Kentucky Derby: Hidden Force favored in European prep

Hidden Force, the sharp winner of a seven-furlong race in his debut in December, will be an odds-on favorite in his first start of 2026 in Wednesday’s $81,000 European Road to the Kentucky Derby Condition Stakes at Kempton Park near London.

Trained by Charlie Appleby for Godolphin Racing, Hidden Force was the 8-11 favorite in early betting on Monday. Hidden Force, by Frankel, is out of Winter Lightning, the winner of the listed UAE 1000 Guineas in Dubai in 2018.

The one-mile race is part of the European-Middle East qualifying division for the Kentucky Derby. Only four were entered in Wednesday’s race, with qualifying points awarded on a 20-10-6-4 scale.

The European-Middle East division encompasses 10 races, beginning last September through late March. The series concludes with the Group 2 United Arab Emirates Derby at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai. The winner of the UAE Derby on March 28 receives 100 qualifying points.

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Al Haram, winner of the Group 3 Saudi Derby in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 14, leads the series with 30 qualifying points and has been mentioned as a potential runner in the UAE Derby. Al Haram was not nominated to the American Triple Crown at the first stage last month. A $6,000 nomination fee is due by April 6.

None of the four entrants in Wednesday’s race were nominated last month.

Wednesday’s race is the first start of 2026 for Tadej, winner of the Group 3 Prix de Cabourg at six furlongs at Deauville, France, last August. Trained by Archie Watson, Tadej was gelded last fall after a 2-year-old season in which he won 2 of 8 starts.

This is the stakes debut for the impeccably bred Venetian Prince, who won a seven-furlong allowance race on turf at Newbury last August in his final start of 2025, and was second by a short head at odds of 2-9 in a one-mile allowance on the all-weather track at Southwell on Jan. 17.

Venetian Price is by the second-year stallion St. Mark’s Basilica and is out of Arabian Queen, a Group 1 winner in Britain in 2015 and the dam of See the Fire, a Group 2 winner in 2025.

The outsider in Wednesday’s race is Utmost Good Faith, the winner of two minor races on all-weather surfaces at Kempton and Wolverhampton this year. Wednesday’s race represents a sharp rise in class for Utmost Good Faith.

Post time for the European Road the Kentucky Derby Condition Stakes is 2:10 p.m. Eastern.

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