Godolphin’s impressive two-year-old colt AL HUDAIBA (shares his name with a community in Dubai) became trainer CHARLIE APPLEBY’S 100th Group 1 winner of his career and 12th Group 1 winner at Woodbine in less than eight years. Al Hudaiba won the Summer Stakes (G1) on September 12, a Win and You’re In turf race for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, coming up Oct. 30 at Keeneland.
Outstrip provided Appleby with a first G1 victory in the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and the trainer has since compiled a phenomenal record at North America’s flagship meeting, winning four of the last five renewals of the Breeders’ Cup Mile with Space Blues, Modern Games, Master Of The Seas and Notable Speech. The latter, of course, won his second consecutive Woodbine Mile a few races after Al Hudaiba’s big win.
A solidly built, long, steel grey son of Dark Angel (Ire) and from the Appleby-trained mare A’Shaari by Dubawi (Ire), Al Hudaiba had the best credentials coming into the Summer, with three wins in five starts including the Group 2 Superlative Stakes at Newmarket on July 11.
In addition to raw talent, the colt had also shown a bit of greenness, ducking out and losing his rider in his second start and almost blowing the Superlative score with a right-hand drift in the stretch.
Appleby put blinkers on the colt for the Coral Vintage Stakes on July 28 at Goodwood and he finished a close third.
Al Hudaiba was a pro in the walking ring in his first trip overseas, sauntering around the Woodbine outside saddling area like an old horse. He settled perfectly off a quick pace set by winner Quipster and then glided to the lead into the stretch. And then he did his trick again, veering out under rider William Buick, who was ready for the little move. Once straightened up, Al Hudaiba rolled to a 1 3/4 length win in 1:35.66 for a 75 Beyer Speed, according to Daily Racing Form.
“Al Hudaiba is a very talented colt,” said Buick. “He was very straightforward today until inside the last furlong. To still win like that doing what he did, you must have a fair level of ability.”
Charlie Appleby said: “I am very pleased to get a G1 win with Al Hudaiba, who looked the class horse going into the race based on what he had achieved in Europe. He has gained experience of racing in North America now and we can look forward to having a crack at the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.”
Just one juvenile has won the Summer and then the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, and that was Pluck in 2010.
With Appleby not in Toronto for the Turf Champions Day, assistant Alex Merriman sent out the stable’s runners and he had one of the best quips of the day when he said post-race about Al Hudaiba’s trick: “It would be lovely if he stopped doing it.”
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