Kentucky Derby qualifying points up for grabs at Kempton Park
A quiet Wednesday at Kempton Park in England could help determine a Kentucky Derby starter.
Marcus HershMar 02, 2020
A quiet Wednesday at Kempton Park in England could help determine a Kentucky Derby starter.
Neither Maximum Security, who won the $20 million Saudi Cup, nor Midnight Bisou, who was beaten less than a length by him at King Abdulaziz Racecourse outside Riyadh on Saturday night, are going on to the $12 million Dubai World Cup on March 28.
Declan Schuster's Hong Kong selections and analysis for Wednesday, March 4, 2020 at Happy Valley.
This is Class could not have had an easier trip when he won a six-furlong handicap at Happy Valley Racecourse in Hong Kong from the front on Feb. 5. The same scenario is unlikely to occur in Wednesday’s $186,420 Kowloon City Handicap.
Hong Kong selections for Sunday, March 1, 2020 at Sha Tin.
A severe early pace foiled the front-runner, and top American sprinter Imperial Hint failed to fire. That left New York Central and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. to post a surprise victory in the $1.5 million Saudia Sprint on Saturday evening at King Abdulaziz Racetrack.
Maximum Security can take this vindication to the bank this time. The 2019 champion 3-year-old chased away remaining demons of his Kentucky Derby disqualification by scoring a game victory over an outstanding field in the world’s richest race Saturday night at King Abdulaziz Racetrack in the Middle East.
The audience was small and the money was big on a warm, comfortable Saturday evening at King Abdulaziz Racetrack, where a crowd estimated at 8,000 or fewer witnessed top-class Thoroughbred racing. International runners dominated the early stakes as American runners fell short.
Crossfirehurricane remained unbeaten after three starts with a half-length win over stablemate Choice of Mine in Friday’s $82,500 Patton Stakes at Dundalk Racecourse in Ireland, the first race of the year in the European qualifying series for the Kentucky Derby.
Unless traditional handicapping principles are turned upside down in the Lasix-free, Bute-free Middle East, the $20 million Saudi Cup should reward the most important quality of an American dirt horse – speed.