Honor Code, winner of the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Handicap on March 7, will be pointed to the Grade 2, $400,000 Alysheba Stakes at Churchill Downs, part of the May 1 Kentucky Derby Oaks undercard.
On paper, the two horses Dale Romans entered Tuesday for Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Florida Derby look out of place. But Romans has reason to believe both could outrun what figures to be long odds.
Dubai Sky, the winner of last Saturday’s Spiral Stakes at Turfway Park in northern Kentucky, was one of nine horses nominated to the Triple Crown at the last deadline Monday night, according to Churchill Downs, the home of the Kentucky Derby.
With four days remaining in the Laurel season, jockey Sheldon Russell leads Jevian Toledo 38-36 in the standings.
Fields were drawn and post positions assigned late Monday for the Godolphin Mile, Dubai Gold Cup, and UAE Derby. The Godolphin Mile drew a field of 16, with likely favorite Tamarkuz stuck on the rail and another major local hope, Surfer, marooned in post 16.
Main Sequence, the champion turf horse of 2014 who won the Breeders’ Cup Turf last fall and is 5 for 5 since being imported to the U.S. from England, blew out about three furlongs down the home straight and into the clubhouse turn a little past 8 a.m. on the Tapeta training track located just southeast of the Meydan main track.
California Chrome very early Tuesday morning had his final work for the $10 million Dubai World Cup and his first-ever work for exercise rider Dana Barnes.
Page McKenney just keeps getting better and better. Last Saturday, he turned in a strong performance to win the Harrison Johnson Memorial in the mud at Laurel Park by four lengths.
Russell Road returned to the work tab at Charles Town last week – working not once, but twice – and even trainer James W. Casey is a bit surprised by Russell’s Road’s enthusiasm.
There are few certainties in life. The sun will rise in the east. The taxman will come calling for a piece of your loot. Also, the American turf horse will lose the race in Dubai.
