UAE Derby a dirt test for Mendelssohn

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Often a horse from the UAE Derby runs back in the Kentucky Derby not necessarily because they should, but because they can.

The race is a major stop on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, awarding 170 qualifying points to the first four finishers as part of the series that determines the 20-horse Derby field. A win and 100 points here gets a horse in; 40 points for second at least gets him close.

This year’s UAE Derby might be more legit. Trainer Aidan O’Brien believes Mendelssohn might be a real Derby horse, and the UAE Derby has been targeted as his second stepping-stone on the way to Churchill Downs.

Trainer Charlie Appleby also has said he hopes to qualify his UAE Derby entrant Gold Town for the Kentucky Derby, and Yulong Warrior, a blowout winner of the Al Bastakiya here three weeks ago, was a late Triple Crown nominee who would go on to Kentucky if he can.

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Also in the field is Reride, sent here by American trainer Steve Asmussen and Winchell Thoroughbreds with an eye toward the UAE Derby’s massive $2 million purse. The race is contested at 1,900 meters (about 1 3/16 miles) around two turns on dirt.

O’Brien also starts the two horses that finished behind Mendelssohn last out in the Patton Stakes at Dundalk, Threeandfourpence and Seahenge, but Mendelssohn seems the potential star. Mendelssohn already traveled to America to win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf last fall, and has the pedigree, by Scat Daddy and out of Leslie’s Lady – the dam of champion dirt horse Beholder – to race effectively on dirt, though he has yet to do so.

“We had snow on a couple of occasions this year, which delayed us a little bit, but he was in a nice place for his first run at Dundalk,” O’Brien said. “We thought he would improve fitness-wise, and he should come on from the race. He hasn’t raced any further than a mile, so we’re not sure about that, and we’ll learn more about him.”

Ryan Moore rides Mendelssohn for O’Brien, a three-time UAE Derby winner.

Gelding and a move to dirt have brought Gold Town, a son of Street Cry owned by Godolphin, to a peak this winter. After winning the UAE 2000 Guineas by more than 10 lengths Feb. 10, Gold Town was kept under wraps to stay fresh for this start.

“He is taking on better horses and this race is far tougher than his last two, but hopefully he can rise to the challenge,” said Appleby. “We have been thinking about the Kentucky Derby, but let’s get to Saturday first.”

Reride finished sixth in the incredibly productive Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes last fall at Churchill and has captured stakes races at Delta Downs and Sunland Park this year. In the Mine That Bird Derby at Sunland last out, he comfortably handled Runaway Ghost, who returned to take the Sunland Derby.

Yulong Warrior was sent hard to the front in the Al Bastakiya, his first two-turn dirt race, and drew powerfully clear in the homestretch while facing competition perhaps even softer than Gold Town’s.

The filly Rayya, last-start winner of the UAE Oaks, is bound for Bob Baffert’s barn in America and, if all goes well, the Kentucky Oaks, but is in deep water Saturday. Two Japanese horses – Ruggero and Taiki Ferveur – complete the field.

Blue Point the choice in Al Quoz

Blue Point missed by a head to Ertijaal making his Dubai debut Feb. 22 in the Meydan Sprint, but he probably won’t miss the mark Saturday in the Group 1, $1 million Al Quoz Sprint.

Top-level European sprinters tend to be older horses, but last year at 3, Blue Point held his own with some of the best Europe had to offer. The Meydan Sprint was his first start after a layoff, and at 1,000 meters the trip was shorter than ideal for Blue Point and perfect for Ertijaal. The 1,200-meter Al Quoz is right up Blue Point’s alley, his far outside draw favorable in this straight-course race, and he will be difficult to deny as the likely favorite in the Al Quoz.

Charlie Appleby trains Blue Point for Godolphin, and it’s another Godolphin horse, Jungle Cat, who has the best chance to beat him. Six-year-old Jungle Cat appears to be in the best form of his life, and after a sparkling win here going 1,400 meters around a bend, he was just as sharp capturing the March 10 Al Quoz prep, the Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint, by more than two lengths.

Trainer Peter Miller has three in the race, but openly said early this week that he prefers Conquest Tsunami to Richard’s Boy and Stormy Liberal. Conquest Tsunami is 2 for 2 since moving into Miller’s barn, and easily beat Stormy Liberal last out in the Daytona at Santa Anita. Ertijaal, a very fast horse, had to miss the Al Quoz because of a pelvic injury, and that’s a plus for front-running Conquest Tsunami.

“He’s very, very fast,” Miller said. “He likes to make the lead, so we’re going to let him ramble.”

Three in a row for Vazirabad?

Vazirabad has won the last two editions of the $1 million Dubai Gold Cup, and he stands a strong chance of making it three straight on Saturday.

The 6-year-old France-based horse has a special affinity for the Meydan turf course and comfortably stays the Gold Cup’s two-mile trip. He was merely prepping for this start when defeated by 1 3/4 lengths last out at a distance short of his best by Gold Cup entrant Rare Rhythm, and has every right to improve Saturday, just as he did last year at Meydan.

Big Orange is a capable rival and will appreciate the good ground here this weekend more than he did the rain-soaked course a year ago, when he was fourth in this race. Big Orange tied up after training Monday, but all appeared to be well with the England-based 7-year-old gelding by Thursday.

Also among the entrants is the American shipper Run Time, who will be a longshot.