Churchill Downs has stepped up the Dubai portion of the series this season by adding the UAE Two Thousand Guineas (G3) and the Dubai Road to the Kentucky Derby Stakes (formerly the Al Bastakiya). The UAE Derby (G2) left the main qualifying series in the United States to conclude it.
Six speedsA Not this time Colt exceeded trainer Bhupat Seemar’s expectations by dominating the 1,600m Guineas on January 23 for new US-based connections. After that win, Seemar decided to wait until the UAE Derby on March 28 to see if the colt can reach the 1,900 meters (about 1 3/16 miles). The second and third place finishers in the Guineas are also sitting out this one.
That means the Road to the Kentucky Derby Stakes, run at the same 1,900 meters, will move to a field of 12, with two nonrunners from the original 14 entries. Six of them finished well down the track in the Guineas. Three are virgins. Five are stablemates in Seemar’s garden.
Seemar, a former assistant to Bob Baffert, saddled up Summer is tomorrow to a frontrunner, but ultimately in last place in the 2022 Kentucky Derby (G1). Now he is looking for improvement Salloomwho won by 6 3/4 lengths in the 1,600 meters on January 30 after an incident at the start, saw him scratch during his intended December debut.
“Salloom is doing great and I think he came out of the last race very well,” Seemar said of the race Authentic colt, bred in Kentucky by Machmer Hall. “He’s ready to go again and take his chance, but I hope he behaves in the gate. That’s the most important thing.”
Anyone who shows improvement over the extra distance is likely to qualify for the UAE Derby. But that race is also a draw for newcomers, including American horses, looking for a back door to the Run for the Roses. The UAE Derby awards 100 points to the winner, which for all practical purposes sets the automatic bid for the first Saturday in May regardless of what happens in the preliminaries. Friday’s qualifying race will offer points based on 20-10-6-4-2 to the top five finishers.
The Euro/Mideast Road returns to England on February 25 with the Road to the Kentucky Derby Condition Stakes at Kempton Park and on March 6 with the Patton Stakes at Dundalk, both on all-weather tracks. For those keeping score at home, the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby resumes on February 22 with the Hyacinth Stakes at Tokyo Racecourse.
Meydan group races
As the evening’s Meydan program begins, the UAE Oaks (G3) features a field of seven, all American-bred fillies. When the UAE Derby was removed from the US Road series, the UAE Oaks was left as part of the main Road to the Kentucky Oaks schedule that determines the field for the May 1 Kentucky Oaks (G1). The winner of the UAE Oaks will receive 50 points, equal to seven other races in the Championship Series portion of the competition, currently led by Beautiful dancer with 60 points.
The UAE Oaks is largely a rematch of the January 16 Cocoa Beach Stakes, with five of that race’s first six finishers returning, including LabwahA Charlatan filly, and Tjareeda daughter of Jaap . Tjareed led in the last 100 meters of Cocoa Beach, but was only caught by Labwah in the final steps.
The Balanchine Stakes (G2T) at 1,800 meters (approximately 1 1/8 miles) on grass for fillies and mares features three Godolphin runners:Dubai beach And Dubai honey both 5, and Blue Nazaréa 4 year old filly from Dubai . The latter makes only her second start with William Buick for Charlie Appleby. Dubai Beach and Dubai Treasure, from the Saeed bin Suroor yard, finished first and third respectively in Cape Verde (G2T) during their last start on January 16.
The nightcap, the Nad Al Sheba Trophy (G3T), is a 2,810 meters (approximately 1 3/4 miles) test for potential candidates for the Dubai Gold Cup (G2T) on World Cup night. Eight are ready to run, included Through the book for Godolphin, who is looking for a twelfth victory in the race.
#EuroMideast #Road #Kentucky #Derby #resumes #Dubai