Danuta could be on her way to Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Oaks following a handy score in the UAE Oaks at Nad Al Sheba Thursday night.

Ridden by Frankie Dettori and trained by Saeed bin Suroor for Godolphin, Danuta led throughout the 1 1/8-mile race, which carried a purse of $250,000. In defeating Desert Glow by 4 3/4 lengths, she extended her winning streak to three; she won a one-mile maiden race at Belmont last September before winning the Moonshell Mile by 7 3/4 lengths over Ashraaf on Feb. 20. Ashraaf was 7 1/2 lengths behind Danuta in third Thursday.

With 40 runners, the 4 1/2-mile Grand National Steeplechase Handicap always looks like a bettor's worst nightmare. Saturday's 160th renewal at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, over 30 daunting fences, will be no different.

Godolphin is hoping that Danuta can repeat her victory in the Moonshell Mile when she preps for the Kentucky Oaks in the 1 1/8-mile, $250,000 UAE Oaks against seven opponents, two of whom are also nominated to the Kentucky Oaks.

Danuta left one of those two, Ashraaf, 7 3/4 lengths behind in second place in the Moonshell Mile. Another UAE Oaks rival, the Chilean-bred Escania, was third, a half-length behind Ashraaf.

* Last week Godolphin announced that Mezzo Soprano, one of 23 fillies included in this week's Kentucky Oaks Future Wager, would be aimed at the 1000 Guineas.

Her name is Ipi Tombe, and her arrival at Elliott Walden's barn next Tuesday is the latest stage in an improbable odyssey that has brought her from her birthplace in strife-torn Zimbabwe to acclaim as the most-talked-about horse in the world.

Every once in a while, along comes a Thoroughbred who reminds us of why we love racing in the first place, a horse so talented and so charismatic that each succeeding start is eagerly anticipated.

Disturbingthepeace and Echo Eddie were outrun in their Japanese venture on Sunday, finishing out of the money in the $1.5 million Takamatsunomiya Kinen, a six-furlong Grade 1 turf race at Chukyo Racecourse.

The American pair had been switched by trainer Darrell Vienna to Chukyo from Saturday's Dubai Golden Shaheen despite their superior form on dirt.

Jockey Jose Valdivia had the 29-1 Echo Eddie in second entering the stretch, but he weakened to 17th in the 18-runner field, 7 1/2 lengths behind the 8-1 winner Believe, a 5-year-old mare by Sunday Silence.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - In a blissful setting that's like a cross between Royal Ascot and an Arab street fair, Godolphin's home team grabbed three of the six big races on Nad Al Sheba's $15.25 million Dubai World Cup card Saturday night.

Moon Ballad, Sulamani, and Firebreak were the Godolphin winners, while South Africa thrust itself into the international big time with the victories of Ipi Tombe and Victory Moon.

Saturday's four-race Dubai World Cup card simulcast produced a North American wagering handle of $2,491,826, an 8.6 percent decrease from the 2002 total of $2,726,614.

A total of $1,444,272, down 8.2 percent from 2002, was wagered on the Dubai World Cup, won by Moon Ballad. Last year, $1,563,050 was bet on the World Cup, the world's richest race.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Godolphin's Kentucky Derby plans were thrown into disarray at Nad Al Sheba on Saturday night as Inamorato went down to defeat to Southern Hemisphere 3-year-old Victory Moon in the $2 million Group 2 UAE Derby.

Inamorato, Godolphin's leading Derby hope, was trapped on the rail in a closely bunched field until jockey Frankie Dettori finally managed to angle out approaching the furlong pole.

But it was far too late.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Sulamani and Ipi Tombe produced the two most electrifying performances on Dubai World Cup night at Nad Al Sheba Saturday, while the top American performances were second-place finishes by Grey Memo and Avanzado.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Frankie Dettori capped a brilliant night for himself and for Godolphin with a tactically superb ride aboard Moon Ballad to win the $6 million Dubai World Cup at Nad Al Sheba on Saturday night.

With Harlan's Holiday tracking Blue Burner's early pace in the World Cup, highlight of a $15.25 million card, Dettori settled Moon Ballad in third, but moved him into second after three furlongs. After a half-mile, Dettori determined that the pace was a bit too slow and he put Moon Ballad, a son of 1997 World Cup winner Singspiel, on the front end.