Saturday morning is the Dubai World Cup
The world’s richest race, the $10,000,000 Dubai World Cup tops a massive card from Meydan in Dubai on Saturday morning. Nine runners are in the feature event including last year’s Kentucky Derby winner California Chrome who has been made the favorite. California Chrome comes into the World Cup off a solid second place finish to Shared Belief in the San Antonio Invitational at Santa Anita. He’s drawn the far outside post and will be ridden by Victor Espinoza in the World Cup. His main competition could be from another American as Lea is the 5/2 second choice on the line. Lea was most recently a good second in the Grade 1 Donn Handicap at Gulfstream and should be rating just off the pace. As far as the international runners, Japanese representative Hokko Tarumae comes into this race in career form. Overall he’s won 15 of 29 in his career for just shy of nine million in earnings. African Story won this race last year and tuned up for this year’s edition with a big win in the Group 1 Maktoum Challenge Round 3 over Prince Bishop, who he’ll see once again in the World Cup.
Main Sequence tops the list of nine runners in the Dubai Sheema Classic. He’s won five straight in the US and comes back overseas to run here. The question with him could be can he fair as well with no Lasix again. Flintshire was second to Main Sequence in the BC Turf and figures to be a big player in this one. The Dubai Turf drew a very solid field of 10 with all runners in fine form. Mshawish is the main US hope in here but the euros and Japanese runners look like they could be very tough. The Golden Shaheen features many stateside runners including Secret Circle, Big Macher and Salutos Amigos. Salutos Amigos comes into this race in the best form of those three but he’s leaving New York for the first time since Breeders’ Cup when he finished seventh.
The $1,000,000 Al Quoz sprint is a five furlong grass dash with sixteen runners and looks like it could go one of many different ways. The UAE Derby could have Kentucky Derby ramifications and Mubtaahij who won the main local prep, would likely come with a good showing here. The Dubai Gold Cup and the Godolphin Mile kick off what should be a great day of racing in Meydan that starts at 8:40am EST on Saturday morning.
BetPTC.com Selections for the Dubai World Cup
- Lea
- Hokko Tarumae
- California Chrome
Longshot: Candy Boy
BetPTC.com Selections for the Sheema Classic
- Flintshire
- Main Sequence
- Dolniya
Longshot: Sheikhzayedroad
BetPTC.com Selections for the Dubai Turf
- The Grey Gatsby
- Solow
- Umgiyo
Longshot: Trade Storm
BetPTC.com Selections for the Golden Shaheen
- Cool Cowboy
- Secret Circle
- Rich Tapestry
Longshot: Krypton Factor
BetPTC.com Selections for the Al Quoz Sprint
- Ahtoug
- Sir Maximillian
- Via Africa
Longshot: Bundle of Joy
BetPTC.com Selections for the UAE Derby
- Maftool
- Golden Barrows
- Mubtaahij
Longshot: Tap That
BetPTC.com Selections for the Dubai Gold Cup
- Havana Beat
- Rio Tigre
- Ahzeemah
Longshot: Meandre
BetPTC.com Selections for the Godolphin Mile
- Tamarkuz
- Frankyfourfingers
- Gold City
Longshot: Layl
Saturday is the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park
The winter-long build up is finally done and Gulfstream Park will unleash the biggest card of the season on Saturday. The $1,000,000 Florida Derby is the headliner and Upstart, the likely favorite, drew the far outside number 9 post position. He finished first in the Fountain of Youth but was disqualified for interfering with Itsaknockout who is back in this race as well. Upstart has run two big races at Gulfstream in his career so clearly he likes the surface and once again he’ll get the services of Jose Ortiz. The Fountain of Youth was only Itsaknockout’s third race so he still has plenty of upside and should improve again in this spot. Other than those two it will take a big improvement from any of the other seven to get the win.
Ekati’s Phaeton, Eskenformoney and Birdatthewire will renew their battle in the Gulfstream Oaks. They finished 1-2-3- in the Davona Dale last time out and appear to be the class of the field in the Oaks. The Grade 2 $300,000 Honey Fox also drew a very strong field. Sandiva comes into this race with two straight impressive scores and seems to have found her footing at Gulfstream Park. She’ll have to Grade 1 winner Coffee Clique who comes in off the layoff after winning the Grade 1 Just a Game Stakes at Belmont Park. The Grade 3 Skip Away drew a small but select field and sees Sr. Quisqueyano return to Gulfstream where he was last seen winning the Sunshine Millions Classic. He’ll take on East Hall as well as Commissioner who will be looking to get back on track after a very ugly run in the Donn Handicap. The big Gulfstream Florida Derby card features 14 races in all and gets underway at 12:00pm EST.
