Pinehurst, winner of the Runhappy Del Mar Futurity (G1) last summer, scored a front-running triumph in the $1.5 million Saudi Derby Presented by Al Rahji Bank (G3) Feb. 26 at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh.
Coming off a second in the San Vicente Stakes (G2) Jan. 20 at Santa Anita, Pinehurst overcame his wide post 11 in the 14-horse field to grab the lead early with pressure from I Am Magic and Consigliere in close pursuit.
With a slim lead into the straight, Pinehurst dug in and held strong for a half-length win from Sekifu, with fellow Japanese runner Consigliere taking third.
Pinehurst, a son of Twirling Candy out of Giant Win, by Giant's Causeway, with Flavian Prat aboard, covered the one-turn 1,600 meters in 1:38.12 and paid $4.40 in North American pools. He closed 2021 with a fifth in the TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1) Nov. 5 after taking the Del Mar Futurity by 4 1/2 lengths.
“He is all speed,” said Jimmy Barnes, assistant to trainer Bob Baffert, said of Pinehurst. “He was very good at the gate and did what he needed to do. He got a clean break and if you are going to beat us, you have to pass us, and he was able to stay in the lead the whole way. They [the Japanese] were coming again; well, they had enough for the day, so spread it around! Luckily he had enough heart and stamina to hold off the Japanese.
“This was our expectation. We came over here with a serious horse and he seemed to handle everything well–the shipping, the paddock, the van to come over for the race, the gate. Well, he left the gate running. I couldn't be happier.”
Baffert said the UAE Derby (G2) on the Dubai World Cup card March 26 at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse was likely next for Pinehurst.
Pinehurst is campaigned by a large partnership that includes SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Robert E. Masterson, Stonestreet Stables, Jay A. Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital, Donovan, Catherine, Golconda Stable, Siena Farm. Bred in Kentucky by Fred Hertrich III and John John D. Fielding, his record improves three wins from five career starts.
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