Addeybb makes 8-year-old debut in Brigadier Gerard

The 8-year-old warrior Addeybb faces horses literally half his age making his 2022 debut Thursday at Sandown Park in England.

Addeybb, who suffered a life-threatening blood clot last fall, is one of six entrants in the Group 3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes over 1 1/4 miles. Also entered is Lord Glitters, who won the Group 2 Singspiel Stakes in Dubai earlier this year while making the second start of his 9-year-old season.

Lord Glitters is a longshot in the Brigadier Gerard and Addeybb might need the race, too, having run only once since last July 3, when he was a solid second behind leading 3-year-old St Mark’s Basilica in the Group 1 Eclipse Stakes over this same course and distance. Addeybb has campaigned successfully in Australia but also has a win and a second-place finish in the Group 1 Champion Stakes, a late-season 10-furlong fixture in England. Trained by William Haggas, whose stable has been firing on all cylinders this spring, Addeybb brings a career mark of 24-12-5-2 into Thursday’s contest.

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Four-year-olds Mostahdaf and Bay Bridge head the early betting for the Brigadier Gerard. Neither can approach Addeybb’s top form but both colts have been brought along patiently by their famous trainers, John Gosden (who shares training duties with his son Thady) guiding Mostahdaf to six win from seven starts, Michael Stoute guiding Bay Bridge through a four-race winning streak following two losses to start his career.

Stoute back with Derby hopeful

Trainer Michael Stoute’s last win in the Derby came in 2010 with Workforce, but Stoute has the Derby favorite for next Saturday’s renewal of the Epsom fixture in Desert Crown. Desert Crown, by Nathaniel, has raced just twice, winning his lone start at age 2 and the Group 2 Dante Stakes May 12 at York Racecourse so impressively that he heads the Derby antepost market.

Stone Age, trained by Aidan O’Brien for Peter Brant’s White Birch Farm, sits right behind Desert Crown in the Derby market. The Galileo colt has raced seven times, and in two Irish starts this year, both against lesser opposition, he’s scored blowout victories. A decision remains pending on whether Nations Pride, leading hope for Godolphin and trainer Charlie Appleby, will be supplemented into the race.

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Between them, the Gosdens and trainer Aidan O’Brien have combined to win the last eight renewals of the Oaks, with three runnings going to the Gosdens and five to O'Brien. Emily Upjohn, trained by the Gosdens, remains heavily favored for the 2022 edition next week. Unbeaten after three starts, Emily Upjohn was a sharp winner of the Musidora Stakes at York last out, drawing comparisons from John Gosden to Taghrooda, who won 2014 Oaks. The Gosdens also train another leading hope, Nashwa, while O’Brien could run Tuesday and Concert Hall.

* Torquator Tasso, shock winner of the 2021 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, is set to make his 2022 debut on Sunday at Baden-Baden in Germany.