Tag: Godolphin Mile

Saudi Crown, Bold Journey On To Dubai, Skelly Back To The States

Trainer Brad Cox confirmed that FMQ Stables' Saudi Crown (Always Dreaming), a brave third in the G1 Saudi Cup after setting bruising fractions up front, has shipped to Dubai and has settled in at Meydan Raceourse. The $45,000 Keeneland January short-yearling turned $240,000 OBS April breezer holds an entry for the G1 Dubai World Cup, where he would face a rematch with the two horses that finished ahead of him last weekend–Senor Buscador (Mineshaft) and Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}). But Cox aid that the tentatively target is the Mar. 30 G2 Godolphin Mile.

“We were very proud of his effort and he came out of the race in good order,” trainer Brad Cox said by phone Monday. “So we packed him up, he landed safely in Dubai, and we are leaning towards the Godolphin Mile.”

The grey colt saw out nine furlongs well enough to take out last year's GI Pennsylvania Derby, and although well-beaten in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, rebounded with a strong victory in the GIII Louisiana S. to punch his ticket to Riyadh. Hard-sent to the lead in the Saudi Cup, Saudi Crown covered the opening 800 meters in :46.01–with no run-up–and held on stubbornly to be right in the finish. But it will be less distance and not more on Mar. 30.

“When you're running against the best horses in the world,” Cox said, “we think that the answer to that question is to run him over a mile.”

Among the horses he could face is defending champion Isolate (Mark Valeski), a meritorious sixth in the Saudi Cup.

 

 

 

As a result of his outstanding third-place effort behind Japan's Remake (Jpn) (Lani) and top American sprinter Skelly (Practical Joke) in Saturday's G3 Riyadh Dirt Sprint, Pantofel Stable, Adam Wachtel and Gary Barber's Bold Journey (Hard Spun) has been invited to run in the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen Mar. 30. The 5-year-old arrived in the Emirates in good order Monday, Wachtel said.

“He came out of the race in good order, little bit scraped up, there was a little collision there at the gate, but nothing at all serious,” Wachtel said of the Bill Mott trainee.

The New York-bred, who was briefly on the Triple Crown trail in 2022, has found his best form over six furlongs, and won three straight in the Big Apple in late fall and early winter, including the GIII Fall Highweight H. Nov. 24 and the Dec. 30 Gravesend S. He settled well back in the run in the Riyadh Dirt Sprint, as Skelly locked horns with the top Saudi-based sprinter Rebellious Stage (Justify), but came with a solid rally nearer the inside to fill third spot, beaten three lengths for all of it.

“We thought if he performed well he might get an invite and that it might make some sense for a couple of reasons: we are already kind of there and we established that he is a serious sprinter,” Wachtel said. “I feel like he's improving and he did us very proud and I think he earned the right to run in a race like [the Golden Shaheen].”

Wachtel is looking forward to the opportunity, even if pre-existing commitments will mean he will be in abstentia.

Bold Journey and Saudi Crown galloping in Riyadh | Horsephotos

“We're pretty excited about it, he seems to be turning into the horse we'd hoped he would,” Wachtel said. “I don't know if he's good enough to do what he just did in Dubai, but we think it's a great move. I hope that at the end of the year, we're in the conversation as one of the best sprinters in the country.  Hopefully he'll take to Dubai as he did to Saudi Arabia and he'll come running down the lane.”

The Wachtel part-owned and Mott-conditioned Long On Value (Value Plus) missed by a zop in the 2017 G1 Al Quoz Sprint, while Gray Magician (Graydar), also campaigned by Wachtel in partnership, completed a U.S.-bred 1-2 behind Plus Que Parfait (Point of Entry) in the 2019 G2 UAE Derby.

Skelly, a game second after making the running last Saturday, is booked on a Chicago-bound flight this coming Thursday and will therefore pass on the Golden Shaheen, trainer Steve Asmussen said Monday.

“I thought he gave it a great effort. We want to get him back in a winning spot and there is a valuable spot at Oaklawn to do just that,” Asmussen said, likely referring to the $500,000 GIII Count Fleet Sprint H. Apr. 13. “We were very proud of his effort, but we thought it was very important to get him back winning and he's won seven in a row at Oaklawn. If he had won, we would probably have gone on, but he didn't, so we'll bring him back home.”

