UPI horse racing weekend preview

The $1 million Delta Downs Jackpot for next year's Kentucky Derby candidates tops the weekend Thoroughbred racing schedule.

California, Florida and Kentucky all have important turf races on tap, too, with many year-end awards still up in the air.

In Hong Kong, we'll find out if the newest sensation coming out of Singapore is, as billed, another Rocket Man. The Group 1 Mile Championship is the highlight of the Japanese weekend program with a field full of top-level milers.

And we're off.

The "Road to the Roses"

A field of 12 entered for Saturday's $1 million, Grade III Delta Downs Jackpot with Mr. Z and Golden Actor the joint favorites on the morning line and Conquest Tsunami a tick behind. Mr. Z finished fifth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and earlier had a bad case of "seconditis," finishing in the No. 2 spot in the Grade III Sanford at Saratoga, the Grade II Saratoga Special and the Grade 1 Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland. Golden Actor, a Curlin colt, broke his maiden on his second try at Gulfstream Park West, then won the local Jean Lafitte Stakes convincingly in his only other outing, coming from off the pace. Conquest Tsunami won four straight to start his career, finished sixth in the Breeders' Futurity and then rebounded to win the Street Sense Stakes at Churchill Downs in his last start. Among the others, Ocho Ocho Ocho is undefeated in two starts at Santa Anita and Prime Engine has won both his career outings at Emerald Downs, including the Gottstein Futurity by 5 1/2 lengths. The 11 previous runnings of this race have produced nine Kentucky Derby starters, most notably Goldencents in 2012. He went on to win the Grade I Santa Anita Derby and finished 17th in the Run for the Roses but later came back to win consecutive runnings of the Breeders' Cup Mile. In earlier years, the winner's share of the $1 million purse was a virtual guarantee of a starting spot in the Kentucky Derby. Since the advent of the Churchill Downs-imposed qualifying points system for Derby starters, the Jackpot is an indicator of potential but far from an automatic berth for the Churchill Downs setpiece.

Check back on Monday for the results of other 2-year-old races, notably at Hawthorne Race Course and Woodbine.

Kentucky Oaks preps

A dozen 3-year-old fillies are set for Saturday's $400,000, Grade III Delta Downs Princess Stakes, with Take Charge Brandi and Vivian Da Bling the heavy favorites on the morning line. Take Charge Brandi, a Giant's Causeway filly trained by D. Wayne Lukas, has but two wins. But those include her 61-1 upset win in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies in her last start. Lukas would seem to be jeopardizing the filly's chances for an Eclipse Award here should she fail to back up the Santa Anita win. In four other graded stakes starts she has finished second, fifth, fifth and eighth, explaining the 61-1 odds in the Breeders' Cup. Vivian Da Bling, on the other hand, has three wins from four starts and a semi-respectable fourth-place finish in the Grade 2 Adirondack at Saratoga. The Too Much Bling filly won over the Delta Downs strip in her last start going 7 furlongs and now tackles a mile.

Hong Kong

The field is world-class but the buzz is all about Spalato leading up to Sunday's HK Group 1 HKBOC Wealth Management Jockey Club Sprint. The 5-year-old Elusive City gelding has won six straight races in Singapore, at distances ranging from 1,000 meters to twice that distance. He will tackle 1,200 meters on the Sha Tin grass on Sunday. In his last start, Spalato, under James McDonald, kicked away in the final 300 meters to win by 4 lengths over the previous course record-holder, Faaltless, finishing in 1:08.15 and shaving about a half second off that rival's old mark. "I think ability-wise, he's as good as Rocket Man," said trainer John O'Hara, "perhaps with a little more scope because he can do it over different distances. Until his last race, we probably hadn't seen the best of him and I hope we'll see the best of him here." The comparison to former Singapore sensation Rocket Man sets a high bar. Rocket Man was true to his name and provided a finish for the ages in 2010 in the Grade I Hong Kong Sprint, finishing a narrow second to J J the Jet Plane. The two went on to win the sprint races on the 2011 Dubai World Cup program. If he wins Sunday, Spalato will be beating this year's winners of those two races -- Sterling City, who took the Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen, and Amber Sky, who won the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint, as well as Lucky Nine, winner of last year's Group 1 KrisFlyer Sprint at Kranji. The Jockey Club Sprint is the final local prep for the Dec. 14 Longines Hong Kong Sprint.

