With March Madness in full swing, today marks one of the biggest days in thoroughbred racing from the early morning hours until early evening. Racing from the desert starts at 9:10am EST with the first of eight championship races from Dubai. This year there isn't many U.S. based runners, but there are full fields and the feature race is the ten million guaranteed Dubai World Cup at a mile and a quarter on their all weather tapeta polytrack surface. The most known runner in the field of 16 runners draws the far outside post. Grade I winner - Ron the Greek who was trained by Bill Mott last year is now racing in Saudi Arabia and owned by King Abdullah. He has raced once this year going a mile and an eighth with a victory over the King's race course which is natural dirt. He raced once in his career on a synthetic surface at Keeneland and was fourth, the toughest he has going for him today is his post. Nevertheless, in this wide open field I'll pick him first on his grade I experience. My second choice is the rail horse; Prince Bishop won has won both local preps here over the Meydan course. Japanese invader, Hokko Tarumae is group winner in Japan on dirt and has a victory at this distance. My selections for the 2014 Dubai World Cup are : 16/1/11/ 15 with post time at 2:05pm EST.
Back here stateside, there are two major prep races on the Road to the Kentucky Derby today. First we have the grade II - Louisiana Derby at the Fairgrounds going a mile and an eighth. A field of ten are assembled here with the winners of both local prep races; Vicar's in Trouble (LeComte) and Intense Holiday (Risen Star). New shooters are; In Trouble (2nd in the Gotham at Aqueduct), King Cyrus (2nd in the Smooth Air at Calder) and longshot Louies Flower, who was dead last in the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn. The remaining field of five runners were also-rans in the Risen Star Stakes; Albano (2nd), Gold Hawk (5th), Commanding Curve (6th) and Flat Gone (8th). My top selection is the horse that had the worst of trips in the Risen Star, yet won - Intense Holiday (#1). This runner has been progressing well and with no other out-of-town "killers" in this race, he gets my top call. For 2nd, New York shipper; In Trouble (#9) gets the call, he pressed the pace in his seasonal debut in the Gotham and held well for third. He draws in between the two outside speeds though. My third selection is the new face, King Cyrus (#2) who closed well for second at Calder also in his seasonal debut. My selections for the Louisiana Derby are; 1/9/2/8.
At 6:48pm in race 14 at Gulfstream Park, we have the grade I - Florida Derby also at a mile and an eighth. A field of eight are here with the Holy Bull Stakes winner and number one ranked three year old on my list - Cairo Prince, and the top two finishers of the Fountain of Youth Stakes (Wildcat Cat & General A Rod). Of the new shooters, only the Todd Pletcher runner; Constitution and upset Swale winner; Spot, who is trained by Nick Zito seem contenders. Even though Cairo Prince hasn't started since January 25th, he gets my top pick here. With the speed signed on here from some of the other top contenders, Cairo Prince can sit the garden trip right behind them. For 2nd, I'm going to take a flyer that the outside horse; Spot, can he stretch out from seven panels to this route distance? General A Rod just missed in the Fountain of Youth last time out with Wildcat Red, he'll be my third pick. My selections for the Florida Derby are; 3/8/6/1.
My Kentucky Derby dozen with five weeks out before the First Saturday in May and before the final major preps the next three weeks are; 1- CAIRO PRINCE 2- WILDCAT RED 3- CANDY BOY 4- HOPPERTUNITY 5- GENERAL A ROD 6-TAPITURE 7- INTENSE HOLIDAY 8- CALIFORNIA CHROME 9- CHITU 10-VICAR'S IN TROUBLE 11- RING WEEKEND 12- SOCIAL INCLUSION
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