DWC and Florida Derby recap
This was the last DWC held at Nad Al Sheba, the amazing triangular track (warning: huge pic). Next year, the event will be moved to Meydan City, a city literally built around the new traditional oval track. Here's hoping that someday I will be rich enough to visit this astonishing paradise. It's utterly mind-blowing.
Front runners dominated the DWC celebration this year. Two Step Salsa took the field pretty much gate to wire in the Godolphin Mile with American-based Gayego coming on late for second.
The Derby picture was muddied further by Regal Ransom's upset win over stablemate Desert Party in the UAE Derby. DP looked like he was going to turn on the afterburners and blow by RR in the stretch, but he just never got there, finishing about half a length behind. Both colts are apparently Kentucky Derby bound anyway, but I'm not especially impressed by this performance. Though they were 15 lengths clear of the third place horse, despite a rousing stretch duel, they only went 9 furlongs in 1:50, a rather dismal pace for a mostly fast track. They're going to need to step it up a notch as well as travel well from Dubai if they're going to have any chance in the Derby. I'm not holding my breath.
Indian Blessing, facing the males for the first time in the Golden Shaheen, led once she got clear for much of the race, but was collared in the final furlong by Big City Man who was flying at the end. She still finished a good second. It was a very respectable finish for a filly facing the boys for the first time, not to mention a filly in her first straight sprint (no turns).
Gladiatorus (who impressed me winning the Al Fahidi Fort a month ago and to whom I *should* have paid more attention, LOL) took the Dubai Duty Free field gate to wire in a very impressive romp. The favorites never factored at all. I was most pleased to hear the TVG guys, while discussing the excellent Japanese filly Vodka and French filly Darjina, praising Ipi Tombe as the best filly to have run in the Duty Free. Damn straight.
The finish of the twelve furlong Dubai Sheema was a thrilling three horse photo finish, but Eastern Anthem won the headbob. That was the second victory on the card (Gladiatorus was the first) for his jockey, local hero Ahmed Ajtebi, who was formerly the leading camel jockey in Dubai.
The Classic was glorious. Well Armed won the jump out of the gate and led all the way with his ears pricked, drawing away to win by an astonishing 14 lengths in the stretch. Had jockey Aaron Gryder pushed him, I suspect he could have made it 20 with ease and maybe would have taken down Dubai Millennium's time record. If not that, he could have had the second fastest time I don't doubt. Well Armed is looking better than he ever has.
In between races, the crowd was treated to fireworks displays, horseback acrobatics, an at-liberty performance by a stunning bay Arab stallion, as well as flag tossers and glow-stick dancers (for lack of something better to call them) that were reminiscent of an Olympics opening ceremony. They know how to put on a show in Dubai. They also had a marching brass band, all in white thobes, that performed throughout the evening and then played the Star Spangled Banner rather well after Well Armed won the DWC.
I really was an amazing spectical, and I find it so refreshing and even comforting that a powerful Muslim leader like Sheikh Mohammad desires nothing more than to turn his wealth to improving the sport and improving his country by making it a modern paradise for business, tourism, and sport. He's a remarkable man. Would that the rest of the Arab world had his vision.
The Florida Derby finally shed some light on the Kentucky Derby picture. Qualty Road ran just behind the leader through quick fractions while Dunkirk trailed the field by about 7 lengths much of the way and didn't move until the turn. He and Quality Road matched strides, pulling away from the field, but QR put him away pretty easily and won it by just under two lengths in track record time. (The track was playing extremely fast today, though, so take that with a grain of salt.) Theregoesjojo was six lengths further back in third.
Dunkirk may not have enough graded stakes earnings to get into the Derby field, and were I his owner, I wouldn't attempt it. The colt has only three races under his belt, none of them at two (and that hasn't worked out since 1882). He is frankly too inexperienced to attempt 10 furlongs, a 20 horse field, and 150,000 screaming people on so little conditioning.
