Rebel's Romance pulls away to win UAE Derby for Godolphin

Godolphin might have the best 3-year-old dirt horse in North America, Essential Quality, and on Saturday they had the best 3-year-old dirt horse in Dubai as Rebel’s Romance romped in the Group 2, $1.5 million UAE Derby.

Rebel’s Romance stalked the pace under William Buick and blew past pacesetting favorite Panadol with 200 meters left to run, going on to a 5 1/2-length victory in this 1,900-meter dirt race around two turns. Panadol comfortably held second, 1 3/4 lengths in front of third-place New Treasure while no match for the winner.

The UAE Derby is a major Kentucky Derby qualifier, with the first four finishers getting 100, 40, 20, and 10 points toward making the Derby field. Rebel Romance’s 100 points would easily get him into the race if his connections want to travel. Appleby, post-race, didn’t signal a strong desire to go on to Kentucky but said talk of the Derby was “a nice conversation to be having.”

Rebel’s Romance kicked off his career with a pair of wins last fall over English all-weather surfaces, but, switching to dirt this winter, he eked out a victory in the UAE 2000 Guineas Trial on Jan. 14 before finishing fourth, solid but unspectacular, in the Saudi Derby on Feb. 20.

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The UAE Derby marked a major move forward. Rebel’s Romance broke from an outside post and had only two of his 13 rivals behind him entering the first turn as Buick, evidently seeking to avoid the kickback, kept his mount very wide. Rebel’s Romance put in a massive backstretch run, moving up from 12th at the head of the straight to reach contention before the far turn. Racing three to four paths wide around the second bend, he bore down quickly on Panadol at the 400-meter mark, caught him at the 200, and cruised home as much the best.

“This horse has only grown up and has taken every step very well,” Buick said. “Today he came good so quickly underneath me I just had to contain him.”

Rebel’s Romance clocked a quick 1:56.28 for the 1,900 meters, more than two seconds faster than Plus Que Parfait ran winning the last UAE Derby, in 2019, but much slower than Mendelssohn’s course-record 1:55.18 in 2018.

A homebred, Rebel’s Romance is by Dubawi out of Minidress, by Street Cry. Even if he doesn’t go on to start in a Triple Crown race, Rebel’s Romance could turn into serious dirt horse, Appleby saying that his connections would “be working back from the Dubai World Cup next year” when contemplating the colt’s future.