Kentucky Derby Blog

Regal Ransom led from start to finish after breaking from the fence under Alan Garcia, the second front-end winner of the night. A Distorted Humor colt, he began his career last year at Saratoga for Kiaran McLaughlin, winning a maiden race there before running poorly in the Norfolk Stakes at Santa Anita. Regal Ransom had come within a half-length of Desert Party in January, but was soundly beaten over a mile in the UAE 2000 Guineas here last month.

Regal Ransom returned $28.20. The exacta with Desert Party paid $41.20.

This Ones For Phil won the 2009 Swale Stakes after the Disqualification of Big Drama near the wire at Gulfstream Park. Big Drama, on the lead and racing on the inside, veered out and bumped This Ones for Phil twice in the stretch run in the seven furlong stakes for 3-year-old males.

Big Drama crossed the finish line in 1:20.88, breaking the track record of 1:21.11 that Exclusive Quality set in 2006. Under racing industry rules, This Ones for Phil gains credit for the track record.

This Ones for Phil, at 9-5 odds, paid $5.20, $3 and $2.40. Big Drama went off as the 8-5 favorite in the six-horse field. Custom for Carlos finished third, five lengths behind Big Drama. The victory was the fourth in 11 career starts for This Ones for Phil, who is trained by Rick Dutrow.

A Virginia homebred of Edward Evans, Quality Road earned his second consecutive graded stakes win and established himself as one of the top contenders for theKentucky Derby. The victory was the third in four starts for Quality Road, who won the one-mile Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream in his previous start, and was a successful debut for the colt at a two-turn distance. If all goes well, Quality Road will be Jerkens’ first starter in America’s greatest race.

Sent off as the 6-5 second choice, Quality Road paid $4.40, $2.40 and $2.10. The exacta (2-4) returned $9, while the $2 trifecta (2-4-6) was worth $12
Sincero finished fifth, followed by Caseys on Call and Toby the Coal Man.

$6 million Dubai World Cup, the world’s richest horse race, was a wire-to-wire conquest by American thoroughbred Well Armed at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse. Well Armed, ridden by Aaron Gryder, was sent off at 9-1 odds in the United States.

Owned by WinStar Farms, Well Armed was the quickest out of the gate and never let any of his 13 rivals a chance to seriously challenge. The six-year-old gelding set a leisurely pace followed by My Indy. 2-1 morning-line favorite Albertus Maximus was running in third and Gloria De Campeao was in fourth.

The 2-1 post-time favorite Asiatic Boy failed to challenge and finished 12th. Albertus Maximus tired down the stretch to finish sixth.

The time for the 2009 Dubai World Cup was 2:01.01.

Win/Place/Show Payouts

$1 Exacta 7-6 $529.70
$1 Trifecta 7-6-13 $23,252.10
$1 Superfecta 7-6-13-11 $415,344.00
$1 Pick-3 2-2-7 $4,694.90

The 14th running of the Dubai World Cup is held at Nad al Sheba Racecourse this Saturday. The post time of the $6 million race is 1:30 p.m. EST and the races will be shown live in North America on TVG in the U.S. and HPI-TV in Canada, and the full card will be broadcast live online at ESPN360.com. The following is the detailed race information and 14 entries.