Horse racing action around globe fills weekend before Kentucky Derby
Horse racing action fills weekend before Kentucky Derby. Breeders' Cup runners are coming out of hibernation. It's Guineas weekend at Newmarket in England. The Grade 1 Tenno Sho is in Japan and the Group 1 Prix Ganay is on tap at Longchamp in Paris.
Expression Train has won three straight races. Stiletto Boy has finished third in each of his last three starts. Shaaz is undefeated after three races and is the favorite in the field of six. Cabo Spirit is back on the West Coast and will race in Saturday's $100,000 California Derby on Golden Gate Fields all-weather.
Miss Bigly is the favorite for Saturday's $200,000 Grade II Santa Margarita at Santa Anita. My Kentucky Girl and Anthonys Cleopatra are the morning-line favorites for the $75,00 California Oaks on the Golden Gate Fields all-weather.
Beyond Brilliant is the class of the seven entered for Saturday's $225,000 Grade II Charles Whittingham at Santa Anita. Vanzy is 4-1 morning-line favorite.
War Like Goddess starts her 5-year-old season in Friday's $300,000 Grade III Bewitch Stakes at Keeneland. The English Channel filly came into November's Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf riding a four-race winning streak. Many of the other horses in the BEWitch could provide a test for War Like Gods. Bye Bye Bertie has four straight wins and five from her last six races. Avenue de France is the morning-line pick for Saturday's Golden Poppy at Golden Gate Fields.
There are not a lot of recent winners among the seven horses competing in Sunday's $100,000 License Fee Stakes for fillies and mares at Belmont Park. Too Sexy, Miss J McKay and Assertive Style are among them. Saturday's Camila Urso for $75,00 for mare and filly at Golden Gate Fields has an overflow field of 10 with two also-eligibles.
Brickyard Ride and Miles Ahead are the morning-line favorites for Saturday's $100,000 Grade III Kona Gold at Santa Anita. Doug O'Neill was to start Strongconstitution, but he was a late scratch. Cairama and Cogburn are morning line favorites in Saturday’s Bachelor Stakes for 3-year-olds at Oaklawn Park. Nobals arrives after two straight wins at Turfway Park for trainer Larry Rivelli. One Timer was undefeated before finishing ninth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turfi in his most recent race. Unraptured is in from Golden Gate Fields. Doctor Jeff was last seen winning the Atlantic Beach Stake on the Belmont Park turf in November.
Carribean Caper is undefeated after five starts and looms a solid favorite in the $160,000 Roxelana Stakes at Churchill Downs. Mark Casse saddles three of the six entered for Saturday's $125,00 Star Shoot Stake for 3-year-old fillies on the Woodbine all-weather. Wesley Ward sends out Miss Alacrity for her fifth start on her 5th different track.
Horse racing action fills weekend before Kentucky Derby.
The Tenno Sho is the longest Grade 1 race of the year on the Japanese turf at 3,200 meters or about 2 miles. The field includes Deep Bond, who finished second in last year's edition, and Titleholder, winner of 2021 Kikuka Sho or Japanese St. Leger.
It's Guineas weekend at Newmarket. Godolphin horses are on show. Native Trail and Coroebus are trained by Charlie Appleby for God Dolphin. Tenebrism, a Caravaggio filly, is looking for her third win in as many starts. Tuesday, by Galileo, enters off a maiden win, but with excellent reviews. Nation's Pride, trained for the Godolphins, will race in the New York Racing Association's New Market Stakes on Friday.
Horse racing action fills weekend before Kentucky Derby. Sunday's Group 1 Prix Ganay, 2,100 meters at Longchamp, has a field of six.
Starspangledbanner 4-year-old won the Grade I Saratoga Derby Invitational in upstate New York and the Cox Plate in Australia. Seliway peaked with a victory in last Autumn's Group 1 British Champion Stakes. He finished second behind Skalleti in the Group 2 Prix d'Harcourt over very soft Longchamp turf April 10. Pretty Tiger entered off a win in Group 3 Prix Exbury March 19. Andre Fabre will saddle last year's Ganay winner Mare Australis.
