DUBAI

Arrogate was simply stunning. While his competition was strictly only the other US invaders (Gun Runner, Hopportunity, Neolithic) with a weak group of international runners filling the field, the manner of victory by this colt was something to behold. 2:02.23 is fine for 10 furlongs and we know he can run big Beyer Figures. How fun will it be to follow this horse around this year.

From this corner, he is the best Thoroughbred to be seen since 1973.

 

 

 

Arrogate’s dam, BUBBLER was originally a $170,000 broodmare purchase as she had been winning stakes races but was injured. Clearsky Farms’ Eamon Cleary had her up for sale last fall but bought her back for $4.7 million in foal to INTO MISCHIEF .she has a yearling by Giant’s Causeway

(Gun Runner (Candy Ride) was a gallant 2nd and 50 to 1 shot NEOLITHIC (Harlan’s Holiday) was an amazing 3rd despite getting very sweaty pre-race. He’s trained by Todd Pletcher.)

Fun stuff – here’s a DRF story about BUBBLER, a hard trying, stakes winning filly who had to be retired at the top of her her game – now the dam of Arrogate..

 http://www.drf.com/news/stakes-winning-bubbler-injured-retired

 

Of note – BUBBLER, who produced Arrogate for Clear Sky Farm in Kentucky is out of a mare named GRECHELLE, who had many aborted foals and was barren several times. She did produce a couple of winners, such as Bubbler and that came when she was bred to Canadian champion DEPUTY MINISTER, an Ontario bred son of VICE REGENT.

Post race you can hear jockey MIKE SMITH telling the gang “I was scared” after that horrendous break from the gate in which he came out like really old ketchup out of a bottle.

“I rode him like Zenyatta, that’s all, I just let him stay in the back”.

 

The Aga Khan paid $560,000 for this grey colt by the late Unbridled’s Song from the Distorted Humor mare Bubbler (are we all running out to get Distorted Humor mares?) – not that he needs the money but the colt is the richest horse in the world, of all time – $17 million – in 8 races

12:53 – We have all just seen one of the greatest efforts by a Thoroughbred since Secretariat. “have we just seen the Man o’ war of the 21st century” yelled the track announcer as ARROGATE came from dead last to power past Gun Runner and win the 410 million DUBAI WORLD CUP by oen lengths

ARROGATE running Beyer Figures of 120 and 119, two of the highest numbers of any major horse (along with California Chrome) in many years. Hard to believe we have another ‘freak’ of a horse to cheer on after Pharoah and Chrome…is he truly the world’s best?

 

So in 7 races, ARROGATE has won 11 million, he will have 17 million in 8 races if he wins today – that’s a bit silly I think, but he is winning these races!

$900,000 bet to win on Arrogate right off the top, according to HPI; no show wagering but how would those place prices be should be finish worse than 2nd?

12:18 – The big one is less than 30 minutes and ARROGATE is 1 to 9

12;14 – who is Jack Hobbs? Well, other than this fine racehorse, JACK HOBBS was a professional cricketer in the early 1900s

It was a stress fracture in his pelvis that sidelined JACK HOBBS last April when pulled up.

12:11 JACK HOBBS was wearing blinkers for the first time. William Buick rode a greatrace to keep the horse tucked in behind Highland Reel and Postponed, both who faded in the bog late.

12:09 – JACK HOBBS posts an upset on the soft grass in the Sheema Classic – This is the 6th win in 11 races for a 5-year-old horse owner by Godolphin. He won the Irish Derby 2 years ago and was 2nd in the Epsom Derby.

Last year was a wash for the John Gosden trainee as he was pulled up in a race in April and then 3rd in one other race, the Champion Stakes, in october.

(The World Cup, $10 million, goes at 12:45)

Up next, SHEEMA CLASSIC, 1 1/2 miles turf with HIGHLAND REEL, Breeders’ Cup Turf winner, against POSTPONED

 

 

 

 

 

Vivlos – 4th dam GLORIOUS SONG (photo at right

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

from Canadian Horse racing Hall of Fame)  – 3RD DAM – Morn of Song – 1988 Blushing Groom filly, a winner for Sheikh Mohammed. Morn of Song produced MEZZO SOPRANO, a Darshaan filly who was a champion and won the Prix Vermeille.