Asmussen indicated that the same two-race sequence in the Middle East in a strong possibility for 2025.

Among those also returning to the states are Saudi Cup fourth National Treasure (Quality Road) to point for a summer campaign; narrow Saudi Derby runner-up Book'em Danno (Bucchero), who is reportedly headed to the $600,000 GII Pat Day Mile on the Kentucky Derby undercard May 4; and White Abarrio (Race Day), 10th in the Saudi Cup who has a repeat in the GI Whitney S. as a long-term objective.

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Rosario Picks Up Saudi Cup Mount

Joel Rosario has picked up the ride on RRR Racing's Isolate (Mark Valeski) for Saturday's $20-million G1 Saudi Cup at King Abdulaziz Racecourse, his agent Ron Anderson confirmed in a text message Monday.

The 6-year-old Isolate made the first 12 starts of his career in the U.S. for Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, winning two from his first five for trainer Kathy Ritvo before joining the barn of Tom Amoss. The Florida-bred posted four victories from seven outings for that barn, winning the Work All Week S. at Hawthorne and the Tale of the Cat S. at Saratoga ahead of a runner-up effort in the Louisville Thoroughbred Society S. in 2022.

Subsequently acquired by Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid Al Nuaimi's RRR Racing and turned over to trainer Doug Watson in Dubai, Isolate was runner-up in a pair of group sprint races at Meydan, then stretched out in distance to post an impressive win in the G2 Godolphin Mile with Tyler Gaffalione in the irons. He has made just one appearance since, a handy success in the G2 Al Maktoum Mile at Meydan Dec. 22.

Isolate did not originally draw into the Saudi Cup, but gained a run when Aidan O'Brien elected to re-route the gifted multiple Group 1-winning turf horse Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) to the G2 Neom Turf Cup.

Rosario will also take the ride aboard Pantofel Stable, Wachtel Stable and Gary Barber's Bold Journey (Hard Spun) in the G3 Riyadh Dirt Sprint, Anderson also reported. Winner of the GIII Fall Highweight H. and Gravesend S. in his two most recent appearances, Bold Journey carried Rosario to a first-level New York-bred allowance victory at the Big A in 2022. Bold Journey is trained by Bill Mott.

Rosario rode no fewer than six stakes winners over the weekend, including Beatbox (Pioneerof the Nile) in the GIII Fair Grounds S. He was runner-up in the GII Risen Star S. atop Track Phantom (Quality Road).

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Isolate, Gaffalione Take Out the Godolphin Mile

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES —  Making just his third start in Dubai and stretching out to a mile for the first time in over two years, RRR Racing's Isolate (Mark Valeski) never gave his 13 rivals in Saturday's G2 Godolphin Mile Sponsored by One Za'abeel as he put on a powerful front-running display to carry visiting jockey Tyler Gaffalione to an easy 5 1/2-length victory.

Not the fastest away from the stalls in the mile chute, the $70,000 Keeneland November weanling speared through from between horses to take up the running linking up with the course proper, as defending champion Bathrat Leon (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) and his countrymate Win Carnelian (Jpn) (Screen Hero {Jpn}) put the pressure on the pacesetter from the outside. Always holding that pair at bay as the field raced into the final 600 meters, Isolate was about two lengths clear into the stretch and lengthened away to score impressively. Law of Peace (Ire) (Shamardal) and Atletico El Culano (Uru) (Alcorano {Brz}) each raced near the tail of the field early, but powered home to fill out the minor placings. Bathrat Leon just held fourth over American ex-pat Everfast (Take Charge Indy).

“Tyler did a great job getting him out and going, getting a nice pace on and he stays a mile, we can definitely say that now,” said trainer Doug Watson, winning this race for the third time. “I wasn't quite sure until he turned in and there wasn't much going with him.”

He added, “I'm just thrilled for Sheikh Rashid (bin Humaid al Nuaimi) and the whole team at home. I've been here for almost 30 years, I've progressed from being in charge of the ambulance at the first Dubai World Cup to now having winners on the night. It's quite remarkable.”

