April 28 (UPI) -- The Kentucky Derby field is set, Hong Kong reels from a champion's win and a long shot's upset and the first European Group 1 of the season is in the books, all in a busy weekend of Thoroughbred racing around the globe.
So let's go globetrotting ...
The Road to the Roses
Only 1 1/4 miles remain on the Road to the Roses -- the distance of the Kentucky Derby itself. After months and miles of qualifying events, just 21 3-year-olds were entered for Saturday's post-position draw for the field of 20.
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Baeza, the Santa Anita Derby runner-up, is the only "also eligible" horse and will get into the field only if one of the other 20 scratches before Friday.
It's as wide-open a race as anyone could want. Journalism, who ran his way into the field by winning the Santa Anita Derby, is the 3-1 favorite on the morning line. Only Florida Derby runner-up Sovereignty, at 6-1, and Arkansas Derby winner Sandman, at 6-1, are quoted by oddsmaker Mike Battaglia at single-digit odds.
Trainer Bob Baffert seeks a record seventh Derby win with two starters, last year's 2-year-old champion Citizen Bull, starting from the inside gate at 20-1 on the line, and Wood Memorial winner Rodriguez, installed as No. 4 at 12-1. Long-time Baffert buddy and rival D. Wayne Lukas looks for his fifth Derby winner with 30-1 shot American Promise.
While those two seek additional hardware for already crowded trophy cases, trainer Steve Asmussen has two runners as he tries to land his first victory in the Run for the Roses after 26 swings and misses. Publisher and Tiztastic start side-by-side from gates No. 13 and 14.
Two Japan-based horses, "Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby" winner Luxor Café and UAE Derby winner Admire Daytona, also start in adjacent gates, No. 6 and No. 7.
One of the prospective favorite, Florida Derby winner Tappan Street, was eliminated from contention when he was diagnosed Friday with what trainer Brad Cox described a minor fracture in his right foreleg.
That opened a spot for Render Judgment, whose trainer Kenny McPeek, isn't crazy about the race. McPeek said he would prefer an easier spot for the colt, who has won just one of seven starts, but was overruled by the ownership group.
Here's the field for the Derby, in post-position order with jockey, trainer and morning-line odds, as drawn Saturday at Churchill Downs:
1. Citizen Bull (Martin Garcia, Bob Baffert, 20-1)
2. Neoequous (Flavien Prat, Saffie Joseph Jr., 30-1)
3. Final Gambit (Luan Machado, Brad Cox, 30-1)
4. Rodriguez (Mike Smith, Bob Baffert, 12-1)
5. American Promise (Nik Juarez, D. Wayne Lukas, 30-1)
6. Admire Daytona (JPN) (Christophe Lemaire, Yukihiro Kato, 30-1)
7. Luxor Café (Joao Moreira, Noriyuki Kato, 15-1)
8. Journalism (Umberto Rispoli, Michael McCarthy, 3-1)
9. Burnham Square (Brian Hernandez Jr., Ian Wilkes, 12-1)
10. Grande (John Velazquez, Todd Pletcher, 20-1)
11. Flying Mohawk (Joe Ramos, Whit Beckman, 30-1)
12. East Avenue (Manny Franco, Brendan Walsh, 20-1)
13. Publisher (Irad Ortiz Jr., Steve Asmussen, 20-1)
14. Tiztastic (Joel Rosario, Steve Asmussen, 20-10
15. Render Judgment (Julien Leparoux, Kenny McPeek, 30-1)
16. Coal Battle (Juan Vargas, Lonnie Briley, 30-1)
17. Sandman (Jose Ortiz, Mark Casse, 6-1)
18. Sovereignty (Junior Alvarado, Bill Mott, 5-1)
19. Chunk of Gold (Jareth Loveberry, Ethan West, 30-1)
20. Owen Almighty (Javier Castellano, Brian Lynch, 30-1)
21. AE: Baeza (Flavien Prat, John Shirreffs, 12-1)
Hong Kong
While the Derby horses were lining up, things were getting shaken up at Sha Tin Racecourse in Sunday's FWD Champions Day with one overwhelming favorite winning easily and a 90-1 long shot winning just a few races later.
The superstar winner is Ka Ying Rising. The world's highest-rated sprinter dominated top-quality field in the Group 1 Chairman's Sprint Prize, rallying to the lead in the lane and winning by 2 1/2 lengths, eased up by jockey Zac Purton. Japan's top sprinter, Satono Reve, could only admire the effort while finishing second.
The victory was Ka Ying Rising's fourth successive Group 1 win and 12th straight score overall. It completed a perfect season in Hong Kong, also including Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint in December.
While Ka Ying Rising was the most solid of favorites, Red Lion went to the post at odds of 90-1 two races later in the FWD Champions Mile -- and led all the way to a narrow victory over the odds-on pick Voyage Bubble. Even winning jockey Hugh Bowman confessed after the race he was a bit surprised at the outcome.
"He's a worthy Group 1 winner," Bowman said. "But I'm a bit lost for words, to be honest."
The third Group 1 on the program, the FWD QE II Cup, lacked Romantic Warrior, who won the event the past three years but this time around was sent to Dubai and Saudi Arabia for his late-season tasks. That left it to a pair of Japanese middle-distance specialists, 2023 Japanese Derby winner Tastiera, and race favorite Prognosis to finish 1-2.
France
Sosie kicked off the European Group 1 season with a scintillating victory in Sunday's Group 1 Prix Ganay at Longchamp in Paris. After tracking the pace in fourth under Maxime Guyon, the 4-year-old son of Sea the Stars hit the front inside the 200-meters mark.
Last season, the Wertheimer & Frere homebred won the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris and the Group 2 Qatar Prix Niel before finishing fourth as the favorite in the Group 1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Meanwhile, back in the States
Filly & Mare Turf
Forever After All surged to the lead with a bold, three-wide move heading into the stretch in Friday's $350,000 Grade III Bewitch Stakes on closing day at Keeneland and left her rivals behind as she won off by 9 lengths, geared down by jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. Youknownothing was up for second.
Forever After All, a Dixiana Farms homebred mare by Connect, ran 1 1/2 miles on yielding turf in 2:35.56. It was her second win from her last three starts after a string of runner-up showings.
Elsewhere, Public Assembly won Saturday's $100,000 Grade III Royal Heroine Stakes at Santa Anita, Laurelin took Sunday's $150,000 Memories of Silver at Aqueduct and Ozara won Saturday's $75,000 Monroe at Gulfstream Park.
Turf
On Saturday at Aqueduct, Dream On stalked the pace in the $125,000 Woodhaven for 3-year-olds, and then outfinished Septarian by a neck in a blanket finish that involved most of the seven-horse field. The Not This Time colt, trained by Mark Casse, ran 1 mile on good turf in 1:38.06 with Javier Castellano up.
Turf Sprint
Jungle Peace led from the start in Sunday's $100,000 Grade III Senorita for 3-year-old fillies at Santa Anita and held off Amorita in the final strides to win by a head. The Irish-bred filly, by Bungle Inthejungle, completed the 6 1/2 furlongs down the hillside course in 1:13.83 for jockey Umberto Rispoli and trainer Phil D'Amato.
Distaff
Majestic Oops rallied outside the pacesetters turning for home in Saturday's $200,000 Dig a Diamond Stakes at Oaklawn Park and got away to a 2 3/4-length victory over the odds-on favorite, Hoosier Philly. The 5-year-old Majestic Harbor mare ran 1 mile on a fast track in 1:37.05. Abel Cedillo rode for trainer Dan Ward.
