Big West Coast turf races, Indiana Derby, Iowa Derby top weekend horse racing - UPI.com

1 of 2 | Stronghold, shown winning the 2024 Santa Anita Derby, is the morning-line favorite in Saturday’s Indiana Derby. Benoit Photography, courtesy of Santa Anita

July 5 (UPI) — Big turf races in New York and Delaware join the Indiana Derby and Iowa Derby as highlights of the post-holiday weekend schedule in U.S. racing.

On the world scene, Derby winner City of Troy takes on older horses for the first time in Saturday’ Group 1 Coral-Eclipse at Sandown, but expected top rival White Birch won’t be among them.

There’s also action from South Africa to France and Germany while Saudi Arabia kicks off its season.

Saturday’s $750,000 Grade I Belmont Derby Invitational at Aqueduct has the first three finishers from the Grade II Pennine Ridge on May 25 — Legend of Time, White Palomino and Royal Majesty — against just two newcomers.

William Buick is reunited with Legend of Time for Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby. Endlessly ships in from California for his first start since a ninth-place finish in the Kentucky Derby and is the 6-5 favorite on the morning line.

Saturday’s $150,000 Kent Stakes for 3-year-olds at Delaware Park has a big field, most of them looking to take a significant move forward.

There’s a strong international flavor to Saturday’s $500,000 Grade I Fasig-Tipton Belmont Oaks Invitational at Aqueduct, much of it coming from also-rans from some of the biggest early-season races on the other side of the Atlantic. The home team is strong with five of the six fillies already graded stakes winners.

There isn’t a much more competitive heat on the weekend schedule than Sunday’s $250,000 Grade III Robert G. Dick Memorial at Delaware Park. Nine are entered, and it would be tough to dismiss any of them.

Santa Anita Derby winner Stronghold, an overlooked seventh in the Kentucky Derby, is back for Saturday’s $300,000 Grade III Indiana Derby. Another strong effort would boost him back into the top ranks of 3-year-olds.

Don’t overlook Dragoon Guard, a Juddmonte homebred by Arrogate who’s coming alive for trainer Brad Cox.

Saturday’s $250,000 Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows has a bit of everything, including a locally based recent maiden winner.

A bounce-back prospect: Just a Touch went to the post at odds of 11-1 in the Kentucky Derby and finished last of 20. A repeat of the Blue Grass effort would win this and put him back in the mix for bigger goals.

Next looks for a fifth straight victory while facing six rivals over 1 3/8 miles in Friday’s $200,000 Grade II Brooklyn at Aqueduct.

Also: Saturday’s $300,000 Grade III Prairie Meadows Cornhusker and Sunday’s $175,000 Battery Park at Delaware Park.

Multiple graded stakes winners Wet Paint and Honor D Lady are the early favorites in Sunday’s $500,000 Grade II Delaware Handicap, although both were roundly defeated in the Grade I Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park two starts back.

Saturday’s $300,000 Grade III Delaware Oaks has seven takers, several of them veterans of graded stakes wars during the first half of the year.

Also, Saturday’s $200,000 Indiana Oaks at Horseshoe Indianapolis, Saturday’s $225,000 Iowa Oaks and Friday’s $100,000 Iowa Distaff, both at Prairie Meadows.

Hades and Domestic Product, both refugees from the Triple Crown rigors, head a field of just four signed on for Saturday’s $200,000 Grade III Dwyer for 3-year-olds at Aqueduct.

Sunday’s $100,000 Soldier’s Dancer Handicap at Gulfstream Park has a contentious field of 11.

Moonlit Lady is the 5-2 morning-line pick in a field of 12 3-year-old fillies for Saturday’s $125,000 Pea Patch Stakes at Ellis Park.

Only five turned out for Saturday’s $200,000 Grade II John A. Nerud at Aqueduct, but any one of them could win what figures to be tactical 7 furlongs.

Also: Friday’s $95,000 Carry Back Stakes at Gulfstream Park with Florida Derby runner-up Catalytic as a narrow favorite, Saturday’s $120,000 Smile Sprint Stakes at Gulfstream and Friday’s $100,000 Iowa Sprint at Prairie Meadows.

Sweet Azteca takes on nine other fillies and mares in the $200,000 Great Lady M Stakes Saturday at Los Alamitos.

Saturday’s $135,000 (Canadian) Hendrie on the Woodbine all-weather has a field of 12 with Play the Music and Gal in a Rush the early favorites.

Olivia Darling and Beguine are the morning-line favorites in Sunday’s $125,000 Dashing Beauty at Delaware Park.

Friday’s $100,000 Saylorville at Prairie Meadows drew some quality fillies and mares including Olga Isabel and Unsung Melody to try 6 furlongs

At a guess, none of the three races on offer this weekend, all sprints, will produce a starter in, much less the winner of, Kentucky Derby 151. Still, why not have a look?

The assessment of the Juvenile races applies equally to Friday’s $100,000 Prairie Gold Lassie at Prairie Meadows and Saturday’s $50,000 Angie C. at Emerald Downs.

Saturday’s Group 1 Coral-Eclipse at Sandown has Derby winner City of Troy facing older rivals for the first time. White Birch, a 4-year-old Ulysses colt who’s undefeated in three starts this season, was expected to head up the older generation but was scratched Wednesday after unsatisfactory blood work. That leaves stablemate City of Troy’s stablemate Luxembourg as the top older horse.

Sunday’s Group 1 Deutches Derby at Hamburg has a field of 20. These are always tough and competitive races.

Sunday’s Group 2 Jean Pratt at Deauville has a dozen 3-year-olds, pending final declarations, to go 7 furlongs.

The winner and runner-up from last year, Winchester Mansion and See It Again, return for Saturday’s Group 1 Durban July at Hollywoodbets Greyville Racecourse. The favorite in antepost wagering, though, is 3-year-old Green With Envy.

The Saudi racing season kicked off Thursday at King Khaled Racecourse in Taif. The meeting runs 13 weeks through September with 273 Thoroughbred heats.

Taif, in southwestern Saudi Arabia, is at an elevation of more than 6,000 feet, mitigating the extreme summer heat in other parts of the country.

Former U.S. trainer Jimmy Jerkens starts his second year in Saudi Arabia training for HRH Prince Faisal Bin Khaled Bin Abdulaziz’s Red Stable.