Youmzain prepping for Arc

The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe will begin to sort itself out at Baden-Baden on Sunday in the $356,000 Grosser Preis von Baden. The most prestigious of four weight-for-age, Group 1 races run at 1 1/2 miles in Germany, the Grosser Preis von Baden features the return of two-time Arc runner-up Youmzain, who will be ridden by Kieren Fallon, who returned to race riding on Friday after 23 months on the sidelines with a suspension.

Trained in England by Michael Channon, Youmzain is winless since June 2008, when he landed the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. He was most recently third to Spanish Moon in that race this year. A 6-year-old son of Sinndar, he will face a strong local challenge, as both of Germany's leading Arc hopes, Wiener Walzer and Getaway, are in the lineup.

A German-bred son of Dynaformer, Wiener Walzer is a perfect 4 for 4 this year for Jens Hirschberger. The German Derby winner, he beat his stablemate Getaway by 1 1/4 lengths last time in the 1 1/2-mile, Group 1 Rheinland-Pokal at Cologne. With only five races under his belt, Wiener Walzer should improve enough again to win this centerpiece of Baden-Baden's prestigious late-summer meeting. Filip Minarik will ride.

Fourth in the 2007 Arc when trained by Andre Fabre, Getaway did win the 1 1/2-mile, Group 1 Deutschland-Preis at Dusseldorf on July 19. He will be ridden by Adrie de Vries. Defending titleholder Kamsin won Cologne's 1 1/2-mile, Group 2 Gerling-Preis in April but was only fourth in the Deutschland-Preis. Godolphin sends its Dubai Sheema Classic winner, Eastern Anthem, but the Singspiel 5-year-old is winless in three tries since then, finishing 2 1/2 lengths third behind Wiener Walzer in the Rheinland-Pokal last time on Aug. 16.