2025 UAE Derby Betting Odds and Contenders Preview

The Road to the Kentucky Derby makes its annual visit to Meydan for the UAE Derby on Dubai World Cup night: Saturday, April 5. The race offers a $1 million purse, as well as 100-50-25-15-10 Europe and Middle East Road to the Kentucky Derby points. This is a change from previous years, since the race used to be part of the American prep structure; basically, it means the winner is assured a place in the Kentucky Derby, though not underneath finishers unless the winner defects.

The UAE Derby drew a field of nine to go 1900 meters, or about 1 3/16 miles, on the dirt. Leading contenders include Gotham Stakes (G3) winner Flood Zone, Saudi Derby (G3) second-place finisher Shin Forever, and Al Bastakiya top two, Galactic Star and Heart of Honor.

No UAE Derby winner has yet won the Kentucky Derby, though 2024 winner Forever Young missed in the Run for the Roses by a pair of noses, and went on to win the Saudi Cup (G1) this year.

Others have likewise won other major races around the world on both turf and dirt. Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) winner Mendelssohn went on to win the 2018 UAE Derby. Thunder Snow, who won the UAE Derby in 2017, went on to win the Dubai World Cup (G1) each of the next two years. Rebel’s Romance, who won this dirt race in 2021, went on to win the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) the next year.

With the Derby less than a month away, discover top Kentucky Derby Contenders and review updated Kentucky Derby Odds to make your winning wager.

2025 UAE Derby Information

• Race Date: Saturday, April 5, 2025
• Track: Meydan Racecourse
• Post Time: 11:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time
• Distance: 1900 meters / 1 3/16 miles
• Age/Sex: three-year-olds
• Where to Watch: FanDuel TV, Fox Sports 1
• Where to Bet: FanDuel Racing

UAE Derby Odds

These are the entrants for the 2025 Dubai World Cup, including trainers, jockeys, and post positions for each horse. Note that, at Meydan, post positions and betting numbers are not necessarily the same.

The Dubai Racing Club does not offer on-track betting at Meydan due to local customs and regulations. However, there is World Pool pari-mutuel wagering on the UAE Derby, and a morning line has been released for that betting.

UAE Derby Prep Results

The nine entrants in the UAE Derby come out of six different prep races.

The race with the most last-out runners is the Hyacinth Stakes at Tokyo, part of the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby. Though, top two finishers, Luxor Cafe and Promised Gene, do not travel to Dubai, the next three horses across the wire do: Don in the Mood, Admire Daytona, and Dragon. The other prep with multiple horses coming out of it is the Al Bastakiya, a local prep for the UAE Derby. Galactic Star dug in to narrowly last over Heart of Honor, both of whom return for the UAE Derby.

Two others come out of wins in the United Arab Emirates. UAE Oaks (G3) winner Queen Azteca faces boys for the first time, and Rafid steps up off of a win in a conditions race at Jebel Ali.

The other two come out of stakes races abroad. Flood Zone was last seen winning the Gotham (G3) at Aqueduct, while Shin Forever will try to do one better than his second-place finish in the Saudi Derby (G3).

UAE Derby Contenders

These are the contenders in the UAE Derby, organized by wagering numbers:

1. Admire Daytona: His fourth-place finish in the Hyacinth was his first attempt against winners. He was no match after settling well off the pace, but his earlier races were better when he was able to get closer up to the pace. He still has class to prove, but if he is able to get a spot somewhere closer to the pace than last time, especially since Meydan can be speed-friendly, he could turn in a better effort.
2. Don in the Mood: He finished third as a rank outsider in the Hyacinth Stakes, only two lengths beaten by Japan’s leading three-year-old, Luxor Cafe. His in-range running style should play well. But, being mired down on the rail may make it hard to find that good stalking spot.
3. Dragon: He finished fifth and last in the Hyacinth last out, chasing but not kicking on enough to prove a threat. However, he made better efforts earlier in his career over 1 ⅛- and 1 ¼-mile trips; the Hyacinth was only a mile, but now he gets the extra distance. He also gets Yutaka Take back in the irons, who rode him for his two better efforts earlier in his career. These give him leeway to improve.
4. Flood Zone: The only horse shipping out from the United States for the UAE Derby, he won the Gotham last out at the one-turn mile and steps up in trip for this race. This won’t be an easy first spot at two turns, but there is some pedigree interest, being by Frosted out of a Curlin mare from the family of Tiz Miz Sue. His running style is a positive, too; there isn’t a ton of speed in this race, and his sharp American one-turn dirt speed may give him his own way on the front end.
5. Galactic Star: He held off the more fancied Heart of Honor in the local prep, taking advantage of that one getting a bad start. He still has to prove that he is good enough to beat that one on his best day, but his tactical speed is a plus, he can get a clean outside trip, and locally based trainer Bhupat Seemar always comes strong to Dubai World Cup day, giving him some possibility to run another good effort.
6. Heart of Honor: One of the better-regarded horses through the three-year-old racing season at Meydan, Heart of Honor has been a hot favorite in all four of his starts at Meydan. The good news is, he’s a late runner who reliably fires. The bad news is, he has a tendency to break poorly, leaving him with too much to do at the end, sometimes too much to do. The fact that the pace looks like it won’t be hotly contested is another reason he could be an underlay, given his closing style.
7. Rafid: He was regarded well enough by his connections to debut in a stakes race at Gulfstream, and he raced in four stakes before finally breaking his maiden March 16 in a conditions race at Jebel Ali. Perhaps the light is coming on, but he has been well beaten in both of his starts at Meydan, including a 40-length drubbing by Galactic Star and Heart of Honor in the Al Bastakiya two starts back. He has a lot to find at this class level.
8. Shin Forever: Based in Japan, he won on debut at a mile on the grass at Niigata. He tried dirt for the first time only last out, when he was a clear second behind Golden Vekoma in the Saudi Derby. Being by Complexity out of a Pulpit mare, it’s no surprise he took to dirt. However, the Complexity progeny have been very distance-limited so far, meaning taking him at a short price going 1 3/16 miles raises questions, especially since the female family tends to show class at middle, not Classic, distances.
9. Queen Azteca: The winner of the UAE Oaks, Queen Azteca faces males for the first time in her career in the UAE Derby. She has been consistently good over the track at Meydan, though she may find it difficult to get all the way there with her late-running style, and she is facing better-rated horses than she has seen in the filly ranks. She will need a serious step forward to contend with this company.