Campaigned in the States by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Isolate was a two-time winner and third in the 2020 GIII Nashua S. for Kathy Ritvo before being transferred to trainer Tom Amoss, for whom he tallied four races, including last year's Work All Week S. at Hawthorne and a romping score in the Tale of the Cat S. at Saratoga. Just touched off in the Louisville Thoroughbred Society S. in September, Isolate was acquired by these connections and his two lead-up races locally were solid runner-up efforts to Tuz (Oxbow) in the G3 Al Shindagha Sprint in February and to the commonly owned Sound Money (Flatter) in the G3 Mahab Al Shimaal S. on Super Saturday.

Pedigree Notes:

Isolate is one of three stakes winners and becomes the first graded winner for his sire (by Proud Citizen), who bred by, raced for and began his stud career at Airdrie Stud before ultimately relocating to Arkansas. Isolate is out of a winning daughter of seven-times stakes winner and three-times graded-placed Travelator, the dam of SWs Hollywood Jet (Uncaptured) and Stone Silent (Adios Charlie) and the dam of Grade III winner Last Judgement (Congrats). Tranquil Song is also responsible for a 2-year-old colt by Enticed and a colt by Tacitus foaled Mar. 1.

 

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TDN Q & A: Godolphin Japan’s Harry Sweeney

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES — Answer: The G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen.

Question: What is the only race in the history of the Dubai World Cup that has never been won by the host?

That statement feels like an enormous anomaly, given all the success down the years at old Nad Al Sheba Racecourse and here at Meydan Racecourse, but true it is all the same. It is a record that Harry Sweeney, the president of the Japanese arm of Sheikh Mohammed's global operation, hopes will change this weekend when American-bred and -sourced Lemon Pop (Lemon Drop Kid) takes on five U.S.-based sprinters and significant Japanese-bred challenge in the 1200-meter race.

Moments after the clean chestnut, bred in the names of former Darley executive Olly Tait and his wife, completed some light work under the early-morning lights at Meydan Wednesday, Sweeney graciously took a few minutes out of his busy schedule to talk about the acquisition of Lemon Pop, his rise to Group 1 winner and what the future may hold.

Alan Carasso: First of all, how has Lemon Pop come out of his victory in the G1 February S.?

Harry Sweeney: Yeah, he's come out well. It's a five-week gap, which we thought was reasonable, between the February S. and this race. He's a 5-year-old, but he's still very lightly raced. He's only raced 11 times. But I watched him warm up down there [in the 1600-meter chute] this morning. He's not at times the most fluent of movers, but he's moving well now. So I'm very pleased with that. The trainer seemed happy with him. He traveled reasonably well, a little bit off his food for the first few days, but he's back to grubbing. He's a big strong horse and he moved well this morning, so I'd say he's good.

AC: When did Lemon Pop arrive here into Dubai?

HS: He got in here last Tuesday, I believe. Tuesday of last week.

AC: Under the Paca Paca Farm banner, you guys selected him as a weanling at Keeneland ($70,000 in November 2018), and I know you guys tend to do that, pick them up as foals. What's the philosophy of buying them at that young age?

HS: Well, the reason is it's a model of logistics really, because, I mean, I'm buying these for Japan and of course if we buy in the yearling market, then it's pretty congested already with Godolphin people. We have the UK Godolphin team buying and also Shadwell buying when they were buying a lot of horses.

So we're the 'small boy' in the organization. So there was a lot of congestion in that area and it was just easier to buy them as foals, really, and to avoid that.

AC: And where do these types of purchases go after you buy them?

HS: He came to Japan, Lemon Pop was bought in November and he came straight to Japan, and so he spent his yearling year in Japan, on the farm.

AC: What was it about him that attracted you at Keeneland?

 

 

 

HS: Well, if I'm perfectly honest, I mean, I probably short-listed him on the basis that I thought he might run on turf. Lemon Drop Kid can get a few decent turf runners and the mare being by Giant's Causeway, I thought there's a chance this horse might run on turf. So I'd say that's the reason that I looked at him in the first place.

