Jose Ortiz. The final time was 1:09.83.

LAUREL PARK

FIRST STAR: SLEWPERSTITUS. Rated off the pace and drew off in the stretch to win Saturday’s Weather Vane Stakes.

SECOND STAR: UNWAVERING MONARCH. Made her American debut a winning one on Sunday, with a dramatic stretch rally in a first-level allowance grass route.

THIRD STAR: SUPERCRUISER. Took advantage of the long stretch run and rallied gamely to win a Maryland-restricted first-level allowance sprint on the lawn on Friday.

CHARLES TOWN

FIRST STAR: CALL ME MICKY J. After missing the board in three stakes races, he broke through with a dominant 2 3/4-length victory in Saturday’s Henry Mercer Memorial Stakes.

SECOND STAR: CRYSTAL VEIL. Lived up to her even-money expectations with a dominant 5 1/4-length score in the John McKee Memorial Stakes on Friday.

THIRD STAR: OVERNIGHT POW WOW. Led all the way to take an open West Virginia-bred allowance sprint on Thursday, for her fifth win of the year.

PARX RACING

FIRST STAR: THE PUMA. Highly-regarded 3-year-old finally notched his signature win in the Pennsylvania Derby.

SECOND STAR: BODACIOUS BAY. Turned up the heat and delivered in the Cotillion.

THIRD STAR: STRADALE. Sat off the pace and made a strong rally to capture the Gallant Bob.