Japan strikes again with Crown Pride in UAE Derby
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Crown Pride became the third Japan-based winner on the Dubai World Cup card, wearing down pace-setting Summer Is Tomorrow for a 2 3/4-length victory in the Group 2, $1 million UAE Derby.
Crown Pride was the first Dubai winner for noted Australian jockey Damian Lane, who also could have found himself a Kentucky Derby horse. The UAE Derby is a major Derby qualifier, awarding 170 points (100-40-20-10) to the first four finishers, which guarantees the winner a slot in the race and gives the runner-up a good chance to get in. Crown Pride already was nominated to the Triple Crown and owner Teruya Yoshida strongly suggested the Derby was in the connections’ plans.
Summer Is Tomorrow isn’t Triple Crown nominated but late nomination close Monday, March 28, and trainer Bhupat Seemar said the colt could well be supplemented for $6,000.
The American horse Pinehurst, who won the Saudi Derby last out, was outrun for the lead by Summer Is Tomorrow and after tracking the pace appeared to take a bad step turning for home, jockey Flavien Prat easing the colt out of the race.
Crown Pride’s victory followed Japan-based Bathrat Leon scoring a massive upset in the Godolphin Mile and Stay Foolish winning the Gold Cup.
While Crown Pride was Lane’s first Dubai winner, he also was the first stakes winner for trainer Koichi Shintani, who began training just last year.
Crown Pride, by Reach the Crown out of Emmy’s Pride, by King Kamehameha, was making just his fourth start. He won by open lengths racing 1 1/8 miles in his first two starts, both on dirt, and had been a troubled sixth, beaten only 3 1/2 lengths, in the Hyacinth Stakes, which was contested over one mile.
“If the race had been over 2,000 meters, he would have won it,” Yoshida said.
Crown Pride broke only decently and took up a mid-pack position while racing about three paths off the rail into the first of the UAE Derby’s two turns. Pinehurst bid for the lead after breaking alertly but Summer Is Tomorrow, coming out of post 14, was quicker under Mickael Barzalona. Summer Is Tomorrow controlled the pace down the backstretch and around the far turn, but Lane had a live mount under him, making a move outside a couple rivals running in place to get into a contending position just behind Summer Is Tomorrow entering the homestretch.
“It took a while to get him going, get him in a rhythm, but I was confident a long way out,” said Lane.
Summer Is Tomorrow, making his first start beyond seven furlongs, held well enough to the furlong marker, but Crown Pride always was staying better, and he pulled away in the final 100 meters.
Winning time for the 1,900 meters, about 1 3/16 miles, was 1:59.76, second slowest among 13 UAE Derbies run at the distance. The winner might want to run even farther.
“Whenever you jump aboard [a Japanese-trained horse] you can be confident they're going to be strong and they're going to run well,” Lane said. “It's just a privilege to be a part of it.”
Now, Lane might get a chance to be part of the Kentucky Derby.