March 31 (UPI) -- Weekend upsets sent more long shots off to the Kentucky Derby, including one colt still seeking his first career win.
Kentucky Oaks favorite Good Cheer got some competition from preps in Florida and Arkansas. And White Abarrio, arguably America's best older horse, scored another impressive win.
On the international front, it was all about the sprinters.
Let's sprint right into action with ...
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The Road to Roses
Although upsets continued to rule in the weekend stops along the Road to the Roses, as hinted here in Thursday's preview, at least they weren't massive upsets.
At Oaklawn Park, odds-on favorite Cornucopian hooked up in a suicidal pace duel with Speed King in Saturday's $1.5 million Arkansas Derby and both paid the price.
Rallying from a relaxed trip behind that duo, Sandman swept by and on to a 2 1/2-length victory. Publisher, who has yet to visit the winner's circle after seven starts, came from even farther back to finish second, with Grade II Rebel Stakes winner Coal Battle third, ending his four-race win skein.
All three will move along to Louisville.
"I couldn't believe it, actually," winning trainer Mark Casse said. "I said, 'Well, they'll have to be superstars to keep going.' The farther they went, the more confident I was. The faster they went, the more I smiled."
The $1 million Grade I Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park on Saturday also returned an upset, albeit a quite minor one, as Tappan Street took the lead in the lane and held on to win by 1 1/4 lengths over the favorite, Sovereignty. Neoequis was third and California invader Madaket Road tired late to finish fourth.
Trainer Brad Cox reported Sunday morning that Tappan Street "looked great this morning. We're very happy." He said he may wait a week to ship the colt to Kentucky to duck some expected wet weather.
Sovereignty's trainer, Bill Mott, said his colt ran well in defeat, adding, "It was a good race. This doesn't have to be his best race. Sometimes you can look at it and say, 'Maybe that's a good thing.' You don't want their best race before the big event."
At the end of the day, Sandman had advanced to the No. 1 spot on the "Road to the Kentucky Derby" leaderboard with 129 points, 10 more than last weekend's Louisiana Derby winner, Tiztastic. Tappan Street and Sovereignty are tied for third and fourth with 110 points. Coal Battle moved down to No. 6 and Publisher up to No. 10.
In Japan, Luxor Café, a Kentucky-bred American Pharoah colt, earned the right of first refusal to Japan's guaranteed bid to the Kentucky Derby with a convincing victory in Saturday's Fukuryu Stakes at Nakayama Racecourse.
The Road to the Oaks
They're all hoping for a chance to challenge division leader Good Cheer in the Kentucky Oaks on the first Friday in May and a few of the weekend's best looked worthy of giving it a go.
Quietside and Simply Joking engaged in what amounted to a match race in Saturday's $750,000 Grade II Fantasy at Oaklawn Park. Simply Joking put her 2-for-2 record at risk on the lead, but couldn't hold it as Quietside slid by her in the final sixteenth to win by 3/4 length.
Five G, who finished 1 length behind Quietside in the Grade III Honeybee in her last start, did one better in Saturday's $250,000 Gulfstream Park Oaks, leading all the way to a 2 1/4-length victory as the favorite. Anna's Promise was second, with the others well up the track.
Classic
With the emphasis so heavily on the Triple Crown contenders, it was easy to lose track this weekend of North America's top older horse, White Abarrio. The 6-year-old ran off to a 5 1/4-length win in Saturday's $165,000 Grade III Ghostzappere Stakes at Gulfstream Park and is booked for the Met Mile.
Dirt Mile / Sprint
Banishing outdueled Saudi Crown to win Saturday's $500,000 Grade III Oaklawn Mile by 1 length. A day later, Clever Again led all the way to a 4-length win in the $200,000 Hot Springs Stakes for 3-year-olds at the same trip. At Santa Anita, Pilot Commander won Saturday's $100,000 Grade III San Carlos by 3/4 length.
Filly & Mare Sprint
Haulin Ice won Saturday's $250,000 Matron Stakes at Oaklawn Park by 5 lengths after setting a blistering pace. Bourbon Memory dueled down the stretch with Family in Saturday's $125,000 Serena's Song Stakes at Turfway Park and put a head in front at the wire.
Turf
Far Bridge, the odds-on favorite, took every inch of Gulfstream Park turf to win Saturday's $215,000 Grade III Pan American Stakes by a neck.
The 5-year-old son of English Channel tracked pacesetting long shot Corruption, seized the lead at the top of the stretch and dueled to the finish before eking out the victory. With Joel Rosario up, he got the 1 1/2 miles on firm going in 2:22.73, just 0.1 second shy of the course record.
Filly & Mare Turf
South African import Beach Bomb got her second straight win in Saturday's $165,000 Grade III Orchid Stakes at Gulfstream Park, going 1 1/2 miles. Spirited Boss won Saturday's $165,000 Sanibel Island for 3-year-old fillies at Gulfstream and Moving On Up took the $165,000 Sand Springs for older distaffers by 3 lengths.
Turf Mile
Seminole Chief pressured pacesetting Portofino throughout Saturday's $165,000 Appleton Stakes at Gulfstream Park, eased by that one in the stretch drive and got home first by 3/4 length. Tirupati led throughout Saturday's $100,000 Wilshire Stakes at Santa Anita and won by 1 length.
Turf Sprint
Classic of Course, under Frankie Dettori, chased down pacesetting odds-on favorite Forged Steel to post a 3/4-length victory in Saturday's $165,000 Cutler Bay Stakes for 3-year-olds at Gulfstream Park. It was the Awesome of Course colt's second career win.
Around the world, around the clock
Sprinters
Japan welcomed a newcomer to the top rank of sprint stardom, as Satono Reve won the Grade 1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen, while in Hong Kong, the world's highest-rated sprinter, Ka Ying Rising, won his 11th straight race.
Satono Reve got a good trip under former Hong Kong star jockey Joao Moreira and held off Namura Clair, who finished second in the race for the third straight year. It's one of only two Grade 1 sprints on the Japanese calendar, and the win gives Satono Reve a leg up on the year-end championship if he can perform in September's Sprinters Stakes.
Ka Ying Rising got an even better run in his triumph under current Hong Kong star jockey Zac Purton, who is freshly back from an injury layoff.
After tracking the pace, the New Zealand-bred 5-year-old smoothly drew off to win by 3 lengths, eased up in the final 50 meters. He will shoot for No. 12 in a row and for a perfect 8-for-8 season in next month's Grade I Chairman's Sprint Prize.
