THE DAY AT THE RACES

After just missing in last year’s $10 million Dubai World Cup,

Monterosso ($73.60) got the money this year, when he easily rolled home a three-length winner over Capponi in the world’s richest horse race on Saturday.

Turning for home in the mile-and-a-quarter race, Capponi took the lead but proved no match for Monterosso, whose jockey

Mickael Barzalona stood up in the irons a few strides from the finish line, saluting the fans knowing victory was his.

Last year, Barzalona and Monterosso came up three-quarters of a length short when third. The win gave owner Sheikh

Mohammed his sixth victory in the World Cup.

The American hopefuls, the filly Royal Delta and Game on

Dude, finished ninth and 12th, respectively, in the 13-horse field, Royal Delta having to check early on.

Earlier on the card, tragedy struck when Sheikh Mohammed’s

Fox Hunt broke down during the running of the Dubai Gold Cup and had to be euthanized on the track.

The injury happened while the field was going past the stands for the first time, 300 yards into the two-mile race, and caused the race to be stopped — and, as it turned out, rerun after the World Cup. On the second try, Bronze

Cannon broke down and had to be euthanized, while Grand Vent was injured. The race was won by

Opinion Poll. Apprentice jockey Omar

Hernandez had a strong debut, winning aboard two of his four mounts in his first races in North America. The nephew of jockey

Cornelio Velasquez won 44 races at Panama before coming to New York.

Sandican became the first fatality over Aqueduct’s main track after injuring his left front leg during the running of the third race. He was vanned off and later euthanized.

Take Charge Lady ($ 17.40) earned a place in the starting gate for the May 5 Kentucky Derby after upsetting Saturday’s Florida Derby. Longshot Reveron held off heavy favorite Union Rags, who had a rough trip, for second.

The $1 million Louisiana Derby (race 10) from the Fair Grounds will be run at 5:55 Sunday afternoon. The mile-and-aneighth race drew a field of 14 and features Mark Valeski, who came up a nose short in last month's Risen Star Stakes to El Padrino. Mark Valeski will be ridden by

Rosie Napravnik, who won last year’s Louisiana Derby aboard

Pants On Fire. My selections are Mark Valeski, Cigar Street, Z Dager and Rousing Sermon.