Quality Road, on the other hand, has established himself as a legitimate contender. I will be curious to see how the Wood Memorial, the Santa Anita Derby, and (maybe) the Illinois Derby shake out next weekend.
Front runners dominated the DWC celebration this year. Two Step Salsa took the field pretty much gate to wire in the Godolphin Mile with American-based Gayego coming on late for second.
The Derby picture was muddied further by Regal Ransom's upset win over stablemate Desert Party in the UAE Derby. DP looked like he was going to turn on the afterburners and blow by RR in the stretch, but he just never got there, finishing about half a length behind. Both colts are apparently Kentucky Derby bound anyway, but I'm not especially impressed by this performance. Though they were 15 lengths clear of the third place horse, despite a rousing stretch duel, they only went 9 furlongs in 1:50, a rather dismal pace for a mostly fast track. They're going to need to step it up a notch as well as travel well from Dubai if they're going to have any chance in the Derby. I'm not holding my breath.
Indian Blessing, facing the males for the first time in the Golden Shaheen, led once she got clear for much of the race, but was collared in the final furlong by Big City Man who was flying at the end. She still finished a good second. It was a very respectable finish for a filly facing the boys for the first time, not to mention a filly in her first straight sprint (no turns).
Gladiatorus (who impressed me winning the Al Fahidi Fort a month ago and to whom I *should* have paid more attention, LOL) took the Dubai Duty Free field gate to wire in a very impressive romp. The favorites never factored at all. I was most pleased to hear the TVG guys, while discussing the excellent Japanese filly Vodka and French filly Darjina, praising Ipi Tombe as the best filly to have run in the Duty Free. Damn straight.
The finish of the twelve furlong Dubai Sheema was a thrilling three horse photo finish, but Eastern Anthem won the headbob. That was the second victory on the card (Gladiatorus was the first) for his jockey, local hero Ahmed Ajtebi, who was formerly the leading camel jockey in Dubai.
The Classic was glorious. Well Armed won the jump out of the gate and led all the way with his ears pricked, drawing away to win by an astonishing 14 lengths in the stretch. Had jockey Aaron Gryder pushed him, I suspect he could have made it 20 with ease and maybe would have taken down Dubai Millennium's time record. If not that, he could have had the second fastest time I don't doubt. Well Armed is looking better than he ever has.
In between races, the crowd was treated to fireworks displays, horseback acrobatics, an at-liberty performance by a stunning bay Arab stallion, as well as flag tossers and glow-stick dancers (for lack of something better to call them) that were reminiscent of an Olympics opening ceremony. They know how to put on a show in Dubai. They also had a marching brass band, all in white thobes, that performed throughout the evening and then played the Star Spangled Banner rather well after Well Armed won the DWC.
I really was an amazing spectical, and I find it so refreshing and even comforting that a powerful Muslim leader like Sheikh Mohammad desires nothing more than to turn his wealth to improving the sport and improving his country by making it a modern paradise for business, tourism, and sport. He's a remarkable man. Would that the rest of the Arab world had his vision.
The Florida Derby finally shed some light on the Kentucky Derby picture. Qualty Road ran just behind the leader through quick fractions while Dunkirk trailed the field by about 7 lengths much of the way and didn't move until the turn. He and Quality Road matched strides, pulling away from the field, but QR put him away pretty easily and won it by just under two lengths in track record time. (The track was playing extremely fast today, though, so take that with a grain of salt.) Theregoesjojo was six lengths further back in third.
Dunkirk may not have enough graded stakes earnings to get into the Derby field, and were I his owner, I wouldn't attempt it. The colt has only three races under his belt, none of them at two (and that hasn't worked out since 1882). He is frankly too inexperienced to attempt 10 furlongs, a 20 horse field, and 150,000 screaming people on so little conditioning.
Quality Road, on the other hand, has established himself as a legitimate contender. I will be curious to see how the Wood Memorial, the Santa Anita Derby, and (maybe) the Illinois Derby shake out next weekend.