1 of 3 | Forever Young, shown winning the $20 million Saudi Cup on February 14, is the overwhelming favorite in Saturday’s $12 million Dubai World Cup. Photo by and courtesy of Katsumi Saito
March 27 (UPI) — Another big weekend of racing across the globe brings the stellar Dubai World Cup program and Kentucky Derby qualifying races in Dubai, Japan, Arkansas and Florida.
An array of solid racing surrounds all that, along with more top-level heats in Japan and Australia.
Catch your breath and dive right in.
The Road to the Roses
Saturday’s $1 million Grade I Curlin Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park has Commandment, who won the Grade II Fountain of Youth in his last start; The Puma, last winner of the Grade III Tampa Bay Derby; and Nearly, winner of the Grade III Holy Bull in his most recent start.
Then there’s Chief Wallabee, last seen second in the Fountain, and Wayne’s Law, runner-up in the Sam F. Davis in his last start. The oddsmaker has Chief Wallabee reversing the order of finish from the Fountain, posting him as 2-1 favorite, Commandment at 5-2 and Nearly at 3-1.
It’s a rarity when a Bob Baffert colt hits the morning line at odds as long as 5-1, but that’s how it is for Saturday’s seemingly very wide-open $1.5 million Grade I Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park. Litmus Test is Baffert’s entry.
The colt finished a close fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and won the Grade II Los Alamitos Futurity in December. He was downgraded because of a fading third in the Grade II Rebel over the Hot Springs track in his 3-year-old debut.
The 3-2 favorite is Renegade, winner of the Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs in his only previous start this year for trainer Todd Pletcher. At 5-2 on the line is the Mark Casse-trained Rebel runner-up, Silent Tactic. Napoleon Solo and Blackout Time are worth considering.
The path to the Oaks
Baffert may not have the favorite in the Arkansas Derby, but he certainly does in Friday’s $1 million Grade II Fantasy at Oaklawn Park.
Explora is even-money among six 3-year-old fillies after winning the Grade III Honeybee in her last visit to Arkansas. She’s never been worse than second in any of seven starts, including a runner-up showing in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.
The opposition includes Counting Stars, 3/4 length back in second in the Honeybee and the best of three entered by Mark Casse.
She Be Smooth is undefeated after two starts, including the Grade II Davona Dale, and rates as 7-5 favorite among seven fillies in Saturday’s $250,000 Grade II Gulfstream Park Oaks.
Second on the morning line at 9-5 is Prom Queen, second to She Be Smooth in her career debut, then an 8-lengths maiden winner Feb. 12.
Dubai
Saturday’s World Cup races bring together some of the world’s best runners and, despite the ongoing hostilities, Sunday’s renewal is no exception.
The $12 million World Cup itself revolves around Japan’s Breeders’ Cup Classic and two-time Saudi Cup winner Forever Young. He stands head and shoulders above the competition but, as they say, they run these races for a reason.
Should Forever Young falter, trainer Brad Cox is back with last year’s winner, Hit Show, and Steve Asmussen brings Magnitude. It’s a field of nine and its worth a think back to Hit Show’s odds of 40-1 or 50-1 a year ago when Forever Young finished third.
Also on the Meydan Racecourse dirt are the Group 2 UAE Derby, effectively a “Win and You’re In” for the Kentucky Derby; the Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen at 1,200 meters with American-trained Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner Bentornato as the odds-on favorite; and the Group 2 Godolphin Mile, where trainer Bhupat Seemar saddles five of the 12 entries, including favorite Commissioner King.
The turf portion of the card features the 2,400-meter, Group 1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic. Calandagan gallops in riding a four-race winning streak that includes the Grade 1 Japan Cup in his last outing.
Draw straws to see if he or Forever Young is the heavier favorite. Or maybe that’s Ombudsman, trained by John and Thady Gosden for Godolphin, the overwhelming pick in the Group 1 Dubai Turf at 1,700 meters.
Reef Runner and Lazzat, first and second, respectively, in the Group 2 1,351 Turf Sprint in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 14, return as top two picks in the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint — a straight run at 1,200 meters down the long Meydan chute. Al Riffa is favorite in the Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup for marathoners.