HALWA SONG is the 2nd dam of Vivlos, a Nureyev filly who did not race and her daughter, Halwa Sweet, by Machiavellian, is the dam of Vivlos

11:38 – VIVLOS’s 4th dam is none other than GLORIOUS SONG – Horse of the Year for Frank Stronach

11:36 – A rare “black” filly, VIVLOS is by the great sire Deep Impact, a son of Sunday Silence and out of a Machiavellian mare, trained by Yasuo Tomamichi for K Sasaki.

11;32 – VIVLOS – a Japanese filly, came flying down the soft turf course to win the Dubai Turf at 14 to 1 under “the magic man” Joao Moreira

Of note today in racing – Queen’s Plate contender KING AND HIS COURT looking to turn things around in the $500K Spiral Stakes at Turfway. The Court Vision gelding won the Coronation Futurity last year and gets back on a synthetic dirt track after trailing in his season opener at Tampa Bay Downs. Gary Boulanger will ride.

At Gulfstream Park, there is a carryover of $1.5 million for the Rainbow 6 and the mandatory payout is on April 2

 

 

up next the DUBAI TURF – $6 million – 1 1/8 miles on yielding turf – MUTAKAAYEF is an interesting one. It’s his first race since he was  troubled 3rd behind the great TEPIN in the Woodbine Mile last year. Oh, and the 2015 Woodbine Mile winner MONDIALISTE is also in this field

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10:47 Trainer Chad Summers just took over the training of Mind Your Biscuits this year and this is his FIRST WIN as a trainer – not bad.

Of note, Summers is a co-owner who bought back the colt from a 2yo sale ($47,00o) and then took out his trainer’s license this year.

10:43 – MIND YOUR BISCUITS gets all the cookies, charging from far back to win the Sprint at 9 to 5 for Head of Plains and J Stables, trainer Chad Summers. This 4yo colt by Posse from a Toccet mare is a New York bred who has come to the fore in top sprinters worldwide.  Interesting that this cool colt was 2nd to Canadian based sprint star NOHOLDINGBACK BEAR in the Gallot Bob last year – the Biscuit went on to win the Grade 1 Malibu at Santa Anita and was recently 2nd in the GUlfstream Park Sprint.

10:29 – Golden Shaheen is 6 furlongs on the dirt with American boys MIND YOUR BISCUITS (remember he was a fellow who cased our Canadian based sprinter NOHOLDINGBACK BEAR last year?) and the really cool guy STALLWALKIN DUDE in action –

Connections of THUNDER SNOW, EPICHARIS and MASTER PLAN say Kentucky Derby is a definite possibility – Master Plan pointing more for Belmont Stakes apparently…

The Golden Shaheen in next in 18 minutes – taking a short time out to go on G987FM – talking horses!

10:08 – THE RIGHT MAN (GB) holds on to win by a nose – the Al Quoz Turf Sprint – over LONG ON VALUE, trained by Bill Mott . The winner is a 5yo gelding, Group 3 winner last year. by Lope de Vegas out of a Warning mare. He is a French-raced gelding who has 9 wins in 17 races. Tough loss for Long on Value (Value Plus) whose long, smooth stride came up inches short. He was at Gulfstream for his latest in January when he came from miles behind to be 2nd in a 5 furlong turf stakes race.

 

10:06 – Wow – great race – photo is up between THE RIGHT MAN – 20 to 1 and the super US fellow LONG ON VALUE

10:00 The Sprint is next – 6 furlongs on the grass – American LONG ON VALUE has come over for trainer Bill Mott.

 

It will be interesting to see if any of the top 3 from the UAE DERBY come back in the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May. Not exactly a race that produces a major Derby contender but this year’s derby list is not jammed with big time horses just yet.

9:48 – MASTER PLAN, an $850,000 2yo purchase trained by Todd Pletcher, ran a very good race to come from far back to be 3rd. Not sure how good this race was but Master Plan sure rallied well. He is a son of Twirling Candy from a Henny Hughes mare, Sage Mist who did not race.

