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.
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