City of Light’s Mimi Kakushi Too Strong in UAE 1000 Guineas

Having celebrated a maiden-breaking victory in the UAE 1000 Guineas Trial over seven furlongs Dec. 23, MIMI KAKUSHI (f, 3, City of Light–Rite Moment, by Vicar) ran out a convincing 4 1/2-length winner of Friday's $150,000 Listed UAE 1000 Guineas at Meydan. The bay, fourth in her first two trips to the races over sprint distances in November and early December, jumped well enough for Mickael Barzalona, but was beaten for speed by Awasef (Cairo Prince) to the outside and was ultimately eased back and into the two path to chase from second. Shadowing the pacesetter into the final 700 meters, Mimi Kakushi was roused to the front with a quarter-mile to travel and put the race to bed while striding readily clear. Awasef held second ahead of the one-start maiden Unjokable (Practical Joke).

“She was happy to be on the pace and the extra furlong was a help as well,” said Barzalona, winning this race for the second time after Nashmiah in 2017. “I think she will run a good race in the [1900m] UAE Oaks too.”

Bin Ghadayer added, “We have four weeks until the Oaks which is enough time for a rest; she will just need one breeze before the race. She is the best filly I've trained.”

A $180,000 purchase out of the 2021 Fasig-Tipton October Yearling Sale, Mimi Kakushi was hammered down for $250,000 at that same auction house's Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale after breezing a furlong in :10 1/5 over the Timonium dirt track. A fourth stakes winner for her sire (by Quality Road), Mimi Kakushi is a half-sister to dual black-type winner Moment Is Right (Medaglia d'Oro) and SW Laudation (Congrats). Rite Moment is also the dam of a yearling filly by Cajun Breeze and is due to Khozan this term.

Friday's Results:
UAE 1000 GUINEAS PRESENTED BY ARN-Listed, $150,000, Meydan, 1-20, 3yo, f, 8f, 1:39.48, fs.
1–MIMI KAKUSHI, 126, f, 3, by City Of Light
1st Dam: Rite Moment (MGSW-US, $399,303), by Vicar
2nd Dam: Moments Of Joy, by Lost Code
3rd Dam: Valiant Sweetheart, by Danzig
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. ($180,000 Ylg '21 FTKJUL; $250,000 2yo
'22 FTIMAY). O-Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum;
B-Woodford Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY); T-Salem bin Ghadayer;
J-Mickael Barzalona. $90,000. Lifetime Record: 4-2-0-0,
$122,701. *1/2 to Moment Is Right (Medaglia d'Oro),
MSW-US, $228,445; and Laudation (Congrats), SW-US,
$100,840.
2–Awasef, 126, f, 3, Cairo Prince–Darling Sky, by Sky Mesa.
1ST BLACK TYPE. ($100,000 2yo '22 OBSMAR). O-Al Rashid
Stables LLC; B-Namcook Stables, Paul Braverman & Tim Pinch
(KY); T-Doug Watson. $30,000.
3–Unjokable, 126, f, 3, Practical Joke–Willowbern, by
Bernardini. 1ST BLACK TYPE. ($100,000 2yo '22 FTIMAY).
O-Sheikh Juma Dalmook Al Maktoum; B-Haymarket Farm LLC
(KY); T-Ahmad bin Harmash. $15,000.
Margins: 4HF, 5, 2 3/4.
Also Ran: Asawer, Nafas, Cite d'Or (Fr). Scratched: Here We Are.
MEY4: VIDEO.

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‘Superman’ Aiming For Victory In Zabeel Mile

The G2 Zabeel Mile Presented By ARN is the showpiece during Friday's Dubai World Cup Carnival card at Meydan. The $180,000 1600-metre event has attracted a field of eight, five of which carry the Godolphin blue. However, the most intriguing runner is Michael O'Callaghan's dual group winner I Am Superman (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}).

Back from a successful sojourn Down Under where he landed the G2 Shannon S. in 2020 and the G2 Ajax S. in 2021 for Peter & Paul Snowden, the 7-year-old is hoping to tally a win in his third individual country. A three-time scorer in his native land and third in the G3 Desmond S. in 2019, I Am Superman was second in the G1 Sir Rupert Clarke S. at Caulfield when last seen on Sept. 17.

“We're delighted with I Am Superman since arriving in Dubai,” said O'Callaghan. “He's in really good form ahead of Friday and Colin Keane is over to ride both him and Fastnet Crown (Ire) (Hallowed Crown {Aus}) [in the Dubai Eye 103.8 H.].”

Bearing the coveted blue cap among the Godolphin quintet is 2021 G1 2000 Guineas runner-up and dual group hero Master Of The Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) for Charlie Appleby. He was last in action at HQ taking the G3 Earl Of Sefton S. in April.

