The Dubai World Cup is the richest race on offer this weekend, led by defending winner Country Grammer as he attempts to become just the second two-time winner in the race under “flying” Frankie Dettori. He'll face a tough challenge of eight Japanese rivals, including Panthalassa, who defeated Country Grammer last out in the Saudi Cup.
Top-rated racehorses also contesting races in the desert on Saturday include Equinox, Japan's Horse of the Year (Sheema Classic) and 2022 Breeders' Cup Turf winner Rebel's Romance (Sheema Classic).
Other American-based runners expected in Dubai on Saturday include: Tall Boy, Ah Jeez, and Worcester in the UAE Derby; C Z Rocket, Hopkins, Gunite, Sibelius, and Super Ocho in the Golden Shaheen; and Shirl's Speight in the Dubai Turf.
Following one week off, the Road to the Kentucky Derby Championship Series is set to return in a big way with four major Kentucky Derby qualifying races led by Saturday's $1 million Louisiana Derby (Grade 2) and $700,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3). The action on the Road to the Kentucky Derby will begin early Saturday morning with the $1 million UAE Derby (G2) at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai. The weekend's Championship Series action will close Sunday with the $600,000 Sunland Derby (G3).
The Fair Grounds undercard on Louisiana Derby day also features a strong lineup, with seven other stakes drawing entrants like Pegasus World Cup winners Art Collector and Atone, each making their second starts of 2023.
Other significant stakes action around the country on Saturday includes the East View Stakes at Aqueduct; the Texas Glitter and Melody of Colors Stakes at Gulfstream; seven Texas-bred stakes at Sam Houston; the Purple Martin Stakes at Oaklawn; the G3 Desert Stormer at Santa Anita; and five undercard stakes at Turfway Park.
Meanwhile, south of the equator, former Phil D'Amato trainee Going Global is living up to her name, as the eight-time U.S. graded stakes winner makes her Australian debut for champion trainer Chris Waller this Friday night at Rosehill Racecourse. A record number of international horses have traveled to Sydney for the AU$40 million Autumn Racing Carnival. Two horses prepared by Joseph O'Brien (one favored against Going Global) are also featured on a 10-race program that includes eight Group races. The card will broadcast live on FanDuel TV and is available to stream on the Sky Racing World App (First Post 9:10 p.m. ET / 6:10 p.m. PT).
Saturday
9:50 a.m. – G2 UAE Derby at Meydan
This year's UAE Derby witnesses an international field lining up with horses from five countries set to feature.
Perhaps the most interesting contestant in this race is Aidan O' Brien's Cairo. The son of Quality Road was impressive in winning the Patton Stakes last time out, a race won by Mendelssohn before he landed this race in 2018.
Bob Baffert trainee Worcester heads the American contingent. Still a maiden after three starts, he has bumped into some very useful horses each time including when third in the Grade 3 Robert B Lewis Stakes to multiple stakes placed stablemate Newgate. Frankie Dettori takes the ride on him. Should Worcester win on Saturday, he will become the first maiden horse to win the UAE Derby and will also provide his trainer with a first UAE Derby success.
Doug O' Neill sends both Carnival winners Tall Boy and Ah Jeez. The former was a game winner of the UAE 2000 Guineas while Ah Jeez won the 7f Al Karama Stakes. William Buick has stuck with the Guineas winner with the first-time visiting Tyler Gaffalione booked for Ah Jeez.
The Japanese are mob-handed once again. Last year's winning trainer Koichi Shintani sends Goraiko, a two-time winner from five starts. On his latest start, though, he only managed fifth behind the re-opposing Perriere in the Hyacinth Stakes. Interestingly, Crown Pride was only sixth in the same race before he won the UAE Derby last year.
Perriere, the mount of Oisin Murphy, is drawn well in post 3 but he will have to reverse form with Derma Sotogake from the Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun where he was a length adrift.
Derma Sotogake was a staying on third in the Saudi Derby and should relish every extra yard here with Christophe Lemaire on board.
