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Daddy Long Legs stretches his in UAE Derby

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, March 31 (UPI) -- Daddy Long Legs bounced back from a terrible run in the Breeders' Cup to win Saturday's $2 million UAE Derby with a quick stretch move.

Ridden by Colm O'Donoghue for trainer Aidan O'Brien, Daddy Long Legs shadowed the early pace around the stretch turn, kicked into gear as the field turned down the stretch and won by 1 1/4 lengths.

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A French-based rival, Yang Tse Kiang, got home second, 3/4 length ahead of Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Wrote, another O'Brien trainee.

The 1,900 meters, about 1 1/16 miles, took 1:58.3 over the all-weather Tapeta surface.

Daddy Long Legs won for the third time in five career starts. Before November's Breeders' Cup Juvenile, where he finished 12th in his first try off the turf, he accounted for the Group 2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes at Newmarket.

The victory boosts the American-bred son of Scat Daddy to the upper ranks of 3-year-olds for the upcoming summer racing season. Wrote, who also was third behind Daddy Long Legs in the Royal Lodge, was making his first start on a surface other than grass.

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