Midshipman, Vineyard Haven top UAE Derby nominations

Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) star MIDSHIPMAN (Unbridled's Song) and VINEYARD

HAVEN (Lido Palace [Chi]) top a list of 154 nominees to the $2 million U.A.E.

Derby (UAE-G2) on March 28 at Nad al Sheba. The about 1 1/8-mile affair on Dubai

World Cup night has fielded nominations from a total of 14 countries.

Midshipman and Vineyard Haven are finalists for an Eclipse Award as champion

two-year-old male. Both were transferred to Godolphin after their triumphs and

are currently wintering at the operation's headquarters in Dubai.

Prior to joining Saeed bin Suroor, Midshipman captured the Del Mar Futurity

(G1) and Breeders' Cup Juvenile for Bob Baffert, while Vineyard Haven romped in

the Hopeful S. (G1) and Champagne S. (G1) for Bobby Frankel.

Other Godolphin nominees include Sanford S. (G2) winner DESERT PARTY (Street

Cry [Ire]) and REGAL RANSOM (Distorted Humor), the respective one-two finishers

from a key conditions race at Nad al Sheba on Thursday; JOSE ADAN (Crypto Star),

who finished first but was disqualified to second in the Arlington-Washington

Futurity (G3); Sunday Silence S. winner CITY STYLE (City Zip), most recently

fourth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf; and the filly SARA LOUISE (Malibu

Moon), who landed the Pocahontas S. (G3) and finished second in the Golden Rod

S. (G2).

Leading the American-based nominees are Baffert's PIONEEROF THE NILE (Empire

Maker) and the Jeff Mullins-trained I WANT REVENGE (Stephen Got Even), the

respective top two in the CashCall Futurity (G1).

Doug O'Neill's notable nominees are Breeders' Futurity (G1) winner SQUARE

EDDIE (Smart Strike), subsequently second in both the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and

San Rafael S. (G3), and California Derby runner-up AXEL FOLEY (Officer).

Todd Pletcher has nominated 15 horses, chief among them Champagne S. (G1)

runner-up MUNNINGS (Speightstown), while Kiaran McLaughlin's nominees include

Jimmy Winkfield S. hero TAQARUB (Aldebaran).

Kenny McPeek's Gulfstream allowance winners DANGER TO SOCIETY (Harlan's

Holiday), FREE COUNTRY (Big Country) and THEREGOESJOJO (Brahms) are among his

slate of nominees.

A pair of Steve Klesaris fillies also hold nominations --  Frizette S.

(G1) heroine SKY DIVA (Sky Mesa), who has finished third in the Breeders' Cup

Juvenile Fillies (G1) and Demoiselle S. (G2) in her past two, and Tempted S.

(G3) romper LIVIN LOVIN (Birdstone).

The U.A.E. Derby is the final jewel of the country's Triple Crown. The first

two legs are the $250,000 U.A.E. Two Thousand Guineas (UAE-G3) on February 12

and the $250,000 Al Bastakiya on March 5.

Godolphin is already planning a multi-pronged attack on the Two Thousand

Guineas, with Vineyard Haven, Desert Party and Regal Ransom all aiming for the

about one-mile classic.