Speaking of the Saudi Derby, fifth from the race Continuar arrives as well. Ridden by Ryusei Sakai, he will jump from a wide draw in 12.
Group 1 Hopeful Stakes winner Dura Erede completes the quintet for Japan. While that win came on turf, he has won his only start on dirt when breaking his maiden.
12:35 p.m. – G1 Dubai World Cup at Meydan
Country Grammer, the defending Dubai World Cup champion, will try for a repeat performance in Saturday's 12 million Dubai World Cup. Country Grammer, last seen finishing a fast-closing second second in the Saudi Cup (G1), will try to join Thunder Snow as only the second horse in history to win two editions of the Dubai World Cup. The Bob Baffert trainee will be ridden by jockey Frankie Dettori, a four-time World Cup winning rider.
His rivals will include an eight-strong contingent from Japan including Panthalassa, the Saudi Cup victor. Just as in the Saudi Cup, he is likely to be pressed by compatriots Geoglyph and Crown Pride on the pace, but the Dubai rematch adds in locally trained Bendoog for Bhupat Seemar and Bahrain's Salute The Soldier for Fawzi Nass, both of whom have led in recent starts. With Simon and Ed Crisford's revelation Algiers and South American star Super Corinto also capable of settling handy to the speed, a Panthalassa victory will require a deft hand from jockey Yutaka Yoshida and a herculean performance.
While other Japanese rivals like Ushba Tesoro, T O Keynes, Cafe Pharoah and Jun Light Bolt have proven their worth at the top level on dirt, perhaps of most interest is Japan Cup conqueror Vela Azul. Racing on dirt for the first two seasons of his career, he was a fairly plain two from 16 on the surface before a switch to turf and a step up in trip brought him to life throughout 2022. He now returns to dirt for the biggest test of his career but arrives as a different horse to the one who originally toiled on the surface.
Among the significant obstacles in their way is Algiers, an also-ran in last year's Godolphin Mile who has flourished since returning from Newmarket to Meydan. With two wide-margin victories in traditional lead-up races to the Dubai World Cup, he represents the home team – and, to a large extent, the United Kingdom – for Crisford senior and junior.
6:25 p.m. – G3 Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park
Multiple graded stakes winning 3-year-old Major Dude headlines a talented field of 12 colts and geldings that were entered in Saturday's 52nd running of the $700,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks (Grade 3). Major Dude will invade Turfway Park from his South Florida base for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. The son of Bolt d'Oro tabbed his first stakes victory on Oct. 2 in the $200,000 Pilgrim (G2) at the Belmont at Aqueduct meet. Following a disappointing ninth-place effort in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1), Major Dude made his 3-year-old debut in the $100,000 Dania Beach at Gulfstream Park where he rallied for second and even-money. In his last start, Major Dude contested the $175,000 Kitten's Joy (G3) and defeated seven rivals by 1 ½ lengths under Irad Ortiz Jr.
Another talented 3-year-old that entered the Jeff Ruby Steaks is two-time stakes winner Two Phil's. Trained by Larry Rivelli, Two Phil's seven-race campaign has solely been over dirt and the Jeff Ruby will be his first test on Tapeta. The chestnut son of Hard Spun began his march to the Kentucky Derby after his dominant 5 ¼-length victory in the $200,000 Street Sense (G3) at Churchill Downs. Following that effort, Two Phil's was the runner-up to Instant Coffee in the $200,000 Lecomte (G3) and third-place finisher to Angel of Empire and Sun Thunder in the $400,000 Risen Star (G2). Four weeks ago, Rivelli opted to ship to the colt back from Fair Grounds to his base at Hawthorne to begin his preparation for the Jeff Ruby Steaks. Two Phil's arrived at Turfway March 13 and has been training daily over the Florence oval.
Among the other top competitors in the Jeff Ruby is John Battaglia Memorial winner Congruent. Ridden by Kentucky Derby 148 winning jockey Sonny Leon, Congruent invaded Turfway from Gulfstream Park and scored an impressive 3 ½-length victory in the John Battaglia Memorial. The gray son of Tapit will attempt to duplicate that same effort from three weeks ago from post 8 and Leon in the irons. Congruent was tabbed at odds of 5-1 on the morning line.
