The Hyacinth Stakes, run Sunday over about one mile on dirt at Tokyo Racecourse in Japan, is the second of two races in the so-called Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby. The two-race sequence was introduced for this year by Churchill Downs to allow a Japan-based horse to qualify for the Kentucky Derby field, which is capped at 20 runners.
Andrew Hawkins' Hong Kong selections and analysis for Sunday, Feb. 19, 2017
The improving 3-year-old Sea Jade won his fifth start of the Hong Kong season on Thursday night at Happy Valley, dead-heating for the victory in the Happy Valley Trophy Handicap.
The card Thursday at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai is the strongest so far this World Cup Carnival, with four group stakes on the seven-race program.
Hong Kong Selections for Wednesday, February 15, 2017 at Happy Valley.
Andrew Hawkins' Hong Kong Selections and analysis for Thursday, February 15, 2017 at Happy Valley.
Hong Kong selections for Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017
Lucky Ever was 11th and 12th in races in November and December before jockey Alexis Badel took the mount for the first time last month. The change in riders resulted in a victory for Lucky Ever at 34-1 in a minor handicap. Lucky Ever and Badel will be after another win in Saturday’s $225,870 Tai Hing Handicap at six furlongs at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong.
Andrew Hawkins' Hong Kong selections and analysis for Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017
Really Special looked very much like the best 3-year-old dirt filly in Dubai when she comfortably won the UAE 1000 Guineas Trial on Jan. 19, and if she is, she will take all kinds of beating Thursday night at Meydan Racecourse in the $250,000 UAE 1000 Guineas itself.
