Since seeing its purse raised to $3 million back in 2024, European-based runners have dominated the Nashville Derby, with Bellum Justum (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and Wimbledon Hawkeye (GB) (Kameko) taking down the top prize, each time with the now-retired Frankie Dettori in the irons.Saturday's contest, to be run over the extended mile and a quarter at over the undulating Kentucky Downs turf course, has been upgraded to Grade II status for this running, and those that have made the trans-Atlantic journey for some of Europe's top outfits look to have their American rivals over a barrel on class.The Coolmore contingent's Causeway (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) marks a first Kentucky Downs runner for Ryan Moore and second for Aidan O'Brien and on the standard he sets at home, is the one they'll have to beat.After a debut fourth behind stablemate and future G1 Betfred Derby hero Christmas Day (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) at Ireland's Gowran Park last September, the homebred went on a five-race tear, including a narrow victory in the G2 King Edward VII S. at Royal Ascot June 19. He most recently retreated to seventh in the G1 Grand Prix de Paris on Bastille Day July 14, and should find these waters considerably calmer.Ibrahim Araci's Glacius (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) was a lesser-known and less-accomplished commodity in Europe, with solid–if not sparkling–performances heretofore. A good fourth to the now-retired Bow Echo (Ire) (Night of Thunder{Ire}) in listed company last season, the homebred was third in Royal Ascot's G3 Hampton Court Stakes June 18 and filled the same spot in a key renewal of the Listed Gala Stakes at Sandown July 3, where the winner and second home each went on to next-out stakes scores.Glacius made the trip across for the GI Saratoga Derby and was let go at a generous 19-2, but he was sent straight into the lead by Luis Saez and made every yard of the running in the 9 1/2-furlong heat, scoring by 1 1/4 lengths.“Well, we've taken it one race at a time with him,” said trainer Hugo Palmer, who was winning his first race in the States from 16 starters. “I don't think it escapes anybody's notice that the Nashville Derby is worth more than any other 3-year-old contest in the entire United States outside the Kentucky Derby. It's worth an absolute fortune. So it's a thrill to have a horse good enough to compete in these sort of races. And after he won at Saratoga, this is always on his agenda. This horse loves traveling, so we said, 'let's go to Kentucky.'”The Joseph O'Brien-conditioned Nil Bua Gan Dua (American Pharoah), a latest winner of the Listed Marble City Stakes at Gowran July 25 and treble German group scorer Gostam (Ger) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) round out the European challenge with something to find on the top two.FMQ Stables' Royal Guard (Essential Quality) will enjoy this middle distance, having graduated over 12 furlongs at Churchill in June before tacking on a mile-and-a-quarter allowance at Ellis July 17. Fancy Sailor (Justify) exits a one-length defeat of Royal Causeway (Not This Time) in the Aug. 2 Water Tower Stakes at the Peapatch.Cy Fair Gets Stamina Test In Music CityCy Fair (Not This Time) has the rail and is the 6-5 morning-line chalk in Saturday's $1.5-million GII Music City Stakes at Kentucky Downs, but some gamblers are likely to be willing to take a crack against her as she attempts a distance as far as these 6 1/2 furlongs for the first time in her career.Last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint heroine was given something of a questionable, on-pace ride when a comebacking third in the GIII Limestone Stakes at Keeneland in April, but she has been unstoppable since, with rallying successes in the GIII Mamzelle Stakes at Churchill Downs and a convincing 2 1/2-length defeat of Sapphire Beach (Ire) (No Nay Never) in Saratoga's GIII Coronation Cup Stakes in easy ground July 18.Kelsey Danner and John Ballantyne's NBS Stable finished runner-up in the 2023 Music City with Danse Macabre and will try to go one better with Ground Support, who broke her maiden at this meet last year at 100-1. Both fillies are coincidentally by Army Mule–Ground Support is out of a daughter of Arch, while Danse Macabre's dam is by Arch's top son Blame.BC Berths At Stake In Kentucky and New YorkThe program at Kentucky Downs, with total purse money in excess of $11 million (for KTDF-eligible horses), features a pair of Breeders' Cup Challenge Series races.The richest race on the program is the $3-million GII Kentucky Turf Cup and a fascinating renewal is headlined by Burnham Square (Liam's Map), who has won four of his five outings since just missing in last year's Nashville Derby.Those four victories have come in succession, and the most dominating of them have come at Saturday's 12-furlong trip in the GIII Elkhorn Stakes and GIII Louisville Stakes. The Whitham homebred became a dual-surface Grade I winner in his latest, finishing up strongly to post a half-length tally in the GI Arlington Million over a mile and a quarter at Colonial Downs Aug. 1.Burnham Square | Coady MediaAdding