Kentucky Derby Trail

[two gun sid]

A couple of preps this weekend including the UAE Derby in Dubai at Meydan.

Unbeaten Mendip Tops UAE Derby Cast
Mendip, Godolphin’s unbeaten son of Harlan's Holiday , heads a full cast of 14 colts and fillies entered for the March 27 UAE Derby Sponsored by the Saeed & Mohammed al Naboodah Group (UAE-2). The race, which will be run at about 1 3/16 miles over the Tapeta synthetic surface at Meydan Racecourse, goes at approximately 11:35 a.m. EDT.

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/56041/unbeaten-mendip-tops-uae-derby-cast

Full But Unproven Field Contest La. Derby
The field for this weekend’s $750,000 Louisiana Derby (gr. II) at Fair Grounds is similar to the recently concluded Florida Derby (gr. I) in one important way: Both major preps for the May 1 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) drew full fields of promising, but largely unproven 3-year-olds.

In the Florida Derby, it was longshots Ice Box and Pleasant Prince that stamped themselves as classic contenders thanks to big efforts at big prices. It remains to be seen which horses will do the same March 27 in a wide-open Louisiana Derby, but there is a good chance the result will shake up an already muddled Kentucky Derby picture even further.

Of the 13 sophomores drawn for the 1 1/8-mile Louisiana Derby (it was 1 1/16 miles last year), only two are proven graded stakes winners: lukewarm 7-2 favorite Discreetly Mine, who won the Feb. 20 Risen Star (gr. II) at Fair Grounds in wire-to-wire fashion, and Ron the Greek, upset winner of the Jan. 23 Lecomte (gr. III) over the same strip before finishing sixth in the Risen Star. A Little Warm, winner of the six-furlong Spectacular Bid Stakes at Gulfstream Park at the start of the year, is the only other starter with black type on his résumé.

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/56040/full-but-unproven-field-contest-la-derby

Conveyance Ready to Deliver in Sunland Derby
Unbeaten and just slightly tested in four tries, Conveyance heads the field for the $800,000 Sunland Derby (gr. III) at Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino in New Mexico. The March 28 race, which attracted a field of nine 3-year-olds, carries graded status for the first time in 2010 and is the second-richest Kentucky Derby prep race in North America

Unbeaten and just slightly tested in four tries, Conveyance heads the field for the $800,000 Sunland Derby (gr. III) at Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino in New Mexico. The March 28 race, which attracted a field of nine 3-year-olds, carries graded status for the first time in 2010 and is the second-richest Kentucky Derby prep race in North America

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/56075/conveyance-ready-to-deliver-in-sunland-derby

[two gun sid]

1. Past Performances for the Derby Preps

Sunland Derby - http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/briswatch.cgi/Baffert/BAFFERT+BOB/9999/summary.htm
click on Ultimate PP's for Conveyance

UAE Derby - http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/briswatch.cgi/public/Darley/GODOLPHIN/9999/summary.html
click on Ultimate PP's for Mendip. You can get PP's for all the Dubai World Cup races here.

Louisiana Derby - http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/briswatch.cgi/Winstar_Farm_LLC/sire_summary.htm
click on Ultimate PP's for Drosselmeyer

Good Luck!

[two gun sid]

2. Musir leads home one-two finish for de Kock in UAE Derby

Musir unleashed a powerful rally in the stretch to lead home a one-two finish for trainer Mike de Kock in the $2-million S&M Al Naboodah Group United Arab Emirates Derby (UAE-G2) on Saturday at Meydan Racecourse.

The Southern Hemisphere three-year-old colt was angled to the inside by jockey Christophe Soumillon and accelerated explosively in the final 200 meters to overhaul stablemate Raihana and Godolphin Racing’s previously unbeaten Mendip for a 1 3/4-length victory.

South Africa’s 2008-’09 champion two-year-old male won for the fifth time in six career starts and boosted his bankroll to $1,427,301 for owner-breeder Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al Maktoum.

“It’s a fantastic result for Sheikh Mohammed , first and second and he bred them himself. It’s huge,” de Kock said. “I said before that this was a very, very good horse, and I hope he’ll go very well in Australia.”

http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/international-news/2010/March/27/Musir-leads-home-one-two-finish-for-de-Kock-in-UAE-Derby.aspx

[two gun sid]

6. VIDEO: UAE Derby

http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/utils/flash_pop.aspx?vp=Web&vc=1&vid1=mp4:2010/771/201003271032DUN4_771.f4v

[aaronbees]

7. Musir's win was one of the most impressive performances at Dubai

... fun day of racing. I wonder if Mendip will make the journey over here. Right now it's between Lookin' at Lucky and Odysseus for me and my "Derby horse."

[two gun sid]

8. Yep, me too...

I like Conveyance also. We'll see how he does today in the Sunland Derby.

[aaronbees]

9. After the Sunland Derby, I think....

Conveyance has no business going to Kentucky for the Derby. Nice horse, but not a Derby-distance horse. What did you make of the race?

[two gun sid]

10. I wish I knew more about the surface at Sunland Park....

he looked like he was going easy and he just never quickened when challenged. He started to flounder when that other horse came to him. I don't know if he is a Derby horse. He didn't look the part today.

Video of the Sunland Derby - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9rBAcdM6Bo

[two gun sid]

3. Sunland Derby to be Shown on NTRA.com

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/56095/sunland-derby-to-be-shown-on-ntracom

[two gun sid]

4. VIDEO: Mission Impazible takes the Louisiana Derby (G2)

http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/utils/flash_pop.aspx?vp=Today&vc=1&vid1=mp4%3a2010%2f771%2f201003271744JGD10_771.f4v

[two gun sid]

5. VIDEO: Dean's Kitten draws off to win Lane's End Stakes (G2)

http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/utils/flash_pop.aspx?vp=Today&vc=1&vid1=mp4%3a2010%2f771%2f201003271710TPD9_771.f4v