By Dick Downey
Updated March 19, 2012 @ 10:04 a.m. ET
Fourteen horses are considered probable for the $2 million Group 2 U.A.E. Derby on March 31.
A release from Dubai Racing Club named the multi-national group. Of the 14, six are nominated to the Triple Crown:
--Daddy Long Legs (KY), based in Ireland and trained by Aidan O'Brien;
--Genten (KY), Japan, Yoshito Yahagi;
--Lucky Chappy (IRE), United States, Graham Motion;
--Red Duke (KY), Great Britain, John Quinn;
--Wrote (IRE), Ireland, Aidan O'Brien; and
--Yang Tse Kiang (FR), France, Richard Chotard.
Five of the projected starters, Burano (IRE), Entifaadha (GB), Falls of Lora (IRE), Kinglet (KY) and Mickdaam (IRE), weren't early-nominated to the Triple Crown.
Balada Sale (ARG), Boby Di (BRZ) and Helmet (AUS) are ineligible for the Kentucky Derby. Southern Hemisphere-breds considered 3-year-olds in the U.A.E., are 4-year-olds under North American racing rules.
Only three of the six Triple Crown nominees have raced this year: Genten, Lucky Chappy and Yang Tse Kiang.
Daddy Long Legs was last seen finishing twelfth of 13 in the Grade I Breeders' Cup Juvenile.
Red Duke finished eighth of nine in the Group 1 Dubai Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket on Oct. 8.
Wrote won the Grade I Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf on Nov. 5.
In 2012, Genten has made two starts, both on the dirt. He won on Jan 5, and on Feb. 18, he stretched out to a mile in the Hyacinth Stakes in Japan. Coming from far off the pace after breaking from post 15, Genten finished second by a half-length to Darley's Fleet Street. This race was reportedly Sheik Mohammed's first official win as an owner in Japan. The Hyacinth is not a graded race but is still an important race -- horses must qualify with earnings to be eligible.
Lucky Chappy was beaten a nose by Daddy Nose Best in the Grade III El Camino Real Derby on Feb. 18.
On March 6, Yang Tse Kiang won a race called the Prix Du Lieutenant on Polytrack at Chantilly -- only four ran in the 9 1/2-furlong affair. He was second in the Group 3 Prix De Conde at Longchamp on Oct. 16.
Wrote has punched his ticket to the Kentucky Derby -- if connections so desire. He sits atop all foreign-based runners nominated to the Triple Crown with $556,630 in graded stakes earnings.
Wrote's stable mate, Daddy Long Legs, has $94,030 in graded earnings and ranks number 29 on the list maintained by Churchill Downs. Genten, the Japanese-based horse, has $123,826, and is ranked number 21. Red Duke has $90,823 (30), and Yang Tse Kiang has $22,211 (63).
LIKELY STARTERS:
# |
Horse |
Home Country |
Trainer |
1 |
Balada Sale (ARG) |
France |
Pascal Bary |
2 |
Boby Di (BRZ) |
South Africa |
Mike de Kock |
3 |
Burano (IRE) |
Great Britain |
Brian Meehan |
4 |
Daddy Long Legs (KY) |
Ireland |
Aidan O'Brien |
5 |
Entifaadha (GB) |
Great Britain |
William Haggas |
6 |
Falls of Lora (IRE) |
U.A.E. |
Mahmood Al Zarooni |
7 |
Genten (KY) |
Japan |
Yoshito Yahagi |
8 |
Helmet (AUS) |
Australia |
Peter Snowden |
9 |
Kinglet (KY) |
U.A.E. |
Mahmood Al Zarooni |
10 |
Lucky Chappy (IRE) |
United States |
Graham Motion |
11 |
Mickdaam (IRE) |
South Africa |
Mike de Kock |
12 |
Red Duke (KY) |
Great Britain |
John Quinn |
13 |
Wrote (IRE) |
Ireland |
Aidan O'Brien |
14 |
Yang Tse Kiang (FR) |
France |
Richard Chotard |