significant intrigue is the rail-drawn 6-year-old mare Tiffany (Ire) (Farhh {GB}) for Newmarket-based trainer Sir Mark Prescott and jockey Luke Morris, who guided Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}) to a famous victory in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe for the affable conditioner in her career swansong in 2022.A Group 2 winner in Germany in the second half of 2024, Tiffany posted no fewer than five consecutive runner-up efforts from last September through this July, but she most recently followed in the hoofprints of Alpinista by coming away with the G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin at Hoppegarten Aug. 9. It was recently announced that Tiffany will be among the boutique offerings during the Sceptre Sessions at the upcoming Tattersalls December Mares Sale.The field also includes defending champion Ole Crazy Bone (Ghostzapper), who narrowly defeated Fort George (GB) (Territories {Ire}) in the GII Bowling Green Stakes July 11; and Ethical Diamond (Ire) (Awtaad {Ire}), a former hurdler turned unlikely winner of the 2025 GI Breeders' Cup Turf. The legendary Willie Mullins has engaged Ryan Moore for the ride, who was aboard for his last-out score in the G3 Ballyroan Stakes at Leopardstown Aug. 6.The first of the afternoon's five graded contests at Kentucky Downs is the GII Turf Sprint and the six-furlong dash has also attracted a full gate, headed by Troubleshooting (Not This Time).A homebred for Donamire Farm, the dark bay will look to run his record to two wins from as many tries over this unique layout, having bested Golden Afternoon (Goldencents) by a half-length to take out last year's then-Grade I Franklin-Simpson Stakes. He has not tasted victory since adding last year's GIII Bryan Station Stakes over a mile, but he has posted competitive figures in completing the triple in the June 6 Mighty Beau Stakes at Churchill Downs and the Tri-State Turf Sprint Stakes at Ellis Aug. 2.My Boy Prince (Cairo Prince) is a big player here with anything approaching the 101 Beyer he earned when landing Keeneland's GII Shakertown Stakes this past spring. He most recently snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in the D. G. Van Clief Stakes at Colonial Aug. 1.There is 'Win and You're In' action at Saratoga where juvenile fillies take to the track for the GI Spinaway Stakes.The betting figures to be dominated by a pair of 'TDN Rising Stars' presented by Hagyard. Summer Starlet (City of Light) turned in one of the faster debuts of the summer when pulling away through the final furlong to open her account by some 6 1/2 lengths at first asking here on Aug. 8, good for an 87 Beyer Speed Figure.Life Changing (Life Is Good), a $1.025-million Fasig-Tipton Saratoga purchase just over a year ago, was similarly impressive on her Aug. 1 bow, getting the six furlongs in a crisp 1:10.51, which graded out at an 84 Beyer. She has worked three times since and Flavien Prat will have options from the outside gate.Harper's Corner (Speaker's Corner) aired on Laurel debut June 12, becoming the first winner for her sire (by Street Sense), but looked a different proposition altogether when wiring the July 3 Schuylerville Stakes by better than five lengths (88 Beyer).Miss Monica Tough To Go Past In DebutanteMiss Monica (Early Voting), who cost the 'Three Amigos'–Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman–$850,000 at this year's OBS April Sale (see Summer Breezes), figures a warm favorite in Saturday's GI Del Mar Debutante on the final weekend of racing at the seaside oval.The dark bay filly made a first dent in that investment when running out a 5 3/4-length winner over Well Versed (Into Mischief–Vequist) in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden on Aug. 9, becoming a 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard.Miss Monica | Benoit“Miss Monica was really impressive,” noted Baffert, a 12-time winner of the Debutante, including the last two runnings and five of the last seven. “We knew she was good. She tipped her hand in the mornings. She's a big, beautiful filly.“Second out is very important,” Baffert added. “That second out really tells the story. I've had a lot of them either go backwards or forward and she needs to move forward. She'll be running against winners now but she's going into it great.”The favorite is joined by her GIII Sorrento Stakes-winning stablemate Holmby (Corniche) and three shippers from east of the Mississippi, including Ohio-bred stakes winner and $200,000 OBS April grad Panda Listen (Tiz the Law), one of two in the race for trainer Brendan Walsh.'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Shadow Nation (Ire) (Sioux Nation) is the 5-2 morning-line favorite as he stretches out for Saturday's GIII Del Mar Juvenile Turf. Baffert gives the maiden Hoaxer (Charlatan) the benefit of the doubt off a troubled debut runner-up effort sprinting five furlongs here on Aug. 27, while Cal-bred Golden Sentry (Halladay) and Off in the Corner (Karakontie {Jpn}) step up in class and trip after successful debuts going short.The post Euros Look To Continue Stranglehold On Nashville Derby appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.