$100,000 Arabian race on Saturday

ARCADIA, Calif. – Paddy’s Day, a finalist for 2015 Arabian-bred Horse of the Year, will be favored to win for the 13th time in his 17-race career in Saturday’s $100,000 Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Darley Award Stakes at Santa Anita.

The Darley Award Stakes is financed by the Sheikh Mansoor Racing Festival of Abu Dhabi, which is hosting the Darley Awards to honor the Arabian champions of 2015 in Hollywood on Friday evening.

The Darley Award Stakes is run at 1 1/16 miles and drew a field of 11, including Jewell AA, a 4-year-old filly who has won three stakes.

Paddy’s Day, 5, has won eight of his last nine starts in the United States, including the Sheikh Nahyan Cup at Sam Houston Race Park on March 5 in his first start of the year. Last November, Paddy’s Day was last of 15 in the $1.28 million Sheikh Nahyan Jewel Cup in Abu Dhabi, the horse’s only start on turf.

Trained by Scott Powell, Paddy’s Day will be ridden by regular rider Kelsi Purcell.

F Sixteen, who drew the outside post, is a threat to Paddy’s Day, along with Easter Man, the leading 4-year-old male of 2015. F Sixteen and Easter Man were second and third behind Paddy’s Day at Sam Houston last month.