3 weeks ago
1 of 2 | Undefeated globetrotter Forever Young, Japan's apical dream for nan Kentucky Derby, tests nan Churchill Downs way connected Wednesday. Photo courtesy of Churchill Downs
April 26 (UPI) -- The gait is picking up and hostility building connected nan Churchill Downs backstretch arsenic nan last week of Kentucky Derby preparations looms, pinch nan station position tie group for Saturday.
The tie has been moved guardant by 2 days to widen nan play of veterinary and information surveillance of nan Derby contenders. All prospective runners are required to beryllium connected nan grounds by Saturday, too.
Twenty horses will beryllium assigned gates for nan main assemblage of nan field, pinch 4 much added arsenic "also eligible" successful nan arena of withdrawals. The 3-year-olds earned their measurement into nan section done a bid of qualifying races that dated to past fall.
Most of nan qualifiers person been astatine nan Louisville way for immoderate time, and nan prospective favorites are good settled in.
Japan's apical hope, Forever Young, victor of nan Grade III Saudi Derby and Grade II UAE Derby, turned successful satisfactory 6-furlong activity Wednesday greeting and had a gate-schooling convention later successful nan morning.
Jockey Ryusei Sakai said nan effort was "exactly what we want to do this acold out."
Breeders' Cup Juvenile and Florida Derby victor Fierceness was scheduled to activity Friday greeting astatine Churchill Downs.
Sierre Leone, whose behind-the-gate antics delayed nan commencement of nan Blue Grass astatine Keeneland -- earlier he won it -- schooled astatine nan gross Thursday astatine Churchill Downs.
"He did great," trainer Chad Brown said. The script will beryllium a spot different May 4, erstwhile astir 150,000 much group will beryllium connected hand.
As for existent play racing successful North America, Keeneland hands complete nan baton to Churchill Downs successful Kentucky and Woodbine swings backmost into action extracurricular Toronto. Santa Anita, Oaklawn Park and Aqueduct worker on.
It's an absorbing play connected nan world beforehand pinch Champions Day successful Hong Kong connected Sunday; nan first title of Japan's caller Dirt Triple Crown already successful nan books and nan Tenno Sho (Spring) yet to come; nan Prix Ganay successful France and more.
Onward ...
Turf Mile
There's coast-to-coast action here: Saturday's $125,000 Woodhaven Stakes for 3-year-olds astatine Aqueduct, Saturday's $175,000 San Francisco Mile astatine Golden Gate Fields and Sunday's $100,000 Singletary Stakes for 3-year-olds astatine Santa Anita.
Filly & Mare Turf
Friday's $300,000 Grade III Bewitch Stakes astatine Keeneland wraps up an all-too-short outpouring meeting, pinch 9 fillies and mares tackling 1 1/2 miles.
War Like Goddess is nan odds-on, morning-line favorite. She has won this title 3 years running, but now is 7 and hasn't raced since finishing seventh successful nan Breeders' Cup Turf.
Also: Saturday's $100,000 Grade III Royal Heroine Stakes astatine Santa Anita and Sunday's $150,000 Memories of Silver Stakes astatine Aqueduct, some astatine 1 mile.
Sprint
Saturday's $200,000 Bachelor Stakes astatine Oaklawn Park has a very competitory section of 7 3-year-olds to spell 6 furlongs. The 3-year-olds tackle nan aforesaid region Sunday connected nan Woodbine all-weather people successful nan $125,000 (Canadian) Woodstock Stakes. At Santa Anita, Saturday' $100,000 Kona Gold Stakes is 6 1/2 furlongs for 4-year-olds and up.
Filly & Mare Sprint
Saturday's $200,000 Roxelana Stakes kicks disconnected nan stakes schedule for nan Derby gathering astatine Churchill Downs. Ten are group to spell 6 furlongs, and if handicapper Mike Battaglia can't find overmuch to abstracted them, who are we to judge?
Saturday's $125,000 (Canadian) Star Shoot Stakes for 3-year-old fillies kicks disconnected nan Woodbine stakes schedule astatine 6 furlongs connected nan all-weather course.
Distaff
Hoosier Filly, Crypto Mo and Bluelightspecial are bunched atop nan greeting statement for Saturday's $200,000 Dig a Diamond Stakes, a 1-mile trial astatine Oaklawn Park. Oddly, Hoosier Filly is simply a Kentucky-bred but Bluelightspecial was bred successful nan Hoosier State. Anyway, it should beryllium a bully race.
Around nan world, astir nan clock
Hong Kong
Sunday is FWD Champions Day astatine Sha Tin. While nan fields for nan 3 Group 1 events whitethorn not person nan accustomed prima powerfulness from abroad, a fewer of nan section superstars will supply plentifulness of intermezo and intrigue.
In nan Champions Mile, nan mobility is whether three-time Hong Kong Horse of nan Year tin prevail successful conscionable his 2nd commencement of nan play astatine property 8. Ten opponents are tin enough, but not astir astatine nan level of Golden Sixty astatine his peak.
The FWD QE II Cup, astatine 2,000 meters, is simply a showdown betwixt 6-year-old superstar Romantic Warrior and a meteoric caller beingness connected nan scene, Massive Sovereign. Those 2 person immoderate tin world opponents successful Prognosis from Japan and Dubai Honor from England.
The Chairman's Sprint Prize astatine 1,200 meters features section leader California Spangle, coming disconnected a triumph successful nan Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint successful Dubai connected World Cup night. That was his 2nd consecutive Group 1 triumph aft a unsmooth mid-season patch.
France
Sunday's Prix Ganay is an extended 2,000 meters complete nan Longchamp Grande Course. Pending last declarations, a value section of 9 is connected pat including Fantastic.
Japan
Japan's caller Dirt Triple Crown kicked disconnected pinch Wednesday's, Haneda Hai astatine Oi Racecourse, but Mother Nature turned nan 1,800-meter matter from ungraded to slop.
That didn't look to fuss Amante Bianco, a achromatic colt sporting achromatic blinkers and nan powder blue-and-red dots of Silk Racing. Under a assured thrust by Yuga Kawada, he raced down nan starring trio, precocious astir nan 2nd move and won a agelong duel pinch a filly, Ammothyella, by 1 length.
Amante Bianco has not vanished worse than 3rd and apt missed a triumph successful his erstwhile title because of a stumble retired of nan gate.
Sunday's Tenno Sho (Spring) is nan longest of Japan's Grade 1 races and boasts a section that includes immoderate veterans of nan staying wars and a fewer newcomers who apt will relish nan distance.
Australia
Saturday's Group 1 Sportsbet Robert Sangster for fillies and mares and Group 1 Australian Oaks, some astatine Morphetville, look for illustration superior handicapping challenges pinch plentifulness of ways to go.
