Authorized gave warning on Thursday that he will be the horse to beat in the Epsom Derby when he cruised to victory in York's Group 2, $296,000 Dante Stakes.

The six runners in the key Derby prep spread out across the track at the quarter pole, but when Frankie Dettori asked Authorized for his bid the response was immediate. A son of Montjeu trained by Peter Chapple-Hyam, Authorized was soon clear, beating Raincoat across the line by four lengths. The 10-11 favorite, Authorized ran the 1 1/4 miles, 88 yards in 2:11.54 on good to soft ground.

Trainer Henry Cecil, the winner of 23 British classics since 1975 but none since 2000, will be in the catbird's seat in the June 1 English Oaks with Passage of Time, winner of Wednesday's Group 3 Musidora Stakes at York.

Authorized, the Epsom Derby favorite, puts his big-race credentials on the line at York on Thursday when he makes his seasonal debut in the Group 2, $296,000 Dante Stakes, a 1 1/4-mile and 88-yard trial for the 1 1/2-mile Derby on June 2.

Authorized sprung a 25-1 surprise winning his maiden race in just his second start, the one-mile Group 1 Racing Post Trophy at Newbury on Oct. 21.

Quest for Honor is headed to the French Derby after scoring a narrow, hard-fought victory over Sagara in the $175,000 Group 2 Prix Greffulhe at Saint-Cloud on Monday.

A son of Highest Honor trained by Andre Fabre, Quest for Honor rallied under Christophe Soumillon to catch Sagara and third-place finisher Sunshine Kid in the final strides of the 1 1/4-mile event. The winner by a short neck, the 3.40-1 Quest For Honor covered the

distance in 2:09.90 on good to soft ground.

Koiuta scored a 59-1 upset in the $1.48 million Grade 1 Victoria Mile at Tokyo on Sunday as she defeated the 32-1 Asahi Rising by a half-length with the 31-1 Daring Heart third.

The long prices resulted in a trifecta that paid $45,679.20 for a $2 wager. That return, however, fell far short of the Japanese record trifecta set in last Sunday's NHK Mile Cup when the 75-1 Pink Cameo triggered a $1,203,625 payoff.

Aidan O'Brien scored a coup at Leopardstown on Sunday when he saddled the first three home in the $168,000 Group 2 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial.

The 8-1 Archipenko, a Kentucky-bred son of Kingmambo, defeated the 10-1 Yellowstone by three-quarters of a length under Michael Kinane with the odds-on choice, Macarthur, third, two lengths back. The winner was timed in 2:07.90 for the 1 1/4 miles on good to firm ground.

Darjina ended Finsceal Beo's hopes for a 1000 Guineas triple at Longchamp, coming with a late run to snatch victory at the wire in the $540,000 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, the French version of the classic fillies mile.

Trainer Aidan O'Brien has another Epsom Derby contender after Admiralofthefleet landed the Group 3, $118,000 Dee Stakes at Chester on Friday. O'Brien thus swept Chester's Derby preps, as he had won Thursday's Chester Vase with Soldier of Fortune.

By Danehill out of a mare who is a full sister to Machiavellian and a half to Exit to Nowhere, Admiralofthefleet, 7-2, scored by two lengths from the 2-1 favorite, Desert Dew. Admiralofthefleet finished in 2:09.82 under Michael Kinane for the 1 1/4 miles and 75 yards on good ground.

Finsceal Beo takes step two in her bold attempt to become the first filly to win all three of the major European 1000 Guineas on Sunday when she tackles 12 rivals in the French version of the classic mile at Longchamp, the $540,000 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches.

Soldier of Fortune earned his ticket to the Epsom Derby with a victory in Thursday's Group 3, $130,000 Chester Vase, but he had to pull out all the stops to run down Arabian Gulf for the victory.