The son of Lido Palace seemed to have some trouble getting over the sloppy track and was under a full drive early from jockey Alan Garcia.  Vineyard Haven kicked in when it counted most and edged to the lead in the final strides.  Watch the DeFrancis Dash below.

Click HERE for more on the DeFrancis Dash from Thoroughbred Times.

Godolphin has had success at the Super Derby in the past, winning the 2002 edition with Essence of Dubai and E Dubai finishing a close second the year before.  Richard Migliore has been engaged for the ride.  While the field size is smaller, Regal Ransom faces Soul Warrior, recent late-charging winner of the West Virginia Derby (G2), and the improving Blame, winner of the Curlin Stakes at Saratoga.  Gone Astray was second in that affair over nine furlongs and came back a month later to land the Pennsylvania Derby (G2) by some nine lengths, franking Blame’s form.  California shipper Massone always runs a decent race and will be partnered with Garrett Gomez for legendary trainer Ron McAnally. 

Overall, Regal Ransom seemingly holds a pace advantage in the field, but one has to wonder about his stamina as the Super Derby will be his first start since the first Saturday in May.  A soft tissue injury kept the son of Distorted Humor from starting earlier, requiring assistant trainer Rick Mettee to scratch his charge from an early June sprint, the Woody Stephens (G2).  Watch Regal Ransom’s UAE Derby win below.

DubaiRaceNight.com will be at Louisiana Downs this weekend and will report back on the UAE classic winner, with pictures, soon after the race.

Rachel Alexandra, a 3-year-old filly, is likely to take on older males in Saturday’s Woodward Stakes over nine furlongs at Saratoga.  UAE Triple Crown winner Asiatic Boy is one of the expected starters.

Click HERE for the full story.

Unbeaten in 2009, Rachel Alexandra has won the Kentucky Oaks (G1), Preakness (G1), Mother Goose (G1), and Haskell (G1) – and is now being pointed to a start in the Woodward, her first foray against older males. 

Will those older males show up?  McLaughlin seems keen to duck what he calls “a great horse.”  Under the conditions of the Woodward, Rachel Alexandra gets a favorable impost of 118 pounds as a 3-year-old filly while her older male competitors tote 126.  Asiatic Boy, second in the 2008 Dubai World Cup (G1) behind Curlin, could now head to southern California for the first synthetic race of his career over Del Mar’s Polytrack.  Owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, Asiatic Boy was second in both the Stephen Foster (G1) and Suburban (G1), his only American starts.

Click HERE for McLaughlin’s full comments from Bloodhorse.  Click HERE for Asiatic Boy on HorseRacingNation.  Click HERE for Rachel Alexandra on HorseRacingNation.

“In public, he said they’ll determine a schedule for next year after the Breeders’ Cup.  In private, he dreams of winning the $10 million Dubai World Cup in March, after a prep race in early February.”

Click HERE for the full story.  Click HERE to access more on Mine That Bird from HorseRacingNation.com

Mine That Bird was second in the Preakness (G1) behind Rachel Alexandra, third in the Belmont Stakes (G1), and third in the West Virginia Derby (G2) – his three starts following the upset Louisville win.

Over seven furlongs, the King’s Bishop was identified by Saeed bin Suroor’s North American assistant Rick Mettee as the only spot that fit Vineyard Haven. 

Click HERE for more, including quotes from Mettee, in the Daily Racing Form.

Gayego was guided to the outside and steadily advanced to defeat Digger by a length at odds of 3-4.  The final time for six furlongs was a swift 1:09.25.  Trainer Saeed bin Suroor notched his fifth win from eight starts at the summer Saratoga meeting.  The victory pushed Gayego’s lifetime record to six wins from twelve starts and earnings in excess of $1.1 million.

Overall, the strength of Gayego’s win in the Mahab Al Shimaal has flown under the radar considering the form franking Big City Man provided when defeating dirt sprinters in the Golden Shaheen.  Saratoga’s morning line oddsmaker has assigned the son of Gilded Time a short 6-5 price in the field of six.  Only one other graded stakes winner will take a shot in this field, Michael Trombetta-trainee Lantana Mob, who is starting for the first time since December. 

The combination of Godolphin/Darley have had an overwhelmingly successful meeting at Saratoga and horses entered under the care of trainer Saeed bin Suroor have four wins and two seconds from seven starts this summer.   

GLADIATORUS WELL-BEATEN IN DEAUVILLE

Goldikova shattered a field of top classers when landing Sunday’s Prix Jacques le Marois (G1) at Deauville bu six lengths, her sixth Group 1 victory, leaving a rippled wake of destruction over the straight mile.  Dubai Duty Free (G1) winner Gladiatorus, who has seemingly not been the same horse since his winter in Dubai, essentially finished last, but was officially eighth of nine, beating home Goldikova’s pacesetting rabbit, Only Green.

Click HERE for more from AtTheRaces.

EASTERN ANTHEM THIRD IN COLOGNE

German Derby winner Wiener Walzer defeated stablemate Getaway while Dubai Sheema Classic (G1) winner Eastern Anthem finished a late-closing third in Sunday’s Rheinland-Pokal at Cologne.  Click HERE for more from RacingPostUK.