DUBAI WORLD CUP
Meydan Racecourse, ninth race. Grade 1. Purse: $10 million. 1¹/₄ miles, Tapeta, 4-year-olds and up. Post: 1:40 p.m.
LOWDOWN: The New Zealand-bred 6-year-old So You Think was a superstar in Australia before moving to Europe, where he continued to win Group 1 races before going off form toward the end of last year after a long, demanding campaign. Saturday, he makes his first start since a failed experiment on dirt in the Breeders’ Cup. The 1 ¼ miles is his best distance, and as a top turf runner, he should take to the Tapeta synthetic surface.
TV: HRTV, TVG, NYRA Channel 71
APPLETON
Gulfstream Park, eighth race. Grade 3. Purse: $100,000. Mile, turf; 4-year-olds and up. Post: 3:55 p.m.
LOWDOWN: Another top horse makes his first start since last year’s Breeders’ Cup as Brilliant Speed kicks off his 4-year-old season for Tom Albertrani after finishing a surprising third in the Breeders’ Cup Turf. The son of Dynaformer has never finished off the board in eight starts on the turf, and in his both starts over the Gulfstream turf course last winter, he finished second in photo-finishes.
TV: HRTV, NYRA Channel 71.
FLORIDA DERBY
Gulfstream Park, 11th race. Grade 1. Purse: $1 million. 1¹/₈ miles, 3-year-olds. Post: 5:40 p.m.
LOWDOWN: Trainer Michael Matz did not tighten the screws on Union Rags for his first start this year in the Feb. 25 Fountain of Youth, yet the early favorite for the Kentucky Derby won off by four lengths without ever really being set down by Julien Leparoux. Union Rags figures to take a big step forward off that race, while El Padrino, also ranked high in the polls for this year’s Derby, should give him a good fight that will set him up well for the May 5 Run for the Roses.
TV: NBC Sports Group, HRTV, NYRA Channel 71.
LAST WEEK: At Turfway, Heavy Breathing was third in the Spiral paying $3.60 to show, At Gulfstream, Center Divider was scratched from the Pan American. At Santa Anita, Dynamic Host won the Tokyo City paying $13, $5.80, $3.60.