Aidan O'Brien added two more strings to his Epsom Derby bow at York on Thursday as Black Bear Island and Freemantle finished first and second in the Group 2, $227,000 Dante Stakes. A full brother to 2002 Epsom Derby winner High Chaparral, Black Bear Island came from last to first with a late rush in traffic under Colm O'Donoghue to catch his pacesetting stablemate near the line for a head victory. Sans Frontieres was three-quarters of a length away in third with the 2-1 favorite Crowded House a one-paced eighth.

Crowded House joins a very crowded and talented Epsom Derby field on Thursday at York when he will start as the favorite in the Group 2, $226,000 Dante Stakes at 1 1/4 miles, 88 yards.

Overdose will miss his intended date in the Group 2 Temple Stakes at Haydock Park on May 23 due to a foot abscess, his owner, Zoltan Mikoczy, said on Monday.

Overdose, an undefeated Hungarian-trained sprinter, will not return to training until the end of the month, but is still planning to run at Royal Ascot, where the five-furlong King's Stand Stakes on Juneo16 or the six-furlong Golden Jubilee Stakes four days later are his targets.

One American's loss was another American's gain at Longchamp on Sunday as Elusive Wave, owned by Martin S. Schwartz, won the $533,000 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, or French 1000 Guineas, while George Strawbridge's odds-on favorite Fantasia came home a one-paced third behind runner-up Tamazirte. Earlier, Silver Frost had scored an impressive two-length victory the $533,000 Poule d'Essai des Poulains, or French 2000 Guineas.

Gitano Hernando, a head second to South Easter after a troubled trip in the $105,000, Group 3 Dee Stakes at Chester on Friday, is headed to New York for the Belmont Stakes. Owned by Team Valor and trained by the British-based Italian Marco Botti, Gitano Hernando was checked early in the running of this 1 1/4-mile, 75-yard Epsom Derby trial and again at the three-eighths pole.

Break Run Out, the only non-Japanese-bred horse in a field of 18, may just be good enough to land the $1.8 million NHK Mile Cup at Tokyo on Sunday, when he will use that Grade 1 contest as a prep for the 1 1/2-mile Japanese Derby on May 31.

Longchamp's Guineas Sunday offers not one but two highly competitive classic miles as Fantasia seeks to confirm her high promise in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches for fillies, while Naaqoos faces a stern challenge from a trio of recent winners in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains for colts.

Aidan O'Brien pulled off the old one-two in the Group 3, $106,000 Chester Vase at Chester Racecourse south of Liverpool on Thursday, as his 25-1 Golden Sword held off his 8-1 favorite Masterofthehorse by two lengths.

Seemingly sacrificed as a rabbit for his strongly backed stablemate, Golden Sword led throughout under Colm O'Donoghue, getting the 1 1/2 miles on good to firm ground in 2:33.86, or .34 of a second faster that the track record set by Old Vic in 1989. Debussy, the second choice at 5-2, was third, 1 1/2 lengths behind Masterofthehorse.

The search for classic clues continues at Chester Racecourse on Friday with the $105,000, Group 3 Dee Stakes, a 1 1/4-mile, 75-yard trial for the Epsom Derby in which Free Agent is capable of overcoming an 11-month injury induced layoff.

Trained by Richard Hannon for Queen Elizabeth, Free Agent was 2 for 2 last June, defeating subsequent Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Donativum by five lengths in a Leicester maiden before taking the listed seven-furlong Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot. By Dr Fong out of an Unfuwain mare, he should be able to handle the step up in distance.

Undefeated Hungarian sprint sensation Overdose heads the nominations for the five-furlong, Group 2 Temple Stakes at Haydock Park in England on May 23. An undefeated son of Starborough, Overdose was the easy eight-length winner of his 4-year-old seasonal debut at Kincsem Park in Budapest on April 19. He is, however, suffering from sore feet after having his shoes removed on Saturday night.