The final two European races of the Euro/Mideast Road to the Kentucky Derby went into the books with authoritative wins but little chance either will produce a runner for the first Saturday in May in Louisville, Ky.
The series concludes with the UAE Derby (G2) March 28 in Dubai, with the winner there assured of the top spot on the leaderboard.
At Dundalk in Ireland, Blanc de Blanc, a Kentucky-bred filly by Not This Time out of the Galileo mare Wonderful, had no trouble winning her second race without a loss Feb. 27 in the Dundalk Stadium Patton Race, a 1,600-meter (about 1-mile) heat on the all-weather surface.
After stalking the pace, Blanc de Blanc shot to the lead early in the stretch run and won by 3 lengths. Whatchadoin and Redemption Road chased her home.
AMO Racing acquired Blanc de Blanc at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale from the Denali Stud consignment, paying $575,000. She was bred by DATTT Farm.
Two days earlier at Kempton Park in England, Godolphin's Hidden Force romped to his second win without a loss over Polytrack in the European Road to the Kentucky Derby Condition Stakes. After dallying at the back of the four-horse field, the Frankel colt zipped by them easily in the final furlong and won by 1 1/2 lengths.
His victory, like Blanc de Blanc's, earned 20 points on the Euro/Mideast Road leaderboard, not nearly enough to boost either horse into a shot at a Kentucky Derby slot. Neither is an original nominee to the Triple Crown series.
William Buick took a break from his duties in Dubai to fly in for the mount at Kempton, indicating the esteem in which the colt is held. But the European classics—English, Irish, or French Two Thousand Guineas—seem a more logical target. The last two winners of the Kempton race? Notable Speech, who went on to win the 2024 Two Thousand Guineas (G1) at Newmarket, and Opera Ballo, winner of the Jebel Hatta (G1T) in Dubai Jan. 23—both for Godolphin.
Also of note, Godolphin reports Lucky Kid, winner of the Feb. 22 Hyacinth Stakes, the third leg of the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby, "looks set" to join the winner of the second leg, Pyromancer, another Godolphin runner, in the UAE Derby.
