Contests in Europe, Japan, Hong Kong top weekend horse racing agenda

May 22 (UPI) -- The U.S. Memorial Day weekend brings three days of racing from coast to coast, with stops in Texas and Kentucky, but most of the top-level action is elsewhere around the globe, from Europe to Japan and Hong Kong, and it started Thursday in Paris.

Around the world, around the clock

France

Winning a Group 1 race at Longchamp in Paris is one thing. It's another to win with a homebred product of generations of family breeding. And, yet another, if the race is named for the family's recently deceased patriarch.

That's how it was Thursday as Daryz, toting the green and red silks of the Aga Khan Stables, shot away from rivals in the straight to win the Prix Aga Khan IV, formerly the Prix Ispahan, by a smooth-as-silk 3 1/2 lengths.

It was no surprise. The now 4-year-old son of Sea the Stars won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe over the same sod last fall and started 2026 with a 3 1/2-length victory in the Group 1 Prix Ganay. But to win this race, with that new name?

"If we hadn't had a runner, it would have been a special race, anyway," Racing Post quoted Princess Zahra Aga Khan as saying. She helms the Aga Khan Studs since her father's passing in February 2025.

"We happened to have a fantastic horse running in the race, so it's even more special. It's a lovely thing that there was a confluence of special things today."

Also Thursday at Longchamp, Caballo de Mar, under Oisin Murphy, won a five-horse blanket finish at the end of the 3,100-meter Group 1 Prix Vicomtesse Vigier and looks set to contest the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot for trainer George Scott and owners Victorious Forever. by narrow margins.

Hong Kong

Romantic Warrior on Sunday will attempt to become just the third horse to sweep Hong Kong's Triple Crown series when the 8-year-old takes on the 2,400 meters of the Group 1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup.

The Irish-bred veteran is the world's all-time top earner with some $36 million in purse money to his credit and Group 1 or Grade 1 victories in Hong Kong, Japan, Australia and Dubai. He only attempted 2,400 meters once before and finished second. The distance and his age raise concerns, but the old guy looks great in training.

Japan

Sunday's Grade 1 Yushun Himba, or Japanese Oaks, features Star Anise, a Drefong filly looking for her third Grade 1 victory following last year's Hanshin Juvenile Fillies and the first of this year's filly Triple Crown, the Oka Sho or Japanese 1000 Guineas.

The big ask is the distance -- up from the 1,600 meters of the last two to 2,400 meters this time around -- and both trainer Tomokazu Takano and jockey Kohei Matsuyama said they're eager to see if Star Anise can stay the course.

None of the other 17 fillies has performed at that level, although several look promising as they step up in class.

Ireland

Gstaad rules as the solid, odds-on favorite in Saturday's Group 1 Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh.

The Starspangledbanner colt, trained by Aidan O'Brien, won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf in November at Del Mar and finished second to Bow Echo in the Betfred 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.

Bow Echo is not in this field, training up to the St James's Palace at the Royal Ascot meeting, so the main rival would seem to be Godolphin's Distant Storm, who was a distant (11 lengths) third in the Newmarket heat.

On Sunday, it's the fillies in the Irish 1000 Guineas. Pending declarations, O'Brien has three of the most-fancied in True Love, Precise and Drop Dead Gorgeous.

The Coolmore-O'Brien team, starring Ryan Moore in the irons, also sends the odds-on favorite for Sunday's Group 1 Tattersalls Gold cup in Minnie Hauk.

Last year's triple Oaks winner was second by a head to Daryz in the Arc and a respectable sixth as the favorite in the Breeders' Cup Turf at Del Mar. She won a season-opening Group 2 on May 4 at the Curragh.

Germany

The German 2000 Guineas runs Monday at Cologne. Coolmore invades this otherwise intramural affair with Title Role, a Too Darn Hot colt trained by Simon & Ed Crisford.

Title Role won the Jumeirah 2000 Guineas in Dubai in February, but finished fifth in the Group 3 Greenham Stakes at Newbury on April 18.

Meanwhile, back in the States ...

Classic

Five signed on for Monday's $200,000 Grade II Hollywood Gold Cup at Santa Anita. It's not a gilt-edged bunch, although British Isles was a surprise winner in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap in March. Subsanador won the Grade 1 California Crown in September 2024 before missing all of 2025.

Three-year-olds

Bob Baffert looks to plunder Monday's $300,000 Texas Derby at Lone Star Park with Desert Gate.

The Omaha Beach colt finished second last year in the Grade I Del Mar Futurity and the Grade I American Pharoah at Santa Anita, but fell off the Kentucky Derby trail after finishing fourth in the Robert B. Lewis in Feburary.

He won the Hot Springs Stakes at Oaklawn Park on March 26 and is the 2-5 favorite at Lone Star. Steve Asmussen trains three of the other five entries.

Sprint / dirt mile

If at first you don't succeed ... Touchuponastar is 18 for 25 within Louisiana, including nine straight wins in the Bayou State. He's 0-for-3 elsewhere -- with all the defeats coming in the Steve Sexton Mile at Lone Star Park. But here he is, trying again in Monday's $400,000 Grade III renewal. He's the morning-line favorite.

A full and competitive field is set for Monday's $100,000, 6-furlongs Speightstown Sprint at Lone Star.

Filly & mare sprint

Saffie Joseph Jr. sends out four of the seven set for Saturday's $100,000 Game Face for 3-year-old fillies at Gulfstream Park.

Usha tests Baffert's plan to keep a string in Kentucky this summer as she contests Monday's $250,000 Grade III Winning Colors at Churchill Downs. The filly most recently finished third in the Grade III Derby City Distaff on Kentucky Derby Day.

Thermal, a Nyquist filly in from Santa Anita, and Florida visitor Mystic Lake are big favorites among seven entered for Monday's $100,000 Memorial Day Sprint at Lone Star Park.

Filly & mare turf

An assortment of proven veterans and promising 4-year-olds comprises the field for Monday's $300,000 Grade I Gamely at Santa Anita. Take a Breath and May Day ready exit a 1-2 finish, respectively, in the local Grade III Royal Heroine at 1 mile. This is a furlong longer.

Eight are entered for Saturday's $250,000, 1 1/2-mile Keertana Stakes at Churchill Downs, with Arya Stark the 9-5 morning-line pick. The Argentine-bred mare has yet to win a stakes race in North America, but finished second in each of her last three outings.

Turf mile

Formidable Man was last seen finishing second to Notable Speech in November's Breeders' Cup Mile, and that looks like a repeat of that effort should be good enough in Monday's $300,000 Grade I Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita.

However, that effort was at Del Mar. At Santa Anita, Formidable Man is a far-from-dominant 2-for-5 in the win column and finished fourth in last year's Shoemaker, behind two of Monday's rivals -- winner King of Gosford and runner-up Mi Hermano Ramon.

Trainer Joe Sharp has the three top morning line selections in Monday's $200,000 Ouija Board Distaff at Lone Star Park -- Vive Veuve, Miwa and Fantastical, all arriving from Kentucky.

Turf sprint

Search in vain for a solid favorite in the field of nine 3-year-olds set for Saturday's $150,000 Paradise Creek at Aqueduct.

The Miguel Clement-trained Complexity gelding fills the role at 3-1 thanks to a win in the Grade III Futurity last October. But he's winless in three subsequent starts. There are no Chad Brown trainees in the field.

Usually Wrong tops a field of eight entered for Monday's $100,000 Chamberlain Bridge at Lone Star Park. The 5-year-old by Lookin At Lucky is undefeated in three starts at the Texas track, including last year's Chamberlain Bridge.

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This story was originally published May 22, 2026 at 9:57 AM.