pat dobbs | Horse Racing Free Tips

Mnasek (Empire Maker), a $15,000 purchase by Al Rashid Stables at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale last June, continued to write her fairytale story at Meydan on Thursday, posting her second win from three starts and first stakes win with a facile score in the G3 UAE Oaks. A longshot 6 3/4-length winner on debut going seven furlongs at Meydan on Dec. 17, Mnasek had to settle for second, seven lengths behind Saturday's Saudi Derby contender Soft Whisper (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), after missing the break in the Listed UAE 1000 Guineas up to a mile on Jan. 28.

Away much more smoothly up to 1900 metres on Thursday, Mnasek broke on top from the rail but soon dropped back to allow Jumeirah Beach (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) to take up the running. Fourth and about three lengths off the lead rounding the first bend, jockey Pat Dobbs made a deliberate move to put the filly on the outside midway down the backstretch and she was poised ominously four-wide rounding the bend. Shooting to the lead as they straightened, Mnasek drew clear effortlessly to crush her overmatched opposition by 6 1/2 lengths. Nayefah (Super Saver) made eye-catching headway late to be second, while Last Sunset (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) was third.

Winning trainer Doug Watson said, “She just goes out there and tries hard. We've done very little with her since she [last] ran. She's a small filly and she has a lot of talent. We worked her in company out of the gate and that helped. Today she didn't enjoy being behind and when she was tipped out you could see it. She was the best filly. I don't know if they'll want to run her in the [G2 UAE] Derby, but who knows. Fair dues to Shane [Ryan, starter] and the gate crew. They did a great job helping us out. Obviously, she's a little funny in the gate and she broke great tonight. [The owners] should send her to America. That's her second win here. She's got a lot of options over there. If she stays sound and training like she is, she could win over there.”

Dobbs added, “She's very brave. She didn't enjoy the early part of the race, getting the kickback, but once she got out, she travelled super. She stays very well. She's a little bit light-mouthed, but she's got a big heart and is a lovely mover.”

Pedigree Notes

Mnasek is the sixth foal out of her GII Bayakoa H.-winning dam Washington Bridge (Yankee Gentleman), who was bred by Brereton Jones and bought by Don Alberto Corp. for $750,000 at Fasig-Tipton's November sale in 2013 in foal to Tapit, having been bought by Town and Country Farm as a maiden mare for $330,000 at Keeneland January the year prior. Washington Bridge is out of the listed-winning Stirling Bridge (Prized), who has also produced the multiple listed winner Jose Sea View (Badge Of Silver). The third dam is the GIII Suwannee River H. scorer Early Lunch (Noble Table). Washington Bridge, who was offered at Keeneland November last year but led out unsold at $37,000, has a 2-year-old filly by Street Sense named West Love, a yearling full-sister to Mnasek and was bred to Liam's Map for 2021.

The post Empire Maker Filly Runs Away With UAE Oaks appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

One of the world's most famous racehorses makes a somewhat surprising resurfacing on Thursday when Kerm Din's Pakistan Star contests Meydan Racecourse's 10-furlong The Entisar (Listed), the first in a series of local races pointing toward the 25th Dubai World Cup (G1) in March. A multiple G1 winner in Hong Kong before being ruled off the jurisdiction for various infractions, including refusing to race, he was transferred from trainer Tony Cruz to multiple UAE champion conditioner Doug Watson at the beginning of the year.

“We got him in January and we were going to try to point to a race at the beginning of April, but obviously with COVID(-19), that was nixed,” Watson recalled. “His coat really came on during the summer. Since he started back, he's been no problem and has done everything right at home. His work has been exceptional and it's hard to find anything to really go with him. He's a pretty good work horse and looks like he gets across the (dirt) surface really well. We're just going to have to see how he takes it and if he gets kickback. He's a bit quirky, sure, because he looks at everything, but he hasn't stopped in his training, which is great.”

The 7-year-old German-bred son of Shamardal has been working steadily toward his first engagement, which will be on the dirt—a surface he has trialed on in Hong Kong, but never raced upon. Most of said trials were at shorter distances than the 1 1/4 miles he will travel Thursday evening, but he was remarkably consistent, beating a pair of Hong Kong Cup winners—Time Warp and Glorious Forever—in those runs. Three weeks ago, he went to Meydan to get a taste of the surroundings with a seven-furlong trial from the gate and was accompanied by a pair of stablemates, including recent HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup winner Galvanize.

“We took him over to do a trial in front of the stewards and make sure he would do everything correctly, which he did,” Watson continued. “He broke great and worked with Galvanize and Dehbashi and basically pulled about seven lengths clear of Galvanize at the end of it, which is a pretty good gauge. He took a little kickback under Pat (Dobbs, jockey) and seemed to handle it alright. He trains right-handed at home, but he had no trouble turning left in the work. He didn't hang and Pat really was impressed with him.

“He came back (to Red Stables) and did his last two pieces of work—so I know he's fit enough,” he continued. “It's just a matter of if he wants to do it. We'll see on Thursday night. He moves really well across the dirt, so it will be good to get a race in him to see how he does on it, because turf races don't start until January here. If he really likes it, it does open other doors.”

From 27 starts, Pakistan Star has a 5-5-1 record. In addition to his long-winded G1 wins in the 10-furlong Queen Elizabeth II Cup and 12-furlong Champions & Chater Cup, he has shown ample speed, including a seven-furlong handicap win in which he ran the second-fastest final 400m (1/4 mile) in Hong Kong history (at the time), 21.44 seconds.

While he is not expected to show such foot early on Thursday, it would not be a surprise if stablemate Just a Penny took the initiative. Owned by Mohd Khalifa Al Basti, the 8-year-old nine-time winner has already raced twice this season, including a fifth over seven furlongs and an open-length win over nine furlongs—both at Jebel Ali Racecourse.

Watson said: “The first year we had him, we took him to Meydan and we didn't think he would get beat, but then he ran up the track. Since then, we've kept him mostly at Jebel Ali and he returned there (this season). He always needs that first race—we can't do enough with him at home—and then he won well in his second start. (The Entisar) is an opportunity to give him a start back at Meydan and see how he handles it now. He has plenty of pace, too.”

South American G1 winners Saltarin Dubai and For the Top, Listed winners Montsarrat and Zaman, and local handicap winners Firnas, Casey Jones and George Villiers complete the field. All carry 57kgs (126lbs) in what will be the fifth race of the card, slated for 8:50 p.m. local time (11:50 a.m. USA EST; 4:50 p.m. UK).

The post Ruled Off In Hong Kong, Multiple G1 Winner Pakistan Star Makes Dubai Debut Thursday appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post