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Churchill Downs and Belmont Park swing back into action this weekend and turf racing is on the agenda from coast to coast. On the international front, the Derby Trial is in the books at Ascot, and a "cracking" edition it was. The Audemars Piguet QE II Cup starts a string of Group 1 races in Hong Kong featuring the reigning Hong Kong Horse of the Year. Japan has the Tenno Sho (Spring), featuring its own Horse of the Year.
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The international scene:
Hong Kong
The first of four springtime Group 1 races at Sha Tin finds three past winners of the Audemars Piguet QE II Cup looking for a second victory Sunday in the prestigious event. Chief among them is Werther, last year's winner and the reigning Hong Kong Horse of the Year. The 2015 winner, Blazing Speed, also seems in peak form at age 8 and rates a chance. But even trainer John Moore says 2014 QE II champ Designs on Rome seems past his prime and likely would do well to finish fourth. Hong Kong also fields Secret Weapon and a promising newcomer, Pakistan Star.
The QE II attracted three foreign entrants -- Neorealism from Japan, Dicton from France and The United States from Australia. All have group stakes credentials. Dicton, a 4-year-old who finished third in last year's French Derby, could have the most upside potential.
Werther and Neorealism are the likely favorites. But regardless of the outcome Sunday, this could be a race that's remembered for having Pakistan Star and Dicton in the field.
Japan
Kitasan Black, winner of last fall's Group 1 Japan Cup and the reigning Japanese Horse of the Year, heads a dynamite field for Sunday's Group 1 Tenno Sho (Spring) at Kyoto. The 5-year-old won this race last year to kickstart his stellar campaign and has had a warm up for Sunday's race.
The field also includes Satano Diamond, winner of last year's Group 1 Kikuka Sho, or Japanese St Leger, and Group 1 Arima Kinen. The 4-year-old is adept at longer distances like this 3,200 meters -- one and a half laps around the course. Cheval Grand returns after finishing third in last year's Tenno Sho (Spring) and Japan Cup.
The race is run right-handed around the oval-shaped turf course. The purse of 325 million Yen is equivalent to about US$2.8 million.
England
Trainer John Gosden and jockey Frankie Dettori Wednesday scored their third successive triumph in the Derby Trail at Ascot, this time with the Anthony Oppenheimer homebred Cracksman. The 3-year-old Frankel colt, making just his second start, was along in the final stride to take the 10-furlongs preview over Permian. The win guaranteed Cracksman a spot in the 1.5 million-pounds Derby at 2 additional furlongs on June 3.
Gosden said he was particularly pleased with Cracksman's performance as it came against some adversity.
"They went no pace and Cracksman got well and truly shut in and could not get out," the trainer said. "I am delighted how he picked up and I did say to the owner beforehand that the horse is pretty laid back and very inexperienced to be running at this track." He said Cracksman will have another trial -- either at Chester or at York -- before the big race.
Before you ask: Gosden and Dettori combined also to win the Derby Trial with Christophermarlowe in 2015 and So Mi Dar last season. Neither went on to the Derby.
Back in the States:
Turf Mile
Saturday's $100,000 Grade III San Francisco Mile at Golden Gate Field drew a mixed bag of seven, headed by Alert Bay, who won this last year. He returned after an eight-month layoff to win an allowance race on April 2. Camino Del Paraiso won three in a row and wound up his 3-year-old career with a good third in the Let It Ride Stakes at Del Mar. The Suances gelding makes his 4-year-old debut. Stryker Phd has been consistently good at this trip but may have lost a step at age 8.
Bolo returns to Southern California for Saturday's $100,000 Grade III Thunder Road Stakes, facing six rivals. The 5-year-old son of Temple City has done much better work on the West Coast than elsewhere, evinced by his ninth-place showing in the Grade I Maker's 46 Mile at Keeneland two weeks ago. He has been a consistent money machine in the Golden State. Twentytwentyvision, second in last year's Thunder Road, bounces into this off a seventh-place showing on the dirt in the Grade I Santa Anita Handicap.
Six go in Saturday's $100,000 Grade III Miami Mile at Gulfstream Park. All Included is fresh from victory in the Grade III Appleton Stakes April 4. Lubash comes off a rest following a win in the Grade III Tropical Turf Handicap in November. Our Way won the Sunshine Millions Turf in January and was third in the Appleton. Zulu is a main-track-only nominee.
On the same Gulfstream program, a dozen fillies and mares are entered for the Powder Break Stakes at 1 mile on the greensward. There are no superstars here but plenty of handicapping puzzles and wagering opportunities. Liberty Kitten has some credibility despite a light resume. Stormy Victoria ran well enough last year after coming over from her native France and makes her 5-year-old debut.
Turf
Keeneland closes out its all-too-brief spring with Friday's $150,000 Grade III Bewitch with fillies and mares going 1 1/2 miles on the grass. The morning-line favorite is Arles, a French-bred mare by Monsun who has finished second in all three U.S. races since being imported from Germany, where she also had a bad case of "second-itis". If Joel Rosario can't coax a bit more out of her, Earring, Daring Duchess and Inchargeofme all offer potential options.
On Sunday at Santa Anita, fillies and mares will tackle the same 12 furlongs on the turf.
Turf Sprint
Belmont Park's opening stakes is Saturday's $150,000 Elusive Quality at 7 furlongs on the turf. Seven signed up, plus two "main-track-only" hangers-on. Calgary Cat makes his first start since finishing fourth in last fall's Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. Never Gone South comes north from the Maryland circuit where he was third in the Grade III General George two starts back. Kharafa and a few others have shown the ability but without consistency.
