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Forever Young (L) and Romantic Warrior, seen finishing 1-2 in the $20 million Saudi Cup, go their separate ways as favorites in two big races Saturday in Dubai. Photo courtesy of Hong Kong Jockey Club
April 4 (UPI) -- The weather gods toyed with the weekend racing picture, forcing postponement of Keeneland's opening weekend program, while extreme heat pushed back the starting time for Saturday's Dubai World Cup card.
Keeneland moved Saturday's races, including the Grade I Blue Grass, a key Kentucky Derby prep, to Tuesday. Friday was moved to Monday. Saturday's Grade I Santa Anita Derby and Grade II Wood Memorial at Aqueduct remain on tap for contenders on the Kentucky Derby trail, although rain is forecast for New York.
The Dubai races were pushed back closer to sunset to mitigate the effects of temperatures expected to approach 100 degrees.
Like the USPS, we carry on regardless of rain or shine, heat or cold, starting as usual with:
The Road to the Roses
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Captain Cook, shown winning the Withers Stakes, looks for a Kentucky Derby spot in Saturday's Wood Memorial at Aqueduct. Photo by Walter Wlodarczyk, Coglianese Photography, courtesy of NRYA
The cast for the $700,000 Grade II Wood Memorial at Aqueduct includes Sand Devil, second in the Grade III Gotham; Captain Cook, winner of the local Withers Stakes; Hill Road, third in November's Breeders' Cup Juvenile and last month's Grade III Tampa Bay Derby; California shipper Rodriguez, representing trainer Bob Baffert's shrinking list of Derby contenders.
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Citizen Bull, shown winning the Robert B. Lewis Stakes, preps for a Kentucky Derby run in Saturday's Santa Anita Derby. Benoit Photography, courtesy of Santa Anita
Also racing are Grande, undefeated after two starts for owner Mike Repole and trainer Todd Pletcher; and Passion Rules, undefeated after three starts for owner Calumet Farm and trainer Brad Cox. Realistically, it looks wide open.
Saturday's $500,000 Grade I Santa Anita Derby has Baffert's top two remaining hopes to win his record seventh Kentucky Derby -- 2024 Juvenile champion Citizen Bull and $3.2 million yearling purchase Barnes. They face Grade II San Felipe winner Journalism, who came from off the pace to defeat Barnes by 1 3/4 lengths in that race and is the morning-line favorite Saturday.
Normally, in a race of this magnitude, you'd think one of the trainer's horses might be setting the other up for the best shot. But Barnes and Citizen Bull are owned separately by some of Baffert's best and most loyal patrons, so they both will get a fair run.
The $1.25 million Toyota Blue Grass, now set for Tuesday, has a well-matched field of seven including the 1-2 finishers from the Tampa Bay Derby, Owen Almighty and Chancer McPatrick, and River Thames, runner-up to Sovereignty in the Fountain of Youth. Last year's Grade I Breeders' Futurity winner, East Avenue, has run two straight horrible races, but looks too good to be that bad.
The Road to the Oaks
Tenma puts a 4-for-5 record on the line in Saturday's $200,000 Grade II Santa Anita Oaks. The Nyquist filly, trained by Baffert, won the Grade II Starlet and the Grade III Las Vergenes, the latter by 6 1/2 lengths in her first two starts of the year.
A good effort would send her to the Kentucky Oaks as a legitimate rival to undefeated division leader Good Cheer.
The $750,000 Grade I Ashland at Keeneland was moved from Friday to Monday, which doesn't change the fact it has a cast of eight, all legitimate, contenders and potential Kentucky Oaks runners. They come from as far afield as California, New York and Arkansas and as close by as Turfway Park. There are some really good fillies at long odds.
Eight fillies are set for the $200,000 Grade III Gazelle at Aqueduct. None looks to be an imminent threat to Good Cheer or Tenma.
Dubai
The only thing hotter than Saturday's weather at Meydan Racecourse may be the favorites for two of the big races.
Japanese star Forever Young rallied to defeat Hong Kong's superstar Romantic Warrior in February in the $20 million Group 1 Saudi Cup on the King Abdulaziz Racecourse dirt.
Despite that excellent showing, Romantic Warrior returns to his normal grass surface as the big favorite in the $5 million Group 1 Dubai Turf. That leaves Romantic Warrior looking around for another challenger as he tackles the $12 million Dubai World Cup.
While Romantic Warrior is the big favorite in his race, he will have to deal with Nations Pride, one of several proven runners for the Godolphin team headed Sheik Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai. Godolphin's royal blue silks are all over the turf races on the program.
Two of the world's top sprinters -- Breeder's Cup champ Straight No Chaser and last year's winner, Tuz -- hook up in the $2 million Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen. The $1 million Group 2 UAE Derby, a "Win and You're In" for the Kentucky Derby, has American prospect Flood Zone facing four Japanese 3-year-olds headed by Shin Forever.
Four of Saturday's races are "Win and You're In" events for corresponding Breeders' Cup events.
The rest of the weekend:
Keeneland
On the turf: The Friday schedule shifted to Monday includes the $600,000 Grade III Transylvania for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles; Saturday's card moved to Tuesday features the $500,000 Grade II Ashland for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles and the $400,000 Grade II Shakertown at 5 1/2 furlongs; Sunday has the $300,000 Palisades for 3-year-olds, also at 5 1/2 furlongs.
On the main track: Friday's $400,000 Lafayette for 3-year-olds at 7 furlongs goes to Monday; moved to Tuesday from Saturday are the Blue Grass, the $350,000 Grade III Commonwealth at 7 furlongs and the $650,000 Grade I Madison for fillies and mares at 7 furlongs.
Sunday features the $400,000 Grade II Beaumont with 3-year-old fillies going about 7 1/2 furlongs.
Aqueduct
Saturday's $300,000 Grade II Carter and $175,000 Grade III Distaff for fillies and mares are both at 7 furlongs on the dirt.
Santa Anita
Saturday's $100,000 Monrovia for fillies and mares is contested down the hillside turf course.
Around the world, around the clock
Australia
Speaking of nasty weather: Last Friday's Group 1 program at Rosehill Gardens was pushed back to Tuesday because of wet weather. Here's how that went: Treasurethe Moment won the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes by 1 1/4 lengths as the heavy favorite; Dubai Honor found room late and got up to score by 3/4 length in the Tancred Stakes.
Saturday at Randwick features three Group 1 events -- the Doncaster Mile, the T J Smith Stakes and the Inglis Sires Stakes for 2-year-olds.
Japan
Sunday's Group 1 Osaka Hai looks like an opportunity for some relative youngsters, including 4-year-old filly Stellenbosch and 4-year-old colt Sixpence. The race has, however, built a record for upsets in recent years.
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