Dubai Road to Kentucky Derby, UAE Oaks on tap at Meydan Friday

Feb 19, 2026 Kellie Reilly/Brisnet.com

Triple Crown nominee Salloom romps in his unveiling at Meydan (Photo by Dubai Racing Club)

The Dubai Carnival card at Meydan on Friday includes scoring races for Kentucky Derby (G1) and Kentucky Oaks (G1) hopefuls.

Added to the Euro/Mideast Road for the first time, the Dubai Road to the Kentucky Derby S. offers points on the 20-10-6-4-2 scale to the top five finishers. The about 1 3/16-mile test, formerly known as the Al Bastakiya, serves as a course-and-distance stepping stone to the March 28 UAE Derby (G2) – the grand finale on the Euro/Mideast Road.

The UAE Oaks (G3), the lone international race on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks, is worth points on a 50-25-15-10-5 basis.

You can watch and wager on Meydan racing at TwinSpires.com. The UAE Oaks is set as the third race (9:50 a.m. ET), with the Dubai Road to the Kentucky Derby S. carded as the seventh race (12:10 p.m. ET).

Dubai Road to the Kentucky Derby S.

Smashing debut winner Salloom spearheads a five-strong posse for trainer Bhupat Seemar. The Kentucky-bred son of 2020 Kentucky Derby champion Authentic is one of three Triple Crown nominees entered, along with stablemates Lino Padrino and Omaha Front.

Salloom was scratched from his intended debut Dec. 19, when he acted up in the gate, but he graduated impressively in fast time on Jan. 30. Stable rider Tadhg O’Shea sticks with the $600,000 OBS March juvenile purchase.

Oh, my …

𝐒𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐌 (Authentic) turns on the style in the Jafza Logistics Park Maiden ⚡️

A horse of serious potential for @BhupatSeemar and @OsheaTadhg #DubaiCarnival pic.twitter.com/hH92eWLEfS

— Dubai Racing Club (@RacingDubai) January 30, 2026

While Salloom is stretching out in distance from 1600 meters (a “metric mile”), Seemar’s main concern is how he handles the starting gate.

“Salloom is doing great, and I think he came out of the last race really well,” Seemar told the Dubai Racing Club. “He’s ready to go again and take his chance, but I hope he behaves in the gate – that’s the biggest thing.”

New Jersey-bred Lino Padrino comes off a fourth in the Jan. 23 UAE 2000 Guineas (G3) behind another Seemar trainee, Six Speed, the Triple Crown-nominated leader on the Euro/Mideast Road. Six Speed is awaiting the UAE Derby.

Several others in Friday’s field also competed in the UAE Guineas – fifth-placer Raajehh from the Michael Costa yard; sixth Al Khawaneej; eighth Brotherly Love, a half-brother to Heart of Honor, last year’s runner-up in this race and in the UAE Derby for Jamie Osborne; 10th-placer Duke of Immatin; and 12th Senator of State, who was trying dirt for the first time in his local debut for Seemar.

Newcomers to the Euro/Mideast Road include Seemar’s Triple Crown nominee Omaha Front, who has won two straight at Jebel Ali; stablemate Watch Collector, a recent maiden winner at this track and trip; British-based Knight of Glory, who scored over Lingfield’s Polytrack but finished sixth in his Meydan debut in the Guineas Trial; and a pair of maidens in Sary Shayan, a distant third behind Salloom, and Fire d’Oro.

Knight of Glory’s trainer, David Menuisier, said that he skipped the UAE 2000 Guineas by design.

“Knight of Glory broke his maiden over a mile at Lingfield, and I was eager to run him in the Guineas Trial to teach him how to handle kickback,” Menuisier said of the new experience of feeling the spray of dirt. “The (about seven-furlong) trip was far too short for him, but despite this, he finished off his race really well, having been outpaced most of the way.

“He showed a little bit of greenness/temperament behind the stalls, and that’s why I bypassed the Guineas, to give him time to digest the trip and the race and everything else.

“He’s been doing a lot of stalls work and has been absolutely grand. The trip will definitely suit him, and I think he has a lot more to offer if he behaves himself. He’s definitely a horse to keep on the right side of.”

Rammaas and Awesome Fleet have been scratched.

UAE Oaks (G3)

Labwah and Tjareed, who fought out the finish in the Jan. 16 Cocoa Beach S., renew their rivalry in the UAE Oaks. Although Tjareed appeared to get the upper hand, Labwah battled back gamely to prevail by a head.

The Cocoa Beach was over a metric mile, and Labwah’s trainer, Salem bin Ghadayer, believes that the added ground of the about 1 3/16-mile UAE Oaks helps her cause.

“Labwah is super,” bin Ghadayer said of the Charlatan filly, who previously captured the Shahama S. Dec. 19.

“There are only positives between her last run (in the Cocoa Beach) and Friday. She has a nice draw (on the rail), and from there she can follow the pace, or lead, and I’m confident the extra 300 meters will be a plus too.”

Re-match! 💥

Cocoa Beach Stakes first and second LABWAH and TJAREED have both been entered for the G3 UAE Oaks on Friday.

Entries: https://t.co/pbLpnGOAkC#DubaiCarnival pic.twitter.com/aJCgLjs9Se

— Dubai Racing Club (@RacingDubai) February 17, 2026

They pulled well clear of the rest in the Cocoa Beach, so the others from that prep – Dozalla (third), Yuno (fourth), Pretty and Famous (sixth), and Auntie Fair (seventh) – need to improve substantially to turn the tables. Auntie Fair has since tried the boys in a maiden and wound up fifth behind Watch Collector.

Their one new rival, Dialed to Dubai, just missed in a Jebel Ali maiden. The Ahmad bin Harmash filly is eligible to show more going longer, second time out.