Enjoy a long day of racing action, already underway on the other side of the world and ending with the Florida Derby at supper-time..keep those comments coming!
GIFT HORSE – Red Cadeaux IS THE SURPRISE HORSE in the World Cup today!
Vanessa Ng photo
DUBAI WORLD CUP NIGHT UNDERWAY
Festivities in Dubai are well underway this morning and one of the major races is at 10:25 with the UAE DERBY, featuring Canadian-owned HE’S HAD ENOUGH.
The big race is not until 2 p.m. and last year’s winer, MONTEROSSO, has been scratched.
That leaves a field of 12 including American powerhouse mare ROYAL DELTA, Kentucky Derby winner ANIMAL KINGDOM and Pacific Classic winner DULLAHAN.
Dubai World Cup 2013 ‘live’: Crowd at fever pitch as first race about to begin
Defending champion Godolphin’s Monterosso out of cup
By Allaam Ousman
The stage is set for the 18th renewal of the Dubai World Cup with an air of expectation at Meydan as the crowd steadily builds up in all shades of colours to indulge in the sport of kings.
The late withdrawal of defending Dubai World Cup champion Monterosso has not dampened the spirit of horse racing fans who are eagerly awaiting the crowning of a new champion.
The curtain-raiser to the meeting will begin with the Group 1 $250,000 Dubai Kahayla Classic, sponsored by Emaar, the Purebred Arabian equivalent of the Dubai World Cup at 4.30pm.
FLORIDA DERBY
It is worth $1 million so it is a stand alone gem of a race. The Florida Derby is also a major test for SHANGHAI BOBBY, the once-beaten dark bay Harlan’s Holiday colt who must rebound today to go to the Kentucky Derby.
The colt’s return to action for 2013 in the Holy Bull saw him chewed up in a made pace battle and that style simply won’t work, it seems, in this 9 furlong test.
He is a quality colt, however, and perhaps his jockey Rosie Napravnik can get him to relax and make a late run rather than burn out early.
ORB is the one to beat and he has been showing a gradual, improving pattern which is appealing. The speed he has to run at is also appealing.
FRAC DADDY ripped off a huge part of his foot in his 2013 opener and is better than what he showed.
The grey 3yo by Scat Daddy is THOROUGHBLOG’S price play, 20 to 1! for the Florida Derby!
FORT ERIE LIVES FOR ANOTHER YEAR
JOHN ROBBINS/Bullet News
FORT ERIE – A renewed focus on fans – not slots machines – is what will ultimately save Ontario’s struggling horse-racing industry, say members of a provincial government panel set up to help race tracks adapt to the new fiscal realities.
“The fact is what we need to do is get everybody’s focus back on what should drive the industry, which is the consumer,” said former Liberal cabinet minister John Wilkinson, one of three members of the provincial Horse-Racing industry transition panel who travelled to Fort Erie to officially announced there will be racing at 116-year-old border oval again this season.
http://www.bulletnewsniagara.ca/2013/03/29/fort-erie-a-return-to-fan-focus-not-slot-machines-will-save-horse-racing-transition-panel-says/
TORONTO STAR COLUMN ON END OF SLOTS (TOMORROW)
The Star has another column in about the wreck that is now the Ontario horse racing industry…
http://www.thestar.com/sports/2013/03/29/perkins_ontario_giving_horse_racing_the_death_penalty.html
TORONTO STAR EXPOSE ON DRUGS IN SLAUGHTERED HORSES
For the second time in a few years, horse slaughter is on the cover of the TORONTO STAR.
This time, drugs in racehorses could be entering the food chain and the Star tried to find out.
The one example used is that of BACKSTREET BULLY, a former Adena Springs horse.
