This Week in Horse Racing

WHOO Dubai World Cup weekend! With Life is Sweet out, I only had Gio Ponti to root for. It was an amazing race though. Brazilian-bred Gloria de Campeao won by a nose over Lizard's Desire. Third place finisher Allybar was only a head behind at the wire. Gio Ponti finished a length and a quarter back in fourth. Seven-year-old Gloria de Campeao finished second by 14 lengths in last year's World Cup behind Well Armed.

Odysseus is likely heading for the Blue Grass Stakes April 10th as his final prep before the Kentucky Derby. I talked about Odysseus a couple weeks ago after his nose-victory in the Tampa Bay Derby over Schoolyard Dreams. Odysseus has raced only four times in his career and never been beyond a mile and a sixteenth. The Blue Grass is a mile and an eighth.

Mission Impazible gave Pletcher yet another Kentucky Derby hopeful when he captured the Louisiana Derby by three-quarters of a length. Mission Impazible was never far behind pacesetter A Little Warm while saving ground along the rail. At the top of the stretch, A Little Warm and Discreetly Mine dueled for the lead with Mission Impazible on their heels. Mission Impazible overtook the two leaders in the final yards. A Little Warm finished second, a neck ahead of the rallying Drosselmeyer. Discreetly Mine was another neck back in fourth. Mission Impazible was making his fifth start. As a juvenile he broke his maiden at Keeneland going 4 1/2 furlongs before finishing third in the Kentucky Juvenile Stakes at Churchill before being sidelined for eight months. Mission Impazible was the runner-up in his 3-year-old allowance debut in January, and fourth in the Southwest Stakes in February.

Dean's Kitten also rose to the ranks of Kentucky Derby hopefuls this weekend with a win in the Lane's End Stakes at Turfway Park. Dean's Kitten settled four wide in fourth while Ranger Heartley controlled the pace. Dean's Kitten moved up to duel Ranger Heartley in the far turn and took the lead into the stretch. Dean's Kitten drifted out briefly as Northern Giant moved up to challenge, but straightened out and won going away. Northern Giant was a clear second, with the 17-10 choice, Connemara, back in third. Connemara, another Pletcher horse, hopped in the air at the start and was forced seven wide around the final turn.