Meanwhile, back in the States:
Classic
Grande went to the bench after finishing second in the 2025 Wood Memorial and returned a winner in at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 14 with a 105 Beyer Speed figure. On that evidence, he’s the even-money pick in Saturday’s $175,000 Grade III Ghostzapper at Gulfstream.
Parchment Party makes his first start since November’s Group 1 Melbourne Cup in Saturday’s $200,000 1 1/2-mile Temperence Hill at Oaklawn Park, and the oddsmaker has him even-money on the morning line. Why? He finished 20th, beaten by 18 1/2 lengths in the “race that stops a nation.
But, before that, won the Grade III Belmont Gold Cup and the Birdstone, both at Saratoga.
Distaff
Six are set to go 1 1/16 miles in Sunday’s $175,000 Top Flight at Aqueduct. Scalable exits a win in the Ladies Stakes on Feb. 6. Lost Horizon has been moving up for the team of owner Peter Brant and trainer Chad Brown.
Dirt Mile
Eight are in for Saturday’s $500,000 Grade III Oaklawn Mile, and the outcome seems to hinge on which version of East Avenue shows up. The Godolphin 4-year-old has been alternately very good and awful, but exits a nearly eight-month layoff.
Full Serrano won the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and was last seen finishing third in the Grade I Pegasus World Cup behind Skippylongstocking and White Abarrio. Nu What’s New is enjoying the season at Oaklawn.
Already in the books: Baffert got his Arkansas weekend off on a high note as Desert Gate, the odds-on favorite, led all the way to a 9 3/4-length victory in Thursday’s $200,000 Hot Springs Stakes for 3-year-olds at Oaklawn Park.
Sprint
A couple of comeback attempters are worth watching in Saturday’s $175,000 Army Mule Stakes at Gulfstream Park — last year’s Kentucky Derby fifth, Owen Almighty, and last year’s Pat Day Mile winner, Macho Music. Both slumped badly after those highlights and have had long vacations.
Sunday’s $100,000 Grade III San Carlos at Santa Anita has two of Baffert’s early 2025 Kentucky Derby prospects, Getaway Car and Cornucopian. Stronghold, seventh in the 2024 Kentucky Derby, also is in here.
Sunday’s Tampa Bay Downs card has two $110,000 sprints — the open NYRABETS Sprint and the Ocala Breeders’ Stakes Sophomore for 3-year-olds.
Filly & mare sprint
Haulin Ice is the favorite in Friday’s $250,000 Matron at Oaklawn Park, with Me and Molly McGee and Foie Gras also well-regarded. Also in the division: Saturday’s $125,000 Serena’s Song for 3-year-old fillies on the Turfway Park all-weather and Sunday’s $110,000 Stonehedge Farm South Sophomore Fillies for 3-year-old fillies at Tampa Bay Downs.
Turf
Far Bridge rates as a solid favorite among 10 in Saturday’s $175,000 Grade III Pan American at Gulfstream Park. And why not? The 6-year-old son of English Channel is 4-for-4 at Gulfstream, including last year’s Pan American.
Tampa Bay Downs has two $110,000 events in this division on Sunday — the AAA Feed & Tack Turf Classic and the $110,000 Lambholm South Sophomore Turf.
Filly & mare turf
Just Basking makes her third start after a long vacation in Saturday’s $175,000 Grade III Orchid at Gulfstream Park. Bellezza is an 8-5 favorite, but hasn’t run since finishing sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.
Saturday’s $175,000 Sand Springs at Gulfstream Park is 1 1/16 miles, with a well-matched field of 11. On the same card, the $175,000 Sanibel Island is restricted to 3-year-old fillies.
Across the Everglades, Tampa Bay Downs hosts Sunday’s $110,000 Pleasant Acres Stallions Distaff Turf.
Turf mile / turf sprint
Gulfstream Park takes a turn Saturday at hosting two in the same relative division with the $175,000 Appleton and the $175,000 Cutler Bay for 3-year-olds. Santa Anita hosts the $100,000 Grade III Wilshire for fillies and mares.
About the Author