Appleby, who is gunning for a sixth edition of the Zabeel Mile, said, “Master Of The Seas has settled in well in Dubai, but we are very much working back from Dubai World Cup night and Super Saturday. There will be some natural improvement from whatever he does here.”

Among trainer Saeed bin Suroor's three-pronged attack is Land Of Legends (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}), whose biggest triumph was the 2021 G2 Al Fahidi Fort.

“This looks a tough race for the three of them,” said the trainer, who also saddles 2022 G2 Al Rashidiya winner Desert Fire (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) and Laser Show (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}).

 

Fillies To The Fore In Guineas Hunt

A select field of seven fillies vie for the first Classic crown of the season in Friday's $150,000 Listed UAE 1000 Guineas Presented By ARN. The 1600-metre dirt test is anchored by Harry Eustace's Cite D'Or (Fr) (Galiway {GB}). Already a two-time winner in the UK, the sixth-place finisher in the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud last October is the first runner for her Haras de Colleville-based sire in Dubai and is making her dirt bow.

“She travelled out to Meydan on Dec. 29,” said majority owner Nick Bradley. “She's done everything right to date but the dirt is an unknown. She'll go from here to the [G3] UAE Oaks which has been her target since November.”

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum's Mimi Kakushi (City Of Light) makes her first run back since storming home a two-length winner over Asawer (Nyquist) and Awasef (Cairo Prince) in a local 1400-metre conditions race at third asking on Dec. 23.

“Both fillies are in top form,” said Bin Ghadayer. “They are facing the same fillies they ran against before. :”I'm happy with Mimi Kakushi, even with the extra furlong from her last race,” said trainer Salem bin Ghadayer.

 

Al Khail Trophy Attracts Classic Hero

Bennett Racing's Ardakan (GB) (Reliable Man {GB}) steps up in trip to 2810 metres over the Meydan turf in the Listed Al Khail Trophy Presented By ARN, the third and final black-type race of the day. The 2022 G2 Italian Derby hero, formerly trained by Markus Klug, was placed in the G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin in August. His final run of the year was a fourth in Belmont Park's GIII Jockey Club Derby Invitational S. over 1 1/2 miles on Sept. 17.

“Ardakan joined us after his run in the US,” said Lucia Botti, overseeing the team in Dubai. “He's a lovely big, imposing, young horse whose plan is to run hopefully in the G2 Dubai Gold Cup. He has settled into his daily routine nicely here and we are all very excited to see him racing for us, up in distance, on Friday.”

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Desert Debuters: ‘Mischief’ At Meydan

In this series, we will have a look at first-time starters entered for age-restricted maiden races on the week's main live program at Meydan Racecourse, focusing specifically on pedigree and/or performance in sales ring, both domestic and abroad. With the exception of Thursday, Dec. 1, Super Saturday, Mar. 4, and Dubai World Cup night Mar. 25, the main meeting at Meydan takes place on Fridays. Six meetings are to be staged at the UAE's flagship racecourse prior to the start of the Dubai World Cup Carnival Friday, Jan. 6, 2023. Nine Carnival cards are programmed from January through March. Here is a look at this week's entries:

2nd-Meydan, AED82,500 ($22,464), 2yo, f, 1200m

A field of 10 American-bred juvenile fillies heads to the gate in the first Thoroughbred race on Friday's program. Last year's leading trainer Bhupat Seemar sends out MISCHIEVOUS AGE (Into Mischief) for prominent owner Mrs. Fitri Hay, who paid the equivalent of $437,533 for the Jan. 18 foal at last year's inaugural Goffs Dubai Breeze-Up Sale held during World Cup week. Also a $45,000 Fasig-Tipton October yearling, the bay was bred by Roy and Gretchen Jackson and is out of their crack turf sprinter Ageless (Successful Appeal), a two-time and track record-setting winner of the GIII Royal North S. at Woodbine and six-time stakes winner overall. Antonio Fresu has the call.

 

 

Mimi Kakushi (City of Light) is the first local starter for her first-crop sire (by Quality Road) and is out of the dual Grade II winner Rite Moment (Vicar), also the dam of MSW Moment Is Right (Medaglia d'Oro) and SW Laudation (Congrats). A $180,000 graduate of last year's Fasig-Tipton July sale, the bay fetched $250,000 at the auction house's Midlantic sale this past May.

 

 

Bijjlee (War Front) is the first foal to the races from Dancing Rags (Union Rags), winner of the 2016 GI Darley Alcibiades S. A $170,000 acquisition by Grove Stud at KEESEP last fall, Bijjlee was hammered down to Satish Seemar for 220,000gns ($300,388) at this year's Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale (video). Dancing Rags is a half-sister to MGSW/GISP Coup de Grace (Tapit), while the filly's third dam is champion and GI Breeders' Cup Distaff heroine Jewel Princess (Key to the Mint).

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