A quartet of international races are on offer during Sunday's highly anticipated program in Hong Kong, highlighted by local star Golden Sixty's attempt for a third straight victory in the LONGINES Hong Kong Mile. Not that because of the time difference, the races begin Saturday night in the U.S. with a first post of 11:25 p.m. ET/8:25 p.m. PT.
The first of the four races is the HK$22 million (US$2.83 million) LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m, or 1 1/2 miles), scheduled as the fourth race on Sunday's card with a local post time of 14:10 (1:10 a.m. ET/10:10 p.m. PT). Aidan O'Brien will send out a pair in the race, including this year's Breeders' Cup Turf runner-up Stone Age, while Japanese-trained Glory Vase will be trying to win the race for a third time (won in 2019 and 2021).
Race five is the HK$24 million (US$3.08 million) LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m, or six furlongs), with a local post of 14:50 (1:50 a.m. ET/10:50 p.m. PT). Hong Kong's best sprinter Wellington, a three-time winner at the G1 level, will partner with international jockey Ryan Moore.
Race seven is the HK$30 million (US$3.85 million) LONGINES Hong Kong Mile with a local post of 16:00 (3:00 a.m. ET/12:00 a.m. PT). Golden Sixty faces nine rivals, including locally-based California Spangle, whom Golden Sixty beat by a neck in his final prep. Japan's G1-winning Salios gets the services of Ryan Moore and can't be left out.
The international races conclude with race eight, the HK$34 million (US$4.37 million) LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m, or 1 1/4 miles) with a local post of 16:40 (3:40 a.m. ET/12:40 a.m. PT). O'Brien has entered 2020 Breeders' Cup Mile winner Order of Australia, while Japan's lead hope is G1 Dubai Turf dead-heat winner Panthalassa.
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