DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Mubtaahij cruised to an eight-length victory in the $2 million UAE Derby and ran his way into a start in the Kentucky Derby.

A Kentucky Derby start would be a first for South African trainer Mike de Kock, who has long wintered in Dubai, but this was hardly de Kock’s first taste of success in the UAE Derby. He won the race for the sixth time, though Mubtaahij’s performance was the best from a de Kock horse since Asiatic Boy won in 2007.

Aerovelocity and Straight Girl, the first- and third-place finishers of the Group 1 Hong Kong Sprint at Sha Tin last December, are the leading contenders in Sunday’s $1,658,831 Takamatsunomiya Kinen at about six furlongs at Chukyo Racecourse in Japan.

The Takamatsunomiya Kinen is the first Grade 1 of the year on turf on the Japan Racing Association calendar.
The race drew a field of 18, including Copana Richard, the winner of the 2014 race, and Daiwa Maggiore, Mikki Isle and Robe Tissage, the first three finishers of the Grade 3 Hankyu Hai at Hanshin Racecourse on March 1.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – All week here in Dubai the racing cognoscenti have chattered about the softness of this year’s $6 million Dubai Turf, which says something about how strong the race has been in recent years.

Fields were drawn and post positions assigned late Monday for the Godolphin Mile, Dubai Gold Cup, and U.A.E. Derby.

The Godolphin Mile drew a field of 16, with likely favorite Tamarkuz stuck on the rail and another major local hope, Surfer, marooned in post 16.

“You don’t want to lose hope, but it will have to be kind of a miracle situation,” said Surfer’s trainer, Sateesh Seemar.

Main Sequence, the champion turf horse of 2014 who won the Breeders’ Cup Turf last fall and is 5 for 5 since being imported to the U.S. from England, blew out about three furlongs down the home straight and into the clubhouse turn a little past 8 a.m. Tuesday on the Tapeta training track located just southeast of the Meydan main track.

California Chrome very early Tuesday morning had his final work for the $10 million Dubai World Cup and his first-ever work for exercise rider Dana Barnes.

Alan Sherman, the son and main assistant of trainer Art Sherman, traveled with California Chrome to Louisville for the Kentucky Derby, to Baltimore for the Preakness, and to Long Island, N.Y., for the Belmont Stakes. The three Triple Crown stops all have their particular charms and quirks. But none would have prepared him for his latest trip with the 2014 Horse of the Year – to Meydan Racecourse in Dubai.

“It’s different, I’ll say that,” Sherman said by phone Friday morning from Dubai.

But good news: California Chrome seems no different to Sherman.

They’re back.

After basically saying thanks but no thanks in 2014, when a mere three horses made the trip, U.S.-based horses will travel en masse for the March 28 Dubai World Cup card at Meydan Racecourse.

Prospective fields for the races provided Tuesday by Dubai Racing Club officials include 16 American horses who were to ship overseas Tuesday. The return of dirt racing this year at Meydan, which had employed an all-weather racing surface since its opening in 2010, spurred the increased participation.

CHELTENHAM, England – The 16-runner field was gathered at the start of Friday’s $825,000 Cheltenham Gold Cup when jockey Paddy Mullins revealed his race tactics to fellow rider Nico de Boinville.

“I’ll be going quick,” Mullins told de Boinville.

De Boinville’s response was fast.

“I’ll be going quick,” he said.

The international governing body of equestrian events has suspended the United Arab Emirates from participating in any endurance events for an indefinite period after concerns were raised about endurance races hosted by the country, the governing body, known as FEI, announced on Thursday.