Authorized cruises to victory

Epsom Derby winner Authorized outlasted Dylan Thomas in the Group 1, $1.04 million Juddmonte International Stakes at York on Tuesday, staying on stoutly to defeat the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes champ by a rather comfortable length.

Frankie Dettori was always on cruise control aboard Authorized, a son of Montjeu trained by Peter Chapple-Hyam. They led at the three-sixteenths pole and turned back the late challenge of Dylan Thomas, who surely requires longer than the Juddmonte's 1 1/4 miles and 88 yards to be at his best. It was three lengths farther back to Notnowcato, the horse who had defeated Authorized in the Eclipse Stakes and Dylan Thomas in the Tattersalls Gold Cup. Asiatic Boy came home fifth of seven, beaten 7 1/4 lengths.

Bet down to 3-2 favoritism, Authorized was timed in 2:11.82 on ground labeled good, good to soft in places. One of the many top horses bought this season by Sheikh Mohammed for ultimate stud duty at Darley, Authorized has been leased back to owners Saleh Al Homeizi and Imad Al Sagar. Authorized will next carry the green and yellow colors of Homeizi and Sagar in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe on Oct. 7 when he can expect a rematch with Dylan Thomas.

* Earlier, George Strawbridge, all of whose best horses are trained in Europe these days, won the Group 2 Great Voltigeur Stakes with his homebred colt Lucarno. A 7-2 Dynaformer 3-year-old, Lucarno defeated a quartet of Aidan O'Brien trainees, led by the favored 9-4 runner-up Yellowstone. Lucarno won by a length and traveled the 1 1/2 miles in 2:33.07. Fourth in Authorized's Epsom Derby, Lucarno's next race could be the classic St. Leger Stakes at 1 3/4 miles and 132 yards at Doncaster on Sept. 15.

Dandy Man targets first Group 1 win

Dandy Man can finally earn Group 1 stripes at York on Thursday in the Ebor Meeting's closing day feature, the five-furlong $397,000 Nunthorpe Stakes. A specialist at five furlongs, the minimum distance allowed in Britain, the 4-year-old son of Mozart was unlucky in the last two runnings of Royal Ascot's five-furlong Group 2 King's Stand Stakes when he found himself running on the slower side of the track. A game 1 3/4 lengths second to Australian invader Miss Andretti in this year's King's Stand, Dandy Man has drawn on the faster stands side of the 18-runner Nunthorpe field, over which he looms the 3-1 favorite.