Desert Party tops 13-horse field from post 5 in UAE Derby

Desert Party seeks the UAE Guineas/Derby double that eluded his sire (Frank Sorge/Horsephotos.com)

DESERT PARTY (Street Cry [Ire]), last seen romping in the February 12
U.A.E. Two Thousand Guineas (UAE-G3), is the marquee name in Saturday’s
$2 million U.A.E. Derby (UAE-G2) on Dubai World Cup night.

The dark bay will break from post 5 following Wednesday’s post
position draw, and leads a three-pronged Godolphin challenge, along with
stablemates REGAL RANSOM (Distorted Humor), who drew the inside post 1,
and JOSE ADAN (Crypto Star), who will be loaded in post 10.

A field of 13, including five Southern Hemisphere-breds who are
four-year-olds by Northern Hemisphere reckoning, will line up in the
about nine-furlong contest at Nad al Sheba. The U.A.E. Derby is the
final leg of the U.A.E. Triple Crown, which began with the U.A.E. Two
Thousand Guineas and continued with the Al Bastakiya on March 5.

Soy Libriano (right) captured the Al Bastakiya from Jose Adan (Dubai Racing Club/Andrew Watkins)

Only one horse raced in both events. I Am the Best was a distant sixth,
17 1/2 lengths behind Desert Party in the about one-mile Guineas, but he
was much closer when third in the Al Bastakiya at this about 1 1/8-mile
trip. That interlocking formline suggests that the Guineas was a
stronger race than the Al Bastakiya.

Desert Party is two-for-two in Dubai, having captured a January 22
conditions event prior to his impressive Guineas score. Regular rider
Frankie Dettori will reunite with the colt as he steps up in distance
here. If Desert Party succeeds on Saturday, he would accomplish the
U.A.E. Guineas/Derby double that eluded his sire, Street Cry (Ire). In
2001, Street Cry captured the Guineas but lost an agonizing photo in the
U.A.E. Derby.

Regal Ransom will renew his acquaintance with Alan Garcia, who guided
him in both of his starts for Kiaran McLaughlin last season. Jose Adan
will once again be ridden by Ted Durcan.

Other notable entrants are the Argentine-bred filly SO SHINY (Indygo
Shiner) (post 7), French Group 3 hero NAVAL OFFICER (Tale of the Cat)
(post 12) and English shipper RA JUNIOR (Rahy) (post 8). So Shiny was a
front-running winner of the U.A.E. One Thousand Guineas but a
disappointing fourth in the U.A.E. Oaks last time out.