9:37 – THUNDER SNOW, a bay colt, has 4 wins in 8 races and 1:57.76 was the the time for 1 3/16 miles on a drying out track He is a son of the sire HELMET, a son of Exceed and Excel and from a Dubai Destination mare. Bred by Darley in Ireland. Christophe Soumillon gets a lot of credit for getting the colt up to win by a nose.

9:33 – Wild battle from the top of the stretch to the wire between Godolphin’s THUNDER SNOW (Ire) and the Japanese colt EPICHARIS and while Epicharis was amazing;l game all the way and would not let Thunder Snow past, a bob at the wire showed Thunder Snow pipped him.

 

9:20 – Can’t forget EPICHARIS (Jpn) is in this race – he’s the unbeaten colt from Japan who won the Hyacinth Stakes last time out to earn points for the Kentucky Derby – he’s #10

9:15 – UAE DERBY fave is Godolphin’s THUNDER SNOW, winner of the UAE 2000 Guineas last out at 1 mile. Canadian Charles Fipke starts BEE JERSEY, a maiden who races in Dubai with trainer Doug Watson and a pair of offspring of the red-hot sire HARD SPUN, Top Score and the filly Nomorerichblondes, are also contenders. Hard Spun is the sire of Ontario stallion RELOAD.

9:12 – COMING UP – THE UAE DERBY – the 3-year-old race at 1 3/16 miles – Grade 2, $2 million and a Kentucky Derby starter or 2 could emerge from this race…

 

Did you know that this is trainer Bob Baffert’s first trip back to Dubai since he suffered a heart attack in 2012 when he was strating Game on Dude in the World Cup?

 

8:56 – 8-year-old fan favourite SHEIKHZAYEDROAD ran a big race in the Dubai Gold Cup to be 3rd, steadying late when he got crowded.

8;54 – French bred VAZIRABAD won this race last year and won it again this year. Christophe Soumillon brought the sleek, grey 5-year-old by Manduro from far behind to grab Beautiful Romance late in the 2 mile race.

This is the 10th win in 15 races for the gelding who is a Group 1 winner for the Aga Khan.

 

**Dubai World Cup Handicapping, plus a preview of SPIRAL STAKES, a Kentucky prep prep featuring Queen’s Plate contender KING AND HIS COURT, on G98.7 FM this morning at 10:20 with JASON PORTUONDO.. http://g987fm.com/

 

8:36 – Up next in 15 minutes is the 2 mile DUBAI GOLD CUP, on the grass. Number 1 in the race is SHEIKHZAYADROAD, making his 4th run in Dubai and winner of the 2013 Northern Dancer Stakes – Grade 1 in 2013…

 

8:20 – The Arabian race has completed and the winning rider said the muddy track at Meydan is “very deep, the kickback is bad and closers have an advantage”.

Sadly, news from the Godolphin Mile said STORMADAL, a solid listed winner in Dubai, broke down and was euthanized. He is a 6-year-old gelding by Shamardal who won 4 of 5 races last season.

 

Muddy track in Dubai currently…

7:50 – underway in Dubai with the $1 million GODOLPHIN MILE and 18 to 1 chance SECOND SUMMER, by Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird, posted the upset over American invader SHARP AZTECA, who was 4 to 5. The winner was racing at Santa Anita last year for trainer Peter Eurton and a partnership of US owners including Slam Dunk racing.  He won the Grade 2 Californian Handicap in the summer before he was sold to owner  Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid al Nuaimi and trainer Doug Watson.

He had two starts in the desert before the Godolphin Mile and interestingly, the 5-year-old chestnut , a Florida bred, ran a huge race in his first try in Dubai but then was far beaten in a follow-up.

He relished the mud today as he reeled in Sharp Azteca and held off 45 to 1 shot ROSS.

Trainer Jorge Navarro said in post race interviews he believed Sharp Azteca was moved too soon by jockey Edgar Zayas.

SECOND SUMMER, bred by Richard Shultz, is from the stakes winning Street Cry (Ire) mare Greenstreet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Live blogging during the Dubai World Cup card beginning early in the morning on Saturday will give results and notes during the card…

 

 

 

HORSES TO KNOW ON THE DUBAI WORLD CUP PROGRAM

Courtesy America’s Best Racing…

https://www.americasbestracing.net/the-sport/2017-horses-know-the-dubai-world-cup-card