UPI Horse Racing Weekend Preview

With Christmas Eve and Christmas taking up the weekend, there's not much U.S. racing in Santa's bag. A bit of international action keeps the fires burning, though.

Let's fire right up with:

Japan

Kitasan Black led all the way in winning last month's Grade I Japan Cup and now is favored to just keep going to victory in Sunday's Grade I Arima Kinen (the Grand Prix) at Nakayama Racecourse.

The 2,500-meters Arima Kinen gives fans a chance to vote for prospective starters and Kitasan Black, already approaching legendary status among enthusiastic Japanese race goers, was No. 1 choice with more than 130,000 votes.

Jockey Yutaka Take, who has ridden many of the great ones, was impressed with the Japan Cup performance and is looking forward to Sunday.

"Since I've been riding him, that's been his strongest performance so far," Take said of the Japan Cup ride.

The 4-year-old Black Tide colt has been training well and will need a good foundation to take on the likes of last year's winner, Gold Actor, Japanese St. Leger winner Satono Diamond, dual Grade I winning distaffers Mikki Queen and Marialite.

England

Winning Story led the final 3 furlongs in winning Wednesday's Betway Conditions Stakes at Newcastle, giving Godolphin a fourth qualified contender for the finals of the All-Weather Championships next Good Friday. Winning Story, trained by Saeed bin Suroor and ridden by Pat Cosgrave, chased the early leader and took over when asked. The 3-year-old son of New Approach won by 1 3/4 lengths from late-running First Mohican.

Cosgrave said the track at Newcastle suited the colt likely better than Lingfield, where the final are run, adding, "You might as well have a crack at it now he is qualified."

Realize won Thursday's 7-furlongs feature at Chelmsford City but might be a doubtful contender for finals day. Trainer Stuart Williams bemoaned the fact the 6-year-old does not have "an ideal race for him on Finals Day because the six furlongs is a bit too sharp at Lingfield and I think a mile stretches him." He said he might pursue one of the Fast-Track Qualifiers abroad to keep options open.

Speaking of abroad, the Fast-Track Qualifier series moves to France this coming Wednesday with a 7-furlongs event for fillies and mares on the Deauville Polytrack. There's likely to be a significant English representation in the starting lineup.

UAE

Peering into a quite different future, the Dubai World Cup Carnival fires its first volley in just two weeks. The Jan. 5 Meydan card includes the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1 -- a Group 2 event that looks directly ahead to The Big Race on March 25.

Looking ahead, back in the States:

Boxing Day

If Christmas weekend is devoid of racing action, the day after Christmas most assuredly is not.

Santa Anita swings back into action with four graded stakes, including the Grade I Malibu Stakes for 3-year-olds at 7 furlongs on the main track and the Grade I La Brea for 3-year-old fillies at the same conditions. Both have big and competitive fields -- a nice place to use those TwinSpires and TVG gift cards Santa brought. ... What?

Also on the Santa Anita card are the Grade III Mathis Brothers Mile for 3-year-olds and the Grade III San Simeone for 3-year-olds and up at 6 1/2 furlongs, both on the grass.

Across the continent, Gulfstream Park's feature on Boxing Day is the Grade III Mr. Prospector at 6 furlongs on the main track for 3-year-olds and up.

Fair Grounds has the $50,000 Tiffany Lass Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on the dirt.

And it's only a couple weeks until Oaklawn Park opens for business and it well and truly will be Kentucky Derby prep season.

Pegasus World Cup

James "Mattress Mac" McIngvale reportedly has purchased a 6-year-old Argentine-bred horse to fill his $1 million gate in the big race. The Blood-Horse reported this week McIngvale purchased Eragon, a son of Offlee Wild out of the Shy Tom mare Express Time and shipped him to Miami on Monday. Trainer Laura Wohlers will handle the horse, who is a three-time Group 1 winner in his native land.