Dawn Approach began his 3-year-old season Saturday at Newmarket in the Group 1 English 2000 Guineas the same way he blasted through his 2-year-old campaign, looking like a dominant member of his generation.
Escado, a 13-1 outsider, rallied on the inside in the stretch to score an upset win in Saturday’s $520,000 South Australian Derby at Morphettville Racecourse, the first Group 1 win for the gelding.
The unbeaten Hot Snap, the winner of the Group 3 Nell Gwyn Stakes last month, will be favored to win Sunday’s $620,000 English 1000 Guineas at Newmarket Racecourse and give trainer Henry Cecil his seventh career win in the one-mile classic for 3-year-old fillies.
At Newmarket in England, 13 3-year-olds are set to contest the Group 1 English 2000 Guineas on Saturday, the first European classic of the 2013 flat-racing season, and the assembled group, headed by the undefeated pair of Dawn Approach and Toronado, appears at least to be a solid one.
English trainer Gerard Butler is at the center of another British Horseracing Authority probe of steroid use.
Pastorius, based in Germany with trainer Mario Hofer, won the first Group 1 of the European flat-racing season, capturing the Prix Ganay on Sunday at Longchamp by one length over Maxios.
Fenomeno, second in the 2012 Japan Derby, won the first Grade 1 race of his career in Sunday’s $2.805 million Tenno Sho at Kyoto Racecourse in Japan.
All Too Hard, a half-brother to retired undefeated champion Black Caviar, won his third consecutive Group 1 race in Saturday’s $410,000 All Aged Stakes at Randwick Racecourse in Australia, a performance that could lead to a start at Royal Ascot in England in June.
Just as one would expect from the first Group 1 flat race of the European season, the Prix Ganay on Sunday at Longchamp will be the best race in Europe run so far in 2013.
The British Horseracing Authority will test all horses formerly trained by Mahmood Al Zarooni, who was banned for eight years on Thursday after 11 horses in his care for Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin Racing tested positive for banned anabolic steroids earlier this month at a stable in Newmarket, England.
