DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Despite a lack of experience that concerns his team, Mendip could start in the Kentucky Derby on May 1, provided he runs well in his group stakes debut in Saturday's $2 million United Arab Emirates Derby at Meydan Racecourse.
Unbeaten in three starts, one in England and two in Dubai, Mendip was shoved to the fore of Godolphin Racing's candidates for the Group 2 UAE Derby last weekend when Vale of York was withdrawn from consideration because of a bout with colic.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Red Desire, a 4-year-old Japanese filly, has earned her way into Saturday's $10 million Dubai World Cup at Meydan racecourse. She will make history if she wins.
No Japan-based horse, or filly or mare from any country, has won the Dubai World Cup in the race's 14-year history. Six have tried, with a runner-up finish by the Japanese mare To the Victory in 2001 ranking as the best result. Red Desire will be the first female to start since Aquarelliste finished ninth in 2003.
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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - A small army of construction workers scurried about the massive grandstand of the new Meydan racecourse earlier this week, completing last-minute projects for Saturday's Dubai World Cup program, the focus of the annual racing season in this Persian Gulf country.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Few horses have earned so much for losing as Youmzain.
In the last three years, Youmzain has become famous for finishing second in three consecutive runnings of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp in Paris.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - The colt swept into Santa Anita last fall, plundered the Grade 1 Goodwood Stakes as an 18-1 outsider, and then skipped town before the Breeders' Cup Classic.
Gitano Hernando may have missed the richest race on the American calendar last year, but he is firmly among the contenders for the world's most lucrative race, Saturday's $10 million Dubai World Cup at the newly launched Meydan racecourse.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Injury and illness will prevent the last two winners of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile from starting on Saturday's Dubai World Cup program at the new Meydan racecourse, Godolphin Racing announced on its website over the weekend.
Vale of York, the winner of the 2009 BC Juvenile, suffered a bout of colic over the weekend, and is out of Saturday's $2 million United Arab Emirates Derby. Midshipman, the winner of the 2008 BC Juvenile, suffered a recurrence of a soft-tissue injury last week and was declared from the $1 million Godolphin Mile last Friday.
Tranquil Tiger paid a pair of Dubai Word Cup runners a compliment on Saturday by winning the $153,000, Group 3 Winter Derby on the Lingfield Park Polytrack.
In beating Suits Me by three-quarters of a length in the 1 1/4-mile contest, Tranquil Tiger was defeating the same horse Gitano Hernando had beaten by 4 1/4 lengths into second in the Winter Derby Trial over the same course and distance. Tranquil Tiger is also a Henry Cecil-trained stablemate of World Cup hopeful Twice Over, who had been finishing ahead of him in workouts throughout the winter.
Imperial Commander won the $725,000 Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday as the odds-on favorite, Kauto Star, fell at the fourth-last fence in a failed effort to win jump racing's premier steeplechase for the third time. Sent off as the 8-11 choice, Kauto Star, who had made a bad mistake at the eighth fence, was being ridden along in fifth place with about a mile left in the 3 5/16-mile chase. Ruby Walsh asked him for a big effort at the 19th of 22 fences, but Kauto Star flubbed it, crashing to the ground with his stablemate Denman holding a narrow advantage.
