Youth was served at the Curragh on Sunday as 3-year-old fillies Oh Goodness Me and Firey Red finished one-two in the Group 3, $123,000 Park Express Stakes, narrowly defeating the 4-year-old Mad About You, the 3-10 favorite.
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DRF Past Performances
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - "Widespread dust."
That was the weather forecast for the emirate of Dubai on Monday, and during morning training hours at Nad Al Sheba, the wind whipped up that dust so thickly that one could barely make out the other side of the racetrack. It was mirage-like, all right, and seeing horse forms gallop out of the dust it almost was possible to imagine one into the mighty Curlin. This time last year, Curlin had been in Dubai for five weeks, and all the anticipation built up during his stay came bursting forth in a memorable victory.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - It has been eight years since trainer Bob Baffert won his second World Cup with Captain Steve, and 11 years since Baffert won the 1998 edition of the race with Silver Charm. Five years have passed since Baffert has sent a horse to Dubai, and even devoted racing fans will be hard pressed to pluck the name of his most recent starter from memory: During, who checked in sixth in the 2004 Godolphin Mile.
Mad About You embarks on what her trainer, Dermot Weld, hopes will be a lucrative 4-year-old campaign at the Curragh on Sunday when she takes on seven rivals in the Group 3, $123,000 Park Express Stakes on the first day of the Irish flat racing season.
Wearing blinkers for the first time in his brief career, Mafaaz barely outlasted Spring of Fame in a desperate finish to the $115,000 Kentucky Derby Challenge at Kempton Park on Wednesday night to earn himself a place in the Run for the Roses, but he could go first in the Blue Grass Stakes on a Polytrack surface similar to that at Kempton.
Ken McPeek hasn't let Dream Empress's poor performance in the Herecomesthebride Stakes at Gulfstream Park last Sunday put a damper on his dreams of sending her to Epsom for the English Oaks.
Dream Empress, winner of the Alcibiades Stakes, was among 77 horses nominated Thursday to the 1 1/2-mile Oaks on June 5. McPeek also nominated his recent Gulfstream allowance winner Striking Dancer.
Eagle Mountain, who would probably have started as the favorite for the Dubai Sheema Classic on March 28, was withdrawn from the race on Monday after having suffered a suspensory ligament injury. Trainer Mike de Kock was grateful that the problem was discovered early and is planning on a summer campaign for Eagle Mountain, winner of the Hong Kong Cup and runner-up in last fall's Breeders' Cup Turf.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trainer Mark Hennig was not sure what he was going to do next with Red Rocks - until he got an offer he could not refuse to send his Grade 1 winner to Dubai for the $5 million Sheema Classic on March 28.
Red Rocks was one of five south Florida-based horses who boarded a flight late Tuesday afternoon for Dubai to compete on the rich World Cup card. He was joined on the trip by the Rick Dutrow-trained pair of Kip Deville and Arson Squad, plus Albertus Maximus and Anak Nakal.
A guaranteed place in the Kentucky Derby lineup awaits the winner of Wednesday night's Kentucky Derby Challenge Stakes, a $115,000 allowance race that will be run on a right-handed Polytrack surface at a distance of 1 1/8 miles at Kempton Park near London.