BetPTC.com Selections for the Florida Derby
- Itsaknockout
- Upstart
- Materiality
Longshot: Jack Tripp
BetPTC.com Selections for the Pan American
- Twilight Eclipse
- Imagining
- Change of Command
Longshot: Glenard
BetPTC.com Selections for the Gulfstream Oaks
- Birdatthewire
- Ekati’s Phaeton
- Devine Aida
Longshot: Christina’s Journey
BetPTC.com Selections for the Orchid
- White Rose
- Riposte
- Kitten’s Point
Longshot: Bitty Kitty
BetPTC.com Selections for the Honey Fox
- Lady Lara
- Sandiva
- Coffee Clique
Longshot: Istanford
BetPTC.com Selections for the Skip Away
- East Hall
- Ulanbator
- Commissioner
Longshot: Encryption
International Star looks to take home the Louisiana Derby
International Star has swept the first two legs of the Louisiana Derby trail, now he has to win the big one as he leads a field of nine in the $750,000 event. International Star has blossomed since coming to Fair Grounds, winning the Lecomte and the Risen Star Stakes, both from off the pace. He should be running again late in the Louisiana Derby, but he’ll have a couple new shooters he’ll have to catch. Mr. Z ships in from Oaklawn and while he hasn’t won a race in a long time, he tends to be very stubborn and battles all the way. The long stretch at Fair Grounds could be to his advantage if he’s in front turning for home. He’ll have to outgun Stanford early though who drew the inside for trainer Todd Pletcher. Stanford is making his first start in graded company this year in the Louisiana Derby so this is certainly a class test.
Moreno will lead the pack in the New Orleans Handicap as he’ll try Fair Grounds for the first time in his career. He’s best on the lead and should be gunned to the front in this spot. He was most recently second to Shared Belief and there’s nothing like that in this race. The Fair Grounds Oaks has a big tradition of putting out Kentucky Oaks contenders and this year looks like it will be no different. I’m a Chatterbox has been ultra impressive in her two local stakes wins and she’s certainly the one to beat. Forever Unbridled will have to improve to catch up with I’m a Chatterbox but her best effort could make her a player. Coalport comes into the Mervin Muniz with a four race winning streak and has just been spectacular in those wins. He is however 0 for 2 at Fair Grounds so maybe this is a race to play against him. Slumber will try Fair Grounds for the first time and he’s coming off a splendid effort in the Gulfstream Park Turf which saw him miss by just a nose in that Grade 1 event.
BetPTC.com Selections for the Louisiana Derby
- International Star
- War Story
- Keen Ice
Longshot: St. Joe Bay
BetPTC.com Selections for the New Orleans Handicap
- Moreno
- Call Me George
- Albano
Longshot: Afford
BetPTC.com Selections for the Fair Grounds Oaks
- I’m a Chatterbox
- Forever Unbridled
- Shook Up
Longshot: Danette
BetPTC.com Selections for the Mervin Muniz
- Slumber
- Divine Oath
- Coalport
Longshot: Highball
Saturday Stakes Action at BetPTC.com
Fair Grounds
Race 4 Crescent City Oaks 2:48pm EST
Race 5 Crescent City Derby 3:26pm EST
Race 6 Costa Rising Stakes 3:54pm EST
Race 7 Star Guitar Stakes 4:23pm EST
Race 8 Mervin Muniz Handicap 4:55pm EST
Race 9 Fair Grounds Oaks 5:25pm EST
Race 10 New Orleans Handicap 5:54pm EST
Race 11 Louisiana Derby 6:24pm EST
Gulfstream
Race 5 Skip Away Stakes 1:50pm EST
Race 6 Appleton Stakes 2:20pm EST
Race 8 Sir Shackleton Stakes 3:21pm EST
Race 10 Honey Fox Stakes 4:26pm EST
Race 11 Orchid Stakes 5:00pm EST
Race 12 Gulfstream Oaks 5:35pm EST
Race 13 Pan American Stakes 6:11pm EST
Race 14 Florida Derby 6:48pm EST
Hawthorne
Race 7 Third Chance Handicap 5:50pm EST
Race 8 Robert Molaro Handicap 6:20pm EST
Mahoning Valley
Race 6 Southern Park Stakes 3:04pm EST
Meydan (Dubai)
Race 2 Godolphin Mile 8:40am EST
Race 3 Dubai Gold Cup 9:15am EST
Race 4 UAE Derby 9:55am EST
Race 5 Al Quoz Sprint 10:30am EST
Race 6 Dubai Golden Shaheen 11:05am EST
Race 7 Dubai Turf 11:40am EST
Race 8 Dubai Sheema Classic 12:15pm EST
Race 9 Dubai World Cup 1:00pm EST
Oaklawn Park
Race 9 Rainbow Miss Stakes 6:09pm EST
Santa Anita
Race 8 Tokyo City Stakes 7:00pm EST
Sunland Park
Race 4 NM Red Cell Challenge 4:13pm EST
Race 5 West Texas QH Derby 4:40pm EST
Turf Paradise
Race 3 Coyote Handicap 4:21pm EST
Race 6 Mesa Handicap 5:54pm EST