By Heather Anderson
Japan earned their fourth consecutive $1-million G2 UAE Derby and fifth overall with the narrow victory of Admire Daytona (Jpn) (Drefong) over the ultra game Heart Of Honor (GB) (Honor A. P.) at Meydan on Saturday. The latter's jockey Saffie Osborne was attempting to become the first female rider to win a race on Dubai World Cup night. It was jockey Christophe Lemaire's second UAE Derby win after he was aboard Derma Sotogake (Jpn) (Mind Your Biscuits) in 2023.
One of the fastest from the bell, he immediately glued himself to the rail, but was pressed by Rafid (Into Mischief) to his outside on the clubhouse turn. Maintaining a slight edge over that foe down the backside, Admire Daytona soon felt the heat from Don In The Mood (Jpn) (Asia Express) at the 700-metre mark.
Heart Of Honor shouldered his way up in between Admire Daytona and Don In The Mood on the bend as Rafid dropped back, and those three went at it hammer and tongs through the turn and into upper stretch. Don In The Mood established a narrow lead in the straight with Heart Of Honor continuing to fight and the eventual winner was kept hemmed in to be third for a few strides. However, he soon boxed back as Don In The Mood's momentum fizzled at the 100-metre mark.
Only a nose separated the tough-as-nails Admire Daytona and Heart Of Honor at the wire, with Don In The Mood relegated to third, two lengths behind. It was a gap of another 1 3/4 lengths to Shin Forever (Complexity) in fourth. The filly Queen Azteca (Sharp Azteca) was fifth. The top five finishers all earned points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby (100, 50, 25, 15, 10).
Lemaire said, “Honestly, I thought I'd won but it was very tight so you never get too happy, too early. The Japanese horses come here with quite a bit of experience at home. I think they like the Meydan dirt track too. For sure he can go to Kentucky, but it is such a difficult race to win. It is one of the most iconic races in the world and we have to go if we can.”
Of Heart Of Honor, Jamie Osborne said, “He's put up a lifetime best and you always have to be pleased when that happens. But this is a tough one to swallow.”
Florent Geroux, who would go on to win the G1 Dubai World Cup aboard Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}) later on the card, was aboard the well-hyped GIII Gotham Stakes winner Flood Zone (Frosted) who ran seventh. He said, “He broke well, I thought I was going to be in a good spot. I let the speed go, I tucked behind the two leaders and got down to the rail. From there, as soon as we hit the first turn, he never travelled, never grabbed the bit and just kept going backwards. It was too bad to be true. For some reason, our American horses don't seem to have the same early speed here.”
Fourth to Luxor Café (American Pharoah) in the Listed Hyacinth Stakes in February, Admire Daytona is headed to the GI Kentucky Derby May 3 according to his trainer, Yukihiro Kato.
Pedigree Notes:
By Drefong, the 2016 American Champion Sprinter who stands at Shadai Stallion Station, Admire Daytona is the best foal out of Ice Pastel (Shackleford), who has four winners from four runners. Originally a $135,000 Keeneland September RNA in 2015, she was bought by Narvick International for $190,000 as a OBSAPR juvenile and spent her racing career in Japan. Her juvenile filly is by Le Vent Se Leve (Jpn), while her yearling colt is by Hot Rod Charlie. A half-sister to the stakes winner Million Seller (A.P. Indy), she was bred to Mind Your Biscuits last spring. Third dam Maplejinsky (Nijinsky II) won the GI Alabama Stakes and GI Monmouth Oaks before foaling fellow top-level winner Sky Beauty (Blushing Groom {Fr}). Grade I winner and sire Violence is also from this clan.
Saturday, Meydan, Dubai
UAE DERBY (SPONSORED BY JUMEIRAH)-G2, $1,000,000, Meydan, 4-5, 3yo, 1900m, 1:59.13, ft.
1–ADMIRE DAYTONA (JPN), 126, c, 3, by Drefong
1st Dam: Ice Pastel, by Shackleford
2nd Dam: Million Gift (Jpn), by Sunday Silence
3rd Dam: Maplejinsky, by Nijinsky II
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. 1ST GROUP WIN. (¥66,000,000 Wlg '22
JRHAJUL). O-Junko Kondo; B-Northern Racing (JPN); T-Yukihiro
Kato; J-Christophe Lemaire. $580,000. Lifetime Record:
6-2-2-0, $672,047. Click for the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Werk Nick
Rating: F. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Heart Of Honor (GB), 126, c, 3, Honor A. P.–Ruby Love (Chi),
by Scat Daddy. (35,000gns Wlg '22 TATNOV; €42,000 Ylg '23
GOFSEP; €160,000 2yo '24 ARQMAY). O-Jim & Claire Ltd;
B-David Redvers Bloodstock (GB); T-Jamie Osborne. $200,000.
3–Don In The Mood (Jpn), 126, c, 3, Asia Express–Hagino Wish
(Jpn), by Agnes Tachyon (Jpn). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE.
(¥13,750,000 Ylg '23 JBBAAUG). O-Koichi Yamada; B-Nobuyuki
Matsumoto (JPN); T-Teiichi Konno. $100,000.
Margins: NO, 2, 1 3/4.
Also Ran: Shin Forever, Queen Azteca, Dragon (Jpn), Flood Zone, Rafid, Galactic Star. Click for the ERA chart & video.
Absolute thriller!
HEART OF HONOR lunged late in the @Jumeirah UAE Derby but takes the spoils for #DWC25 | @emirates pic.twitter.com/8MzV3F20j7
— Dubai Racing Club (@RacingDubai) April 5, 2025
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