SHA TIN SELECTIONS
(Sunday, March 26, 2023)
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DRF Past Performances
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Among the 27 Japan-based horses that have descended upon Dubai to race here Saturday on the World Cup card at Meydan Racecourse, none has looked any better than the 4-year-old colt Equinox. The sleek, near-black bay with white snaking down his forehead galloped with verve on dirt before breezing like Pegasus on turf Wednesday morning.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – He has nothing like the charisma and following of California Chrome, who won the 2016 Dubai World Cup. Victory here Saturday night in the World Cup hardly seems foreordained, as when Curlin won by 7 3/4 lengths in 2008. And he lacks the brilliance and power of Arrogate, who flubbed the start and still flew past a future champion, Gun Runner, winning memorably in 2017.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Country Grammer already has one Dubai World Cup win behind him but will have just one of 14 opponents outside him when a 15-runner field is loaded for Saturday’s $12 million World Cup.
After winning from post 4 here a year ago, Country Grammer will have to overcome post 14 if he’s to notch Dubai World Cup victory number 2. The right man for the job will be on his back. Frankie Dettori equaled Jerry Bailey’s record four World Cup wins when he piloted Country Grammer in 2022 and has the mount again Saturday.
Espirito was 1 1/4 lengths from qualifying for a $334,000 restricted stakes in April when he finished third in a lucrative six-furlong trial at Gosford Park last Thursday.
The $49,800 Civil City Handicap at about six furlongs at Albury Racecourse on Wednesday evening serves as a consolation.
Trained by Paul Murray, Espirito is part of a competitive field of 15 at Albury in a race that lacks a defined favorite. As of early Tuesday, Espirito and Super Helpful were 5-1 co-favorites, closely followed by Riddlero and Hardware Lane at 6-1.
The Australian filly Biscayne Bay was a stakes winner in May 2021, form she was unable to duplicate in eight starts in some of the country’s toughest races the ensuing year.
Biscayne Bay has been given lesser targets this year. After finishing a decent second in a seven-furlong handicap at Warwick Farm Racecourse on March 1 in her first start since June, Biscayne Bay will start favored in a handicap at 1 1/8 miles on the infield Kensington course at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney on Tuesday evening.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – About the time Frankie Dettori, the famed rider from the island of Sardinia in Italy, will leave the Southern California jockey colony, Antonio Fresu, a Sardinian rider of lesser fame, will join it.
Fresu, 31, is riding his seventh winter in Dubai. He rode two horses last September at Saratoga and has contemplated trying his luck in America for a couple years. Now the groundwork has been laid to make the move. Fresu said veteran agent Tom Knust will book his mounts. He plans to arrive in California the fourth week of April.