03/31/2012 9:43AM

Timetable for a Busy Saturday

By Steven Crist
Email

Wake up, international racing fans. I know it's not even 7 a.m. in California, but they've already started the World Cup card over in Dubai. You didn't miss any life-changing opportunities -- African Story, owned by Godolphin, won the Godolphin Mile, paying $3.20 to win in the U.S. betting pools.

The eight races at Meydan (worth $27 million) are part of a rich and busy Saturday of racing on two continents. Of probably greater interest to U.S. racing fans is the season's first Grade 1 race for classic candidates, the $1 million Florida Derby, the second and final prep for current Kentucky Derby favorite Union Rags. There are seven other graded stakes around the country today, including three Oaks races for 3-year-old fillies -- the G2 Fair Grounds Oaks, G2 Gulfstream Park Oaks and G1 Santa Anita Oaks.

I had to make myself a little timetable to keep it all straight:

If you do your betting in New York either at the track or through a NYRA or OTB offtrack account, remember that there will be no racing or wagering tomorrow due to the antiquated prohibition against such activity on Palm Sunday. (Of course the casino at Aqueduct and the state lottery will both be open.) So if you wanted to bet the second round of Derby Futures, you'll have to do so by the end of today and without the benefit of seeing tomorrow's Louisiana Derby.

David More than 1 year ago
How can the DRF race of the day for Sunday NOT be the La Derby? The 5th from GP?...really?
Stephanie Matties More than 1 year ago
What should be the biggest festival of racing in the world has been ruined by one word...Tapeta...sad.
Hawksian More than 1 year ago
Every single aspect of the entire World Cup day at Dubai makes me ill.
Fred Reardon More than 1 year ago
I made a time table, too. Fu Ged A Bout It.
MordicaiR More than 1 year ago
Should be interesting betting on the Dubai Gold - Who can run 3-4 miles with a break in between? Sounds like a race Dutrow wishes he take part in.
W.G. More than 1 year ago
They apparently are going to re-race the Dubai Gold Cup later today,. have you ever heard of anything like that ever happening before?
Brian Russell More than 1 year ago
Yes. They did it in the top sprint race in France in 2010 due to what they deemed an unfair start despite the entire race being run. The Hungarian sensation Overodose "won" but his connections refused to run him again in the re-race.
robert More than 1 year ago
On a very cool windy Arc day in 2008, the Prix de l'Abbaye sprint at Longchamp was abandoned due to a false start, then re-run later that day: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/oct/06/horseracing2 Understanding little French, I had no idea what was going on and thought my tickets were losers. A week later I read what had happened, sent the tickets to France Galop to be refunded, and they promptly sent them back as losing tickets. Guess I had to cancel them before the race was re-run. No idea. Didn't make me feel any better about the French.
Brian Ho More than 1 year ago
crist: Dubai World Cup is scheduled for a re-run at the end of the card (after the World Cup). No bet for me though