Japan

A full field of 18 for Sunday's Group 1 Mile Championship at Kyoto features two previous winners of the race, Tosen Ra and Sadamu Patek and NHK Mile Cup winners Grand Prix Boss and Mikki Isle. There are no foreign horses in the field. Fiero also is worth a look after a close call in the 1,400-meters Swan Stakes in his last start -- that off a five-months layoff. The race is run right-handed, around one turn on a course that sees a rise into the bend and a dip back into the straight.

England

Saturday's "fast-track qualifier" in the All-Weather Championships program is 7 furlongs at Lingfield Park. Godolphin has two of the seven prospective starters in Four Seasons and Super Kid. The rest of the field also has credentials on the Polytrack, including the only filly in the field, Faraajh.

Sloane Avenue, with Frankie Dettori up, held on to beat French visitor Cladocera by a neck in Wednesday's 1-mile "fast-track qualifier" at Kempton Park. The 3-year-old son of Candy Ride rallied from the back to lead in the final half furlong. Trainer Jeremy Noseda said he will take Sloane Avenue to Dubai to work toward Round I of the Maktoum Challenge on the Meydan dirt course, then return to England for the All-Weather Championships on Good Friday. "I was delighted with Sloane Avenue's performance" on Wednesday, Noseda said.

Elsewhere:

On the U.S. turf

Saturday's $100,000, Grade III Cardinal Handicap for fillies and mares at Churchill Downs is a real program-stabber with an overflow -- and well-balanced -- field. The morning-line favorite is I'm Already Sexy, with Calvin Borel likely to gun the multiple graded stakes winning 4-year-old from the No. 1 gate. Bitty Kitty took 10 tries to break her maiden but hasn't lost in three subsequent starts. She makes her stakes debut. Nellie Cashman has been more competitive in graded stakes than most but seldom wins. Strike Charmer finished second to I'm Already Sexy, albeit 3 lengths in arrears, in the Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf in September. Royal Fury has had some good recent runs in Canada but drew the outside post position for this. The issue is further clouded by the nasty weather that has frozen the Churchill Downs track, causing cancellations, lost training time and questions about the condition of the turf course.

Angelica Zapata headlines a field of 12 for Saturday's $100,000, Grade III My Charmer Handicap at Gulfstream Park West. The 6-year-old Sharp Humor mare is almost always in the picture at the end but seeks her first graded stakes win. Magic of Reality, a 4-year-old Galileo filly, makes her second U.S. start for trainer Graham Motion after running in England. The French-bred finished a closing third in her last start going 1 mile on the Keeneland grass and adds a furlong. Cushion, another 4-year-old by Galileo, ran well in England and has a win at Belmont Park. Lizbourne Eliza edged Angelica Zapata in the Wasted Tears Stakes at Gulfstream in their last start at a big price. Daring Kathy is a dangerous 3-year-old. Oasis at Midnight and U.S.S. O'Brien are entered for main-track-only.

Yet another big and contentious field of fillies and mares will tackle 9 furlongs in Saturday's $100,000, Grade III Red Carpet Handicap on the green carpet at Del Mar. Appealing Cat comes off a third-place showing in the Dowager Stakes at Keeneland, going 1 1/2 miles. Winning Rhythm and Hijra are appealing off their recent local form. Lady Pimpernel is in from England off a pair of wins, including a listed event at Salisbury, and makes her first start for trainer Carla Gaines. Lady of Gold looked good in her last start at Woodbine.

Nine plus four MTOs are in for Saturday's $100,000, Grade III Tropical Park Turf Handicap at Gulfstream West. Reporting Star has been unable to hold the lead in three straight tough graded stakes events at Woodbine but finds easier foes here. However, the likes of Lochte, Unbridled Command, Deams Cut Short and others could make for an interesting stretch run.

Delta Downs

In addition to the marquee 2-year-old events, Saturday's card includes the $250,000 Delta Mile and a quartet of well-funded but restricted heats.

Sunbean, Grand Contender, Code West and Mystery Train all merit consideration in the Mile. Sunbean, a 4-year-old Brahms gelding, has won seven of his last nine starts, with all of the wins coming in Louisiana. Grand Contender won the Grade III Texas Mile and the Grade III Lone Star Park Handicap earlier this year but then finished third behind Sunbean in the Evangeline Mile. Code West has been facing tougher company and soundly thrashed Sunbean in the Governor's Cup in Oklahoma in August. Mystery Train was dominant in his native Argentina but didn't make much of an impact in the Grade I Pacific Classic or the Grade I Awesome Again Stakes in his two U.S. starts for trainer Darrell Vienna. On the other hand, both of those races were won by Shared Belief and there are no Shared Beliefs in this field. It should be fun to watch.