One of the top local contenders entered in the Jeff Ruby Steaks is Funtastic Again. Trained by 2021 Jeff Ruby Steaks winning conditioner Wesley Ward, Funtastic Again has not returned to the races since his stout 3 ¾-length win in the $125,000 Leonatus Stakes on Jan. 21 at Turfway. Prior to the Leonatus Stakes, Funtastic Again dazzled in a first-level allowance contest by 5 ½ lengths at Turfway.
6:42 p.m. – G2 Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds
Lecomte (G3) winner Instant Coffee, currently ninth on the Road to the Kentucky Derby with 32 points, headlines a full field of twelve 3-year-olds for the 110th running of the $1 million Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2). Six other Louisiana Derby runners besides Instant Coffee have already banked Kentucky Derby points: Sun Thunder (24), Curly Jack (17), Jace's Road (15), Tapit's Conquest (10), Denington (8), and Single Ruler (5).
Trainer Brad Cox has swept the trio of local preps leading up to the 2023 Louisiana Derby, winning the Gun Runner with Jace's Road, the Lecomte (G3) with Instant Coffee and the Risen Star (G2) with Angel of Empire. Both Jace's Road and Instant Coffee are back for the Louisiana Derby, along with Tapit's Conquest, who was recently a very competitive 4th in the Risen Star. Cox sent out Wells Bayou to win the Louisiana Derby in 2020.
Steve Asmussen has won the Louisiana Derby four times, including last year with Epicenter. He's represented by a pair of upstarts in Saturday's race in Shopper's Revenge and Disarm. Drawing the rail, Shopper's Revenge could be a main pace presence in a field light on front-runners. That is, if he can break with alacrity. Winning his maiden at Oaklawn in January, he hesitated slightly before gamely splitting foes and putting himself on the lead. In his next start, he hesitated even longer and was forced to attack the field from the back of the pack, but still ran well for second.
Having won the last two Louisiana Derbies, piloting Epicenter last year and Hot Rod Charlie in 2021, jockey Joel Rosario will be aboard Disarm. The Gun Runner colt broke his maiden in September going seven furlongs at Saratoga, but didn't race again until finishing second going one mile in February at Oaklawn Park.
Todd Pletcher has won the Louisiana Derby four times, most recently with Noble Indy in 2015. On Saturday he will be represented by Kingsbarns, who is undefeated in two starts.
Sunday
6:45 p.m. – G3 Sunland Park Derby at Sunland
A 14 1/2-length winner of the Mine That Bird Derby last out, New Mexico-based Henry Q is the second choice on the morning line at 3-1 for Sunday's Grade 3, $600,000 Sunland Park Derby. The Sunland Derby drew a field of seven sophomore colts, and offers the top five finishers points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby (50-20-15-10-5).
Dennis O'Neill selected Henry Q for $125,000 as a yearling at the Keeneland September sale, and the colt was trained by Doug O'Neill for his first three starts in Southern California. In his third start, Henry Q broke his maiden in an optional claiming event under jockey Frankie Dettori. Transferred to Todd Fincher's stable in New Mexico, the colt led all the way in his easy victory in the Mine That Bird Derby, the local prep for the Sunland Derby. Local rider Edwin Maldonado will retain the mount.
Favored on the morning line at 2-1 is Bob Baffert trainee Hard to Figure (Hard Spun), second last out in the G3 Bob Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita. Baffert trainees are not eligible for Kentucky Derby points due to the trainer's ongoing ban from Churchill Downs, Inc. properties. Flavien Prat ships in to ride.
Former Baffert trainee Fort Bragg, now in the hands of his former assistant Tim Yakteen, is the third choice on the morning line at 4-1. Fort Bragg, by Tapit, finished fifth in his first start for Yakteen in the G2 San Felipe Stakes earlier this month. Southern California jockey Juan Hernandez will retain the mount.
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