DUBAI WORLD CUP
Nad Al Sheba, 7th race. Grade 1. Purse: $6,000,000. Mile-and-a-quarter, 3-year-olds and up. Post: 1:30 p.m.
LOWDOWN: Asiatic Boy is a horse-for-the-course with six wins from nine starts over this track, including a 21/4-length score prepping for this spot in the March 5 Maktoum Challenge. In one of those three losses, he ran second in last year’s World Cup to Curlin.
TV: HRTV, TVG, OTB Ch. 71
SWALE
Gulfstream Park, 9th race. Grade 2. Purse: $150,000. Seven furlongs 3-year-olds. Post: 5:11 p.m.
LOWDOWN: Brave Victory, highly regarded as a 2-year-old last year for Nick Zito, won his only start this year with a determined late run going six furlongs at Gulfstream. He gets an extra furlong today, and there is enough speed to set up his stretch kick.
TV: HRTV, OTB Ch. 71
FLORIDA DERBY
Gulfstream Park, 10th race. Grade 1. Purse: $750,000. Mile-and-an-eighth, 3-year-olds. Post: 5:44 p.m.
LOWDOWN: Quality Road stretches out to two turns for the first time, but the way he kicked away through the final furlong to win the Fountain of Youth going a mile by 41/4 lengths after chasing a blazing pace indicates the added distance will not be a problem. He also has a big edge in tactical speed over his top rivals, Dunkirk and Theregoesjojo.
TV: ESPN, OTB Ch. 71
LAST WEEK: In the Lanes End at Turfway, West Side Bernie finished sixth as the 2-1 favorite. At Gulfstream, Spice Route scratched when the Pan American came off the turf. Spring House (2-1) finished fifth in the San Luis Rey at Santa Anita and was vanned off.