Logotype, the dominant 2- and 3-year-old colt in Japan since last fall, will be favored to win Sunday’s $4,088,050 Japanese Derby over about 1 1/2 miles on turf at Tokyo Racecourse.
Logotype is unbeaten in two starts this year, including the first leg of the Japanese Triple Crown, the Grade 1 Japanese 2000 Guineas at Nakayama Racecourse on April 14. The Grade 1 Japanese Derby is the second leg of the Triple Crown.
On Saturday, May 18, Farhh won the Group 1 J.T. Lockinge Stakes at Newbury in England. Briefly, dark clouds parted for Godolphin, the international racing powerhouse conceived and headed by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai.
The Lockinge was Godolphin’s first Group 1 stakes victory of the English flat-racing season, and Farhh, a product of Sheikh Mohammed’s breeding wing, Darley, looked formidable. It was the first time in a month that Godolphin headlines didn’t involve the word “doping.”
Romantica, a 4-year-old filly by Galileo out of Eclipse Award champion Banks Hill, makes her second start of 2013 in Friday’s Group 2 Prix Corrida for fillies and mares at Saint-Cloud, France.
Owned by breeder Khalid Abdullah’s Juddmonte Farms, Romantica is part of a field of 10 in the $167,700 Prix Romantica, which is run over about 1 3/8 miles on turf. Trained by Andre Fabre, Romantica won her first start of 2013, the Grade 3 Prix Allex France at Chantilly, France, on April 29. A filly by Galileo, Romantica won the Group 2 Prix de la Nonette last summer.
Encke, the winner of the Group 1 English St. Leger Stakes last September, was among seven horses formerly trained by Mahmood Al Zarooni who have been banned from racing for six months after testing positive for steroids in recent out-of-competition testing, the British Horseracing Authority announced Monday.
Military Attack, one of the stars on the Hong Kong circuit this year, extended his winning streak to four races with a convincing victory in Sunday’s $2.4 million Singapore Airlines International Cup at Kranji Racecourse in Singapore.
A 5-year-old Irish-bred gelding by Oratorio, Military Attack (2-1) won the Group 1 International Cup over about 1 1/4 miles on turf by 3 3/4 lengths over 18-1 Dan Excel, another Hong Kong-based runner. Mawingo, a 26-1 outsider who raced in Australia earlier this year, finished third in the field of 13. Pastorius, the 2-1 favorite, was 12th.
Beaten Up, a Group 3 winner in England in 2011, won the richest and most prestigious race of his career in Saturday’s Group 1 Doomben Cup at Doomben Racecourse in Australia.
Ridden by Leith Innes for trainer Chris Waller, Beaten Up (8-1) finished three-quarters of a length in front of 3-1 favorite Foreteller in the field of 13. The $490,000 Doomben Cup was Beaten Up’s fourth start in Australia.
The comeback of former British champion jockey Frankie Dettori from a six-month drug suspension has been postponed from Monday until later in May after French racing officials told their counterparts in Brtain on Friday that the rider must first meet with their medical committee.
Dettori had hoped to resume rising at Leicester, England, on Monday.
In a statement, the British Horseracing Authority said that they had yet to receive clearance from French officials.
Sunday’s Group 2 Italian Derby at Capannelle Racecourse may go to top Italian trainer Stefano Botti by default. He trains five of the 12 runners in the race over 1 3/8 miles on turf.
Botti has a strong team in the Italian Derby, a race that consists largely of Italian-based horses. The race is worth $435,360 to the winner.
Botti’s team includes the stakes winners Biz the Nurse and Celticus. Celticus won the Premio Emanuele Fililberto over about 1 1/4 miles on heavy turf on April 2.
Libertarian, one of the two longest shots in the field, upset the Group 2 Dante Stakes on Thursday at York.
The Dante is considered a prep race for the Epsom Derby, but few will be rushing to back Libertarian in the big race. While Libertarian is by the same sire – New Approach – as Derby favorite Dawn Approach, Thursday’s victory was just the second of his career and first in a stakes race, where Dawn Approach is a multiple Group 1 winner, and a perfect 7 for 7.