But when I did look at him, I mean, physically he's a very, very well-balanced, well-proportioned horse. I mean, I really, really like that about him. He was an average mover, but I thought he was just a very, very well-balanced horse. And that's the reason I bought him.

AC: Like you pointed out, he's only made the 11 starts but for eight wins and over $2.2 million in earnings. He's a 5-year-old now. Were there any serious issues, or just little niggling issues that kept him from stringing starts together?

HS: Yeah. Well, after he won–I think–his second start, I mean, he showed enormous talent initially. Even at the second start, we were already clear that this horse had the ability and we already had kind of marked him down as a Group 1 horse, maybe not a Group 1 winner, but a Group 1 horse. And we were considering and coming even to we kind of planning, really hoping, to come to the [G2] UAE Derby [in 2021]. But then fate intervened, hit a small issue. We took numerous X-rays and we had four different veterinary opinions, all different, the most expensive veterinary opinions in the world. He had what looked like a little bit of fracture line there. We were just a bit worried in the end and we opted to be conservative and so we gave him time off, which was probably the right decision. Because listen, we were aware of that ability and we didn't want to compromise that. We were happy to wait.

AC: Coming here, you had a choice between whether to stay at the mile [for the G2 Godolphin Mile] or cut back in trip for the Dubai Golden Shaheen. What ultimately led to the decision to keep him short?

HS: Firstly, the trainer always believes this horse is a sprinter. And even when we ran in the February S. over a mile, the trainer really wasn't that enthusiastic about him, to be honest. We had to kind of lean on him to even run in the February S., but I mean these decisions are made for us. There are only two Group1 races on dirt on the JRA [circuit]. So, where do you go if you have a horse of this caliber? You have little option, you must go there. And to be honest, we're thinking of his next career when he finishes as a stallion. I mean, he's already secured his place. It was important to win a Group 1 in Japan. And so that's why we went there. Okay. Now the reverse is true. That's why we're here as well. Where else would he go in Japan? The next Group 1 in the JRA on dirt is [the1800-meter G1 Champions Cup in December} and the trainer also wants to sprint. In fact, it was the trainer's preference initially to come here and avoid the February S., not even to run there.

So we'll see how he goes. It's a bit of an ask because he he's never run over six furlongs [Ed's Note: Lemon Pop broke his maiden at first asking going 1300 meters or 6 1/2 furlongs]. So that's a first for him. Equally, running on this type of dirt surface with the kickback, we're not sure about that. We have a young jockey aboard. The trainer is traveling his first horse abroad. We're all rookies here. It's a bit of an ask, but we feel there's little to be lost. To be honest, I vacillated between going for this or the Mile. We did it give it real consideration. I think when [champion and GI Breeders' Cup Sprint hero] Elite Power came out of the sprint and when we had a feeling that he wasn't going to come, that changed us. When he was in, we were going to go for the other race. So they were part of the reasons and the trainer's belief as well. He's a sprinter. Let's see how he goes.

AC: My next question sort of dovettails off of that. If he's not going to stretch out to nine furlongs, if he is not a horse for the Champion's Cup, what is there for him left at home? Any thoughts of sending him to the States?

HS: The February S. is a 'Win and You're In' race for the Breeders' Cup, the Classic, and I think we might be able to use it for a different race. I'd say we're not ruling out. These decisions might be much easier to make on Sunday, but we're not ruling it out. But he'll go back to Japan, we're going to give him a spell. He'll go to the farm straight away after the race one way or the other. There is a race called the JBC Sprint in Japan [Nov. 3], which is a local Japan Group 1 race. But even though it doesn't have international graded status, it's a big race in Japan and it's an extremely competitive race. And that's a six-furlong sprint. I wouldn't rule out a run in the Champions Cup either. We're ambitious in Japan. We have little to be restricted about it.

AC: And finally, How does it feel to have one of yours run here in front of the boss?

HS: Oh, that's very important. And listen, we hope he runs well and if he runs well, we'd be pleased. The boss is a true internationalist. And it's fashionable, so it would be nice to have. And this is the only race that Godolphin have never won, so it would be nice to tick that box.

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