UAE Derby Past Winners Past Performances

When figuring out prep race trends, focus on runnings of this race since 2015, as that was the first year Meydan switched to a dirt track from synthetic. In the nine runnings since the switch back to dirt, four of the winners came out of victories in their last start, with only one since 2018.

The Saudi Derby and the Hyacinth have been key preps. Three next-out UAE Derby winners have come out of the Saudi Derby: Forever Young (2024) won it, Derma Sotogake (2023) was third, and Rebel’s Romance (2021) was fourth. Crown Pride (2022) rebounded from a sixth in the Hyacinth at Tokyo in this spot, while Lani (2016) won this after running fifth in the Hyacinth.

Two other dirt-era winners won the UAE Derby off a victory in a local prep at Meydan. Thunder Snow (2017) won the UAE 2000 Guineas before winning this race, while Mubtaahij (2015) prepared with a win in the Al Bastikiya.

Mendelssohn (2018), shipping in for Aidan O’Brien, came out of a win in the Patton Stakes at Dundalk, a European Road to the Kentucky Derby race. Plus Que Parfait, the only recent UAE Derby winner to come out of a start in the United States, improved off of a 13th-place outing in the Risen Star (G2) at Fair Grounds.

UAE Derby Card

The UAE Derby is the fifth of nine races on Saturday’s blockbuster card at Meydan. Every single race on the card is a group stakes with a seven-figure purse, making it one of the richest race days of the year.

The centerpiece is the $12 million Dubai World Cup (G1), run as the ninth and final on the card. Other major features include the Dubai Turf (G1) for middle-distance turf horses, the Dubai Sheema Classic (G1) for turf routers, the Dubai Gold Cup (G2) for marathoners, the Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) for dirt sprinters, the Al Quoz Sprint (G1) for turf sprinters, the Godolphin Mile (G1) for dirt milers, and the Dubai Kahayla Classic (G1) for purebred Arabians.

With such important races at Meydan earlier in the day, and major cards at Aqueduct and Santa Anita into the afternoon, it is a great weekend to watch on FanDuel TV and wager through FanDuel!

About Meydan

Across the city from Dubai International Airport, the Meydan track opened in 2010 and was built to replace the less modern Nad al Sheba. The UAE Derby experience features some of the most glamorous accommodations in world horse racing. The sprawling venue includes a golf course, five-star hotel, and a horse racing museum. There are 285 rooms at the hotel, which overlooks the racetrack. The Meydan meeting runs from November through March each year, with the Carnival portion of the meet running from January through March, and then trainers go off to places like the United Kingdom, Germany, and South Africa to pursue the rest of the season.

UAE Derby FAQ

Q: When and where is the UAE Derby?

A: The 2025 UAE Derby will be run on Saturday, April 5, at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is the fifth race on the card and is scheduled to start at 11:00 a.m. EDT. That is a later start time than usual, a precaution Meydan is taking due to hot midday weather.

Q: Which trainer has the most wins in the UAE Derby?

A: Saeed bin Suroor leads all trainers with eight wins, most recently in 2017 with Thunder Snow. He does not have an entrant this year. Among trainers with horses running in 2025, Mikio Matsunaga is the only one who has won before. He won in 2016 with Lani, and returns in 2025 with Dragon.

Q: Who is the favorite for the UAE Derby?

A: Off his victory in the Gotham, Flood Zone is the early favorite in international markets for the UAE Derby and the 9-5 morning-line favorite. Shin Forever (3-1), the Saudi Derby runner-up, and Heart of Honor (4-1), the classiest of the locals, may also take interest in the markets.

Q: Who is the best UAE Derby jockey?

A: Christophe Soumillon leads all jockeys with three victories in this race, but does not take a call in 2025. Among riders in this edition, three have won it once before. Ryusei Sakai, who won with Forever Young (2024), rides Don in the Mood. Christophe Lemaire, winner with Derma Sotogake (2023), will be in the saddle with Admire Daytona. Yutaka Take, rider of Lani (2016), takes the call on Dragon.

Q: Who won the 2024 UAE Derby?

A: Forever Young won the 2024 UAE Derby for trainer Yoshito Yahagi and jockey Ryusei Sakai. Yahagi does not have a UAE Derby horse this year, but Sakai rides Don in the Mood for Teiichi Konno.

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