By Matt Shifman and Bob Ehalt

The $944,000 UAE Derby (G2), Saturday, Meydan – Race 5 – 9:50 a.m. ET

The UAE Derby is a [100-40-30-20-10] points qualifier on the road to the 2023 Kentucky Derby. A field of 13 was drawn including two from Doug O’Neill and one from Bob Baffert. Worcester is ineligible to earn any Derby points because he is listed from the Baffert barn and the Feb. 28 deadline to be transferred has passed. Horses are listed by the Meydan program numbers. Be sure to pay attention to the horse names when you wager. (3) Cairo won his 2023 debut for Aidan O’Brien on the all-weather track at Dundalk. This is the same path that O’Brien used when he won this race with Mendelssohn. Ryan Moore will ride as O’Brien tries for his fourth win in the UAE Derby. (6) Dura Erede is one of five Japanese horses in this race. He was a Group 1 winner last year and won his only start on the dirt. He has a stalking style which is well-suited to this race. (11) Perriere was the winner of the most recent official points races on the Japanese road to the Kentucky Derby in his 2023 debut in February. (7) Go Soldier Go leads the local horses with victories in his last two stakes starts at Meydan. Betting strategy:  Exacta box: 3, 6, 7, 11. Trifecta box: 3, 6, 7, 11.