Who can beat the chalk in the Florida Derby, UAE Derby?

Last week, the final round of 2018 Kentucky Derby preps kicked off, and they continue with two more Saturday in the Grade 1 Florida Derby and Group 2 UAE Derby.

The Florida Derby, which regularly produces Kentucky winners, could be looked at this year as a Fountain of Youth (G2) rematch from the last round at Gulfstream Park. But it offers so much more. Yes, we'll see winner Promises Fulfilled and runner-up Strike Power back. But added to the mix is explosive Holy Bull (G2) winner Audible as well as Remsen (G2) hero Catholic Boy.

The question looming with Audible, who's 9-5 on the morning line, is about whether he'll be able to return to the form we saw in the Holy Bull after two months between races? I say that the chances of that are unlikely. Think Cairo Prince and Shanghai Bobby. Both ran great races in their respective Holy Bulls, but the layoff between that and the Florida Derby saw them return a tad dull.

Catholic Boy, on the other hand, looks primed and ready for action. He wasn’t overly impressive in Tampa Bay’s Sam F. Davis and, as with Audible, is looking to overcome a lengthy spacing between that race and the Florida Derby. However, his last workout couldn’t have looked much sharper. If he takes hold of this surface like he did at Aqueduct, it could very well be him looking to upset the Fountain of Youth duo.

While the Florida Derby may be the more anticipated of Saturday's race, that does not mean that the horses ready to shake the desert sands of Dubai are any less exciting. In fact, there are quite a few in the UAE Derby worth keeping a close eye on.

Obviously, there is the European-based Mendelssohn, who won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. The Scat Daddy colt will be making his dirt debut in the UAE Derby, and should he finish first or second, it is almost a certainty that he will head to Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby.

We also have the locally based Gold Town, the Godolphin Racing charge who has won his last three starts impressively over this same surface. He will be a tough foe, and like Mendelssohn, he will be gunning for a start in the Kentucky Derby with a win or place in Saturday’s race.

However, impressive as Mendelssohn and Gold Town might be, it is Reride, the USA’s lone contender in the UAE Derby, I find intriguing. The son of Candy Ride won his first two starts as a 2-year-old before finishing sixth place in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2), which has proven to be key on the Derby trail.

Since then, Reride has won his last two outings, including the ungraded Mine That Bird Stakes at Sunland Park. There, he beat Runaway Ghost, who took of the Sunland Derby (G3) last weekend by two and a half lengths.

This weekend’s contest represents a big step up in class, but this colt could be any kind. He has shown that he likes a fight and has the ability to rise to the occasion when asked in earnest. His pedigree is an interesting mix of speed and stamina, and he has a trainer who knows who knows how to win in Dubai.

Some may discount him due to the steep class hike he will face; however, some of those are the same people salivating to get a good-sized Kentucky Derby wager down on Runaway Ghost. Well, it would seem to me, that if you like the chances of that one, then you have to respect Reride in the UAE Derby. He is the wild card, and if he can handle the travel, there is no reason he can’t give Mendelssohn and Gold Town all they can handle.