Dubai Race Night » Del Mar

Kinsale King on the road back to racing

PatCummings — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 15:59:38 +0000

After a disappointing scratch the morning of the 2011 Dubai World Cup (G1), Kinsale King was sent back to America with hopes of getting back on track, but trainer Carl O’Callaghan sent his charge to the farm. Suggesting he needed some time to grow out of some ailments, the patient Irishman was hopeful they would have the son of Yankee Victor back for a summer campaign. Indeed, Kinsale King recorded his first meaningful bit of trackwork last weekend and is on point for a late July start in the Bing Crosby Stakes (G1) at the seaside Del Mar oval. Kinsale King defeated Rocket Man in the 2010 Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) before Rocket Man came back to win that, plus the KrisFlyer International Sprint this year.

Richard’s Kid again in Pacific Classic

PatCummings — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 05:47:24 +0000

He was one of those Dubai World Cup groupies, an indiscernable pack of horses behind the top four finishers at the 2010 Dubai World Cup, beaten just about three lengths. Once again, Richard’s Kid picked up the Pacific Classic (G1), defeating fellow World Cup also-ran Crowded House by three-quarters of a length in the 10-furlong race at Del Mar. Richard’s Kid is owned by Sheikh Rashid bin Mohammed Al Maktoum’s Zabeel Racing International and trained by multiple World Cup winner Bob Baffert.

Click HERE for more.

Richard’s Kid, Crowded House in Saturday’s Pacific Classic

PatCummings — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 05:23:22 +0000

Richard’s Kid, winner of the 2009 edition and seventh in the 2010 Dubai World Cup, will be joined by Crowded House, a 2010 Dubai International Racing Carnival placer and ninth in this year’s Dubai World Cup, in the $1,000,000 Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar. Over a 10-furlong trip, it is the premier race in Southern California’s top annual meeting at the seaside oval. Click HERE for more from Thoroughbred Times.

Crowded House, The Usual Q.T. meet in Eddie Read; Dar Re Mi withdrawn with bruise