A year ago in the Transylvania (G3), Test Score tipped his hand at what was to come when he posted a 1¼-length score to give trainer Graham Motion his second victory in the race for 3-year-olds.

Motion will seek to double up Friday when he sends out Proton for the ownership group of Stone Farm, C. Linwood Miles Jr., Ken Wheeler Jr., Lynwood Napier and Deborah Easter.

The past performances on the two horses are virtually identical. Both closed their 2-year-old campaigns at Del Mar and opened their 3-year-old seasons with one prep before the 1 1/16-mile Transylvania.

“They are obviously on very similar schedules,” Motion said. “I wish I had a little more time since the (March 7) Columbia (at Tampa Bay Downs) as we did with Test Score, but I wanted to give (Proton) a break after California.”

Both horses finished second in the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes on the Breeders’ Cup undercard at Del Mar. However, Proton stayed in California and wrapped up the year with a fourth-place finish in the Cecil B. DeMille (G3).

Test Score, who made his 3-year-old debut a month earlier than Proton did this year, since the Transylvania victory has added two Grade 1 triumphs at 1⅛ miles and pushed his career earnings past the $2 million mark.

“Proton is a slightly different horse than Test Score in that I am not sure he is going to want much more (distance) than this,” Motion said.

John Velazquez has the mount Friday from post 1.