Creative Flair | Horse Racing Free Tips

Creative Flair Builds On Promise

Creative Flair (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) had always looked like a promising filly for Godolphin and Charlie Appleby last year at three, and she built on that promise on Friday at Meydan with a first pattern-race win in the G2 Balanchine S.

A winner in her second of two starts at two, Creative Flair won on Royal Ascot Trials day before finishing second in the one-mile Listed Michael Seely Memorial S. at York. Creative Flair stepped up to 2000 metres to earn a first black-type victory in the Listed Abingdon S. at Newbury before traveling to France to finish third in the G3 Prix Chloe in July. Her travels then took her to America, where she was third in the GIII Saratoga Oaks Invitational S. and fourth in the Jockey Club Oaks Invitational S. six weeks apart.

Making her first start since, Creative Flair and William Buick broke on top from their wide post but were soon overtaken by Stunning Beauty (Ire) (Shamardal). Keeping that rival within a length while racing wide down the backstretch, Creative Flair moved in closer and began to close the gap approaching the turn. Creative Flair took the lead from Stunning Beauty at the top of the stretch but had to call on her reserves as Saeed bin Suroor's Dubai Love (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) and last-out G2 Cape Verdi winner Pevensey Bay (Ger) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) commenced their runs. Creative Flair re-broke inside the final furlong, however, hitting the wire three-quarters of a length the good.

Pedigree Notes

Creative Flair is the second foal and first stakes winner out of Hidden Gold (Ire) (Shamardal), who has a 2-year-old full-sister to Creative Flair. Hidden Gold is a daughter of the Listed Pretty Polly S. winner and dual Oaks-placed Melikah (Ire) (Lammtarra), a daughter of the great Urban Sea and therefore a half-sister to Galileo (Ire) and Sea The Stars (Ire) and five other stakes winners including the Group 1-winning Black Sam Bellamy (Ire) and My Typhoon (Ire). Melikah is the second dam of Khawlah (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}), who was another star of the Dubai carnival for Godolphin, winning the G2 UAE Derby and G3 UAE Oaks before going on to foal Godolphin's Derby winner Masar (GB) (New Approach {Ire}). Other Group 1 winners on the page include the Cox Plate winner Sir Dragonet (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), Belmont Oaks winner Athena (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and Irish Oaks victress Bracelet (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}).

BALANCHINE PRESENTED BY LONGINES EVIDENZA-G2, $180,000, Meydan, 2-4, 3yo/up, f/m, 9fT, 1:47.99, gd.
1–CREATIVE FLAIR (IRE), 126, f, 4, by Dubawi (Ire)
                1st Dam: Hidden Gold (Ire) (SW & MGSP-Eng,
                                $211,207, by Shamardal
                2nd Dam: Melikah (Ire), by Lammtarra
                3rd Dam: Urban Sea, by Miswaki
1ST GROUP WIN. O/B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Charlie Appleby;
J-William Buick. $108,000. Lifetime Record: SW-Eng, 9-4-1-2,
$305,154. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Werk Nick Rating: A+.
2–Pevensey Bay (Ger), 130, m, 6, Footstepsinthesand (GB)–
Pachelbelle (Fr), by Anabaa. O/B-Julia & Jonathan Aisbitt (FR);
T-Hiroo Shimizu. $36,000.
3–Dubai Love (GB), 126, m, 5, Night of Thunder (Ire)–Devotion
(Ire), by Dylan Thomas (Ire). (120,000gns Wlg '17 TATFOA).
O-Godolphin; B-Petches Farm Ltd (GB); T-Saeed bin Suroor.
$18,000.
Margins: 3/4, NK, 2. Also Ran: Last Look (Ire), Soft Whisper (Ire), Silent Night (Swe), Dalanijujo (Ire), Wedding Dance (Ire), Mnasek, Stunning Beauty (Ire).
Click for the Emirates Racing chart. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO.

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Charlie Heats Up Carnival

GISW Hot Rod Charlie Preps For The Dubai World Cup
Doug O'Neill's Grade I winner Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow), one of five runners for the GI Kentucky Derby-winning trainer on Meydan's Dubai World Cup Carnival Friday card, is easily the highest-rated horse to compete on the day, and he gains the services of William Buick, Godolphin being without a runner in the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2. After finishing second at 100-1 in the 2020 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Hot Rod Charlie franked that form to be one of last year's most consistent and talented American 3-year-olds, albeit one of the most unlucky, too. Third in the GI Kentucky Derby, he set a burning pace in the GI Belmont S. only to be caught late on by Essential Quality, and though he crossed the wire first in the GI Haskell Invitational, he was disqualified and placed last, having changed paths too close to a rival in the stretch, causing the rival to clip heels and lose his rider. Hot Rod Charlie at last got his Grade I win in the Pennsylvania Derby, and was fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic and second by a nose when last seen in the GII San Antonio S. on Boxing Day. His ultimate goal for the carnival is the G1 Dubai World Cup at the end of March.

3-Year-Old Milers Face Off In Jumeirah Classic
Friday's third race at Meydan, the Listed Jumeirah Classic, could produce runners that make an impact during the European flat season. Godolphin's New Science (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) beat the subsequent dual Group 1 winner Angel Bleu (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}) when winning the Listed Pat Eddery S. at Ascot in July, and was last seen finishing fourth, beaten two lengths, in the G3 Prix la Rochette. The Charlie Appleby trainee locks horns with stablemate Sovereign Prince (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who broke his maiden at Epsom in September and enters off a win in the Jan. 14 1400-metre Jumeirah Classic Trial, with KHK Racing's Sed Maarib (American Pharoah) and Amo Racing's listed winner Mr Professor (Ire) (Profitable {Ire}) second and third that day. That duo were fourth and fifth to another Godolphin luminary in the lightly raced Island Falcon (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) from Saeed bin Suroor's stable, who took the Jumeirah Derby Trial over 1800 metres of turf on Jan. 21 in his third start.

Could Secret Image Be The Next Dark Angel Dirt Star?
Dark Angel (Ire) progeny have gotten off to a strong start this carnival, with Golden Goal (Ire) and Real World (Ire) winning pattern races within the first three weeks of the carnival. Golden Goal is one of 13 black-type winners for Dark Angel on the dirt, and with trainer Saeed bin Suroor keeping options open on both surfaces for Real World, it is very likely that Dark Angel could have two serious contenders for the Gulf region's most important dirt races this season. Another could emerge on Friday in Godolphin's Goodwood maiden winner Secret Image (Ire), who lines up in a weak renewal of the Al Bastakiya Trial on the G2 UAE Derby trail. Secret Image tries the dirt for the first time in his fourth start. His half-brother Gold Town (GB) (Street Cry {Ire}) won the 2018 G3 UAE 2000 Guineas, while his dam, the stakes winner and group-placed Pimpernel (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), was second in the Listed UAE 1000 Guineas in 2012. He will have William Buick in the irons for Charlie Appleby and leaves from gate 13.

Talented Creative Flair Seeks First Pattern Win
Creative Flair (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), a listed winner at Newbury last June, aims for her first win at the group level in the G2 Balanchine at Meydan. The Charlie Appleby trainee and great granddaughter of blue hen Arc heroine Urban Sea (Miswaki) led for most of the G3 Prix Chloe, but tired to be third in July, and was not beaten far in a pair of American outings to wrap up her 3-year-old campaign when third in the G3 Saratoga Oaks and fourth in the Jockey Club Oaks Invitational. Creative Flair returns against some stiff competition in the 1800-metre affair. Another Godolphin chance, Saeed bin Suroor charge Soft Whisper (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), put her stamp on the 2021 Listed UAE 1000 Guineas, while Al Rashid Stables' Mnasek (Empire Maker) is also looking for redemption, with her last win in the Feb. 18 G3 UAE Oaks. The pair were defeated in the G2 Cape Verdi by Pevensey Bay (Ger) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) for Hiroo Shimizu.

Click here for the group fields.

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Creative Flair, Harajuku Add European Flair To Saturday’s Jockey Club Oaks Invitational

Godolphin's Creative Flair and Flaxman Stable's Group 3 winner Harajuku will invade from across the pond when taking on five American-based contenders in Saturday's second running of the $700,000 Jockey Club Oaks Invitational going 1 3/8 miles over the inner turf at Belmont Park.

The Jockey Club Oaks Invitational is the final leg of the filly division of the NYRA's Turf Triple series for 3-year-olds, which also consists of the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational and Grade 3 Saratoga Oaks Invitational. Its male counterpart race, the $1 million Jockey Club Derby Invitational, also is scheduled for Saturday's 11-race card.

Trainer Charlie Appleby enjoyed success shipping Godolphin-owned Althiqa to New York this season, capturing the Grade 1 Longines Just a Game at Belmont Park and Grade 1 Diana at Saratoga.

For the Jockey Club Oaks, Appleby sends out Creative Flair, who was a last-out third in the Grade 3 Saratoga Oaks Invitational in her North American debut. The daughter of Dubawi, who was off a step slow, saved ground under Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith down the backstretch, angled several paths wide just past the quarter pole and finished third, beaten two lengths.

“The race didn't ever really set up for her. She jumped a little slowly and got a little bit of a knock,” said Appleby assistant Chris Connett. “The team wanted her to sit a bit closer to the pace than she ended up being and it just didn't pan out. She's had a nice break and seems fresh and well and ready to run a big race for us.”

Creative Flair was a three-time winner in England at distances ranging from seven furlongs to 1 ¼ miles. She ventured outside England for the first time when a close third in the Group 3 Prix Chloe on July 18 at Chantilly in France.

Connett said Creative Flair is arriving at Saturday's test in good order following her Saratoga effort.

“She traveled back to Newmarket with the rest of the team and had an easy week to 10 days before coming back to full training,” Connett said. “She clearly showed the right signs for Charlie to aim her back here. She's travelled well and I'm really happy with her. All systems go for Saturday.”

Connett said the wide, sweeping turns at Belmont should suit Creative Flair.

“I think this course will help any of the European horses in the race that are used to a slightly more galloping type track,” Connett said. “Hopefully, with a longer straight and ideally sitting a little closer, it should really help.”

An Irish homebred, Creative Flair is out of the Shamardal mare Hidden Gold, whose dam Melikah is a half-sister to the late internationally acclaimed stallion Galileo and 2009 Cartier Horse of the Year Sea the Stars.

Jockey Jamie Spencer ships stateside to pilot Creative Flair from post 1.

Flaxman Holdings' Harajuku will look to give France a second Jockey Club Oaks triumph, after Edisa shipped to capture the inaugural edition in 2019.

Trained by Andre Fabre, the bay daughter of Deep Impact captured the Group 3 Prix Cleopatre on May 1 at Saint-Cloud going 1 5/16 miles over next out Group 1 winner Incarville. She arrives off a narrow fourth in the Group Prix de la Nonette on August 23 at Deauville.

An Irish homebred, Harajuku is out of the Galileo mare Phaenomena, who is a full-sister to Group 1-winner Nightime – the dam of 2020 Cartier Horse of the Year Ghaiyyath and Grade 1-winner Zhukova.

Jockey Stephane Pasquier, who guided Wonderment to a runner-up effort in the inaugural Jockey Club Oaks in 2019, ships from France to engineer the trip from post 7.

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The Chad Brown-trained pair of Higher Truth and Shantisara are two of five other American-based contenders looking to defend their home turf.

Owned by Mike Ryan, Jeff Drown and Team Hanley, Higher Truth is the only filly to compete in all three legs of this year's filly division of the Turf Triple series. The daughter of Galileo was beaten by margins of less than a length in both the Belmont Oaks and Saratoga Oaks. After running third beaten a half-length to Santa Barbara in the Belmont Oaks, she missed by three-quarters of a length to Con Lima in the Saratoga Oaks, finishing second.

Higher Truth will be ridden by Jose Ortiz from post 2.

Shantisara, owned by Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables and Robert V. LaPenta, will see an increase in ground after making the grade in the Grade 3 Pucker Up at nine furlongs on August 14 at Arlington Park. The daughter of Coulsty made her second start in North America in the Pucker Up, which was her first victory on grass. Previously campaigned in France by trainer Frederic Rossi, Shantisara won twice over the all-weather surface at Chantilly and Marseille in her final two starts of last year.

Jockey Flavien Prat will ride from post 6.

Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey will give third-out maiden winner Baby Blythe a considerable jump in class following a seven-length romp on August 14 in a 1 3/16-mile maiden special weight at Saratoga.

Owned by Donald and Donna Adam's Courtlandt Farms, the daughter of American Pharoah displayed a devastating turn of foot around the far turn of her maiden score, going from a close fourth to in front by 5 ½ lengths at the next point of call. Third on debut in December at Aqueduct, Baby Blythe did not race until July 24 when sixth to subsequent stakes-winner Rastafara.

“Distance won't be an issue with her. She has a great turn-of-foot and had a half-sister [Family Way] who won going 10 ½ furlongs at Kentucky Downs,” McGaughey said. “She probably needed her second race since she hadn't run in so long. We got it in her and next time she won.”

Jockey Luis Saez, fresh off a riding title at Saratoga, will ride Baby Blythe from post 3.

Completing the field are Augustin Stables' Be Up [post 4, Irad Ortiz, Jr.], a two-time winner for trainer Jonathan Thomas, and Kaleem Shah's Madone [post 5, John Velazquez], a dual graded stakes winning West Coast invader for trainer Simon Callaghan.

The Jockey Club Oaks Invitational is slated as Race 9 on Saturday's 11-race card, which also features the $1 million Jockey Club Derby Invitational at 12 furlongs on turf in Race 10; as well as the $300,000 Grand Prix American Jockey Club Invitational at 13 furlongs on the main track in Race 4. First post is 1 p.m. Eastern.

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Con Lima Heads Competitive Bunch in Saratoga Oaks

Freshly minted Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher sends GI Belmont Oaks Invitational S. runner-up Con Lima (Commissioner) to target the GIII Saratoga Oaks Invitational S., the middle jewel of NYRA's Turf Tiara Series and upgraded in its third edition this year to graded status. At 1 3/16 miles, Sunday's Saratoga Oaks is just a hair shorter than the July 10 Belmont Oaks, in which Con Lima led but yielded in the final strides to Santa Barbara (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), who hailed from the powerful Aidan O'Brien barn with Group 1 form just two weeks prior in Ireland.

Coming off consecutive victories in Belmont's June 3 GIII Wonder Again S. and Gulfstream's May 1 Honey Ryder S. prior to the Belmont Oaks, Con Lima has the highest Beyer–89–of the American runners in the field. Her record stands at a stellar 11 first- or second-place finishes from 12 starts for her ownership group–Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Joseph F. Graffeo, Eric Nikolaus Del Toro, and Troy Johnson–but she's up against a couple of formidable Europeans in this spot.

Creative Flair (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) hails from the Charlie Appleby stable with three wins from her last five starts. After consecutive mile scores and a mile listed stakes placing in England, she stretched out to 10 furlongs and promptly notched her first stakes win. She shortened up to nine furlongs for the G3 Prix Chloe in France, getting run down at the end for a third. The Godolphin homebred gets Mike Smith in the irons to share morning-line favoritism with Con Lima. Godolphin won this race last year with Antoinette (Hard Spun).

Peter Brant's Rocky Sky (Ire) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}) has done little wrong, never off the board in four starts in Ireland and now makes her first appearance since a 1 1/4-mile win in a listed event Apr 25. She makes her American debut for new trainer Chad Brown, who has a stunning record with European imports on the stateside lawn.

Lightly raced Higher Truth (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is Brown's other runner here and has improved with every race. A second-out maiden win in April gave way to an allowance victory in June. She parlayed those two victories into a nose third behind Con Lima in her first stakes try in the Belmont Oaks.

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