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UPI Horse Racing Weekend Preview

By Robert Kieckhefer, UPI Racing Writer
Hong Kong sprinter Lucky Nine preps at Meydan for Saturday's 
 Dubai Golden Shaheen. (HKJC Photo)
Hong Kong sprinter Lucky Nine preps at Meydan for Saturday's Dubai Golden Shaheen. (HKJC Photo)

The Dubai World Cup, two major Kentucky Derby prep races and a top-shelf sprint in Japan highlight a jam-packed weekend of Thoroughbred racing.

Kentucky Derby winner California Chrome's run at the $10 million World Cup is the unquestioned marquee event. But the remainder of the Saturday night card at Meydan also sparkles with stars -- particularly the $6 million Dubai Sheema Classic on the grass, featuring U.S. champ Main Sequence against the several of the world's best turf stayers.

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The Florida Derby and the Louisiana Derby are the first in the "semifinal round" leading up to the Run for the Roses. But the American weekend also is replete with some tough grass races, some promising handicaps on the main course and, of course, Kentucky Oaks preps.

Time's a-wastin'. Let's get going.

Dubai

World Cup night is the richest race meeting anywhere in the world. And, as often proves true, at least some of this year's races will be key to the remainder of the international racing season. American champion California Chrome looks to move his "brand" onto international beachheads and stars from as far afield as Hong Kong and Japan are lined up to vie for the fat paychecks. More than a few of the runners in these fields will show up later in the year at Ascot, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore or in the Continental classics like the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

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The $10 million, Group 1 Dubai World Cup, at 1 1/4 miles on the new Meydan Race Course dirt track, is the setting for California Chrome, last year's winner of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. The eight competitors include Japan's champion dirt horse, Hokko Tarumae, Japan Cup winner Epiphaneia and local runners Prince Bishop and African Story. There is some local buzz about another American horse, Lea, runner-up in the recent Grade I Donn Handicap. Lea is trained by Bill Mott, who conditioned Cigar to victory in the inaugural running of the World Cup 20 years ago. Some of the international powerhouse operations that patronized this race during its years on the all-weather Tapeta track are conspicuous by their absence this time around.

Perhaps the toughest race on the card is the $6 million, Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic, a 1 1/2-miles event on the turf. This features the 1-2 finishers from last fall's Breeders's Cup Turf, Main Sequence and Flintshire, with Designs On Rome out to prove that his dominance in Hong Kong can be exported. Several of the others in the nine-horse field are capable of springing an upset.

The Grey Gatsby, a major player in last season's 3-year-old races in England, gets his 2015 season off and running in the $6 million, Group 1 Dubai Turf at 9 furlongs. The U.S. entry here is Mshawish, who has developed quickly at Gulfstream Park this winter for trainer Todd Pletcher. Trade Storm has run well in local preps and Limario and Euro Charline are experienced globetrotters.

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Hong Kong holds a strong hand in the $2 million, Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen at 6 furlongs on the dirt, sending Lucky Nine, Rich Tapestry and Super Jockey into a field of 14. The U.S. team includes 2013 Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Secret Circle, Aqueduct speedster Salutos Amigos and California-based Big Macher. The race is the second leg of the Global Sprint Challenge, which offers a $1 million bonus for a horse winning three of its races in three different countries.

The other four Thoroughbred races on the card are the $1 million, Group 2 Godolphin Mile on the turf, with a wide-open field of 16; the ever-popular, $1 million, Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup at 2 miles on the grass; the $1 million, Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint at 5 furlongs down the straight course; and the $2 million, Group 2 UAE Derby, which, by a stretch of the imagination, could produce a Kentucky Derby contender.

Japan

Sunday's Group 1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen is the third leg of the Global Sprint Challenge and drew one foreign horse -- Hong Kong's Aerovelocity. Chukyo Racecourse in Nagoya will test the Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint winner over a left-handed course that features a rise through the straight. And awaiting him will be a diverse home team that includes the 6-year-old mare Straight Girl, who was third in this race last year behind the winner, Copano Richard, and third in Hong Kong in December. Lord Kanaloa won this race among many others during his reign as the world's top sprinter.

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Derby preps

Upstart, upset in his last start via disqualification, nonetheless is the morning-line favorite for Saturday's $1 million, Grade I Besilou Stables Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park. Upstart, winner of the Grade II Holy Bull early in the meeting, was set down to second behind Itsaknockout in last month's Grade II Fountain of Youth after drifting out slightly in the stretch run. Itsaknockout is back for another try, along with seven others. All are chasing the big purse and the 100 Kentucky Derby qualifying points awarded the winner by Churchill Downs. Trainer Rick Violette said he was not thrilled to see Upstart, a Flatter colt, draw the No. 9 post position for Saturday's race. Todd Pletcher will saddle Itsaknockout and Materiality. The field also includes another son of Flatter, Ami's Flatter, who comes off a second-place finish in the Tampa Bay Derby in his last outing.

International Star enters Saturday's $750,000, Grade II Louisiana Derby as the winner of the two local preps, the Grade III LeComte and the Grade II Risen Star, and figures as the likely favorite to repeat. Overall, he has four wins and two seconds from eight starts. He is the son of 2000 Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus. War Story, a Northern Afleet gelding, comes to this after finishing second in the Grade III LeComte and Grade II Risen Star over the same course. Mr. Z won at first asking way back last June at Churchill Downs but has not visited the winner's circle after any of nine subsequent trips. The Malibu Moon colt has had "third-itis" in his last three starts, including the Smarty Jones and Grade III Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park. The other six in the field have some ground to make up.

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And if you can't make it out to the racetrack, catch the Triple Crown action on Horse Racing Radio Network at www.horseracingradio.net or on Sirius satellite radio. This week's coverage from the parade ring at Gulfstream Park will include both derbies and reports from Dubai.

Oaks preps

With Take Charge Brandi temporarily sidelined, I'm a Chatterbox looks like one of the ones in the run-up to the Kentucky Oaks. The Munnings filly gets a shot to sweep the Fair Grounds series for 3-year-old fillies when she takes on seven rivals in Saturday's $400,000, Grade II Fair Grounds Oaks. Chief among the others is Forever Unbridled, who was second in the Silverbulletday, 8 lengths behind I'm a Chatterbox, and third in the Grade III Rachel Alexandra, 2 3/4 length in arrears. The others will need a big step forward to have an impact here.

The top three finishers from last month's Grade III Davona Dale -- Ekati's Phaeton, Birdatthewire and Eskenformoney, mix it up again Saturday's $250,000, Grade II Gulfstream Park Oaks. Ekati's Phaeton won the earlier race on the lead, going 1 mile, and now must add another sixteenth. She should have competition on the lead from Divine Aida, who has won four in a row and takes a big class jump. Cristina's Journy had two great races last summer, then fell apart in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and the Grade II Golden Rod.

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Classic Division

Moreno finished second only to Shared Belief in the Grade I Santa Anita Handicap earlier this month and takes on a somewhat less imposing set of rivals in Saturday's $400,000, Grade II New Orleans Handicap at Fair Grounds. Moreno, a 5-year-old Ghostzapper gelding, has won more than $2 million while running against top company -- even though he has only three wins to his name. Among Saturday's rivals, the most likely appears to be Albano, who finished third as the favorite in the Louisiana Handicap in January, then easily won the Maxxam Gold Cup at Sam Houston Race Park in his last outing. Mystery Train jumped up with a good showing in his last race, the Grade III Mineshaft Handicap, in his first New Orleans start. Red Rifle could provide some pace pressure to the normally front-running Moreno.

Encryption takes a class jump in Saturday's $150,000, Grade III Skip Away Stakes at Gulfstream Park. But if he can duplicate his season-opener, an 8-lengths victory with a Beyer Speed Figure of 108, the other five in this field will be in trouble. Encryption, a 4-year-old Exchange Rate colt, tacks on an additional furlong from that last outing, going 1 3/16 miles in the Skip Away. Among the others, Ulanbator got off to a bad start in the Grade III Fred W. Hooper in his last start and made up ground to finish fifth. Commissioner finished second in last year's Belmont Stakes but hasn't moved forward from that. Sr. Quisqueyano and East Hall have run some good races, but not recently.

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Meanwhile, Shared Belief reportedly is headed for the $1.5 million Charles Town Classic in West Virginia on April 19. Shared Belief, rated the top horse in the world in early returns, defeated California Chrome in February in the Grade II San Antonio Invitational, then won the Grade I Santa Anita Handicap. His only loss in 11 starts came in the controversial Breeders' Cup Classic last fall at Santa Anita. While they are taking separate paths for now, the owners and trainers of California Chrome and Shared Belief are looking forward to a rematch in this fall's Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland.

Turf

Slumber just missed by a nose of defeating Mshawish last time out in Florida in the Grade I Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap. Now, Mshawish is in Dubai and Slumber is in New Orleans for Saturday's $300,000, Grade II Mervin H. Muniz Jr. Memorial Handicap. It's an interesting race, with horses in from several directions. Coalport, an Illinois-bred son of Kitten's Joy, has won four straight races over four different tracks, most recently the Grade III John B. Connolley at Sam Houston. Potomac River won the Grade III Fair Grounds Handicap last year but was injured in last year's Muniz and just now returns to the track. Chocolate Ride won this year's edition of the Fair Grounds Handicap. Divine Oath has been knocking on the door in graded stakes from California to Delaware and hot rider Florent Geroux jumps from Chocolate Ride to take the mount. Highball is capable of picking up the pieces if the pace gets too hot.

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Three of the other horses defeated by Mshawish in the Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap cut back from that 9-furlongs event to a straight mile in Saturday's $150,000, Grade III Appleton Stakes at Gulfstream. War Correspondent is the likely favorite after finishing third, beaten only 1 length, in the earlier race. Grand Tito was fifth, just 1 1/2 lengths back of the winner, and Lochte was seventh but only 2 lengths in arrears. Saturday's race also features several of the also-rans from the Grade III Canadian Turf Handicap at 1 mile over the same course.

Twilight Eclipse spent last year chasing Main Sequence as the latter capped an undefeated season with a divisional Eclipse Award. He again finished second to the champ in his season opener at Gulfstream Park. Main Sequence, however, is in Dubai this weekend so Twilight Eclipse has a clear shot at Saturday's $150,000, Grade II Pan American Stakes at 1 1/2 miles at Gulfstream. Some worth opponents include Pyrite Mountain, Change of Command and Imagining.

Filly & Mare Turf

All but one of the entrants in Saturday's $300,000, Grade II Honey Fox Stakes at Gulfstream Park finished first or second in her last outing. Many, however, are turning from layoffs or stepping up in class, providing a challenge in picking the 1-mile race. Sandiva returns from a win in early February in the Grade III Suwanee River at 9 furlongs over the course. Coffee Clique won three in a row to end her 2014 season but hasn't run since a victory in the Grade I Just a Gleam at Belmont Park in June. Istanford, Baffle Me, Lady Lara and Party Now all have claims here.

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Nine are set to tackle 1 1/2 miles in Saturday's $150,000, Grade III Orchid Stakes on the Gulfstream Park lawn. The field includes Riposte and Tabreed, the second- and third-place finishers in the recent Grade III The Very One Handicap on the very same course. Bitty Kitty and Kitten's Point, fourth and a close sixth in that race, also return for another try. Photo Call has been idle since December, when she finished third in the Grade III La Prevoyante. Recent European import Beauty Parlor makes her U.S. debut for trainer Christophe Clement.

Sprint

Saturday's $100,000 Sir Shackleton Stakes, at 7 furlongs on the Gulfstream Park dirt course, drew a well-matched field including Valid, Pants On Fire and Confrontation, all of whom have run well over the track this winter. Tarpy's Goal has been on fire for trainer Dale Romans and takes a class jump here. Almost Famous, who showed promise last summer before tailing off, returns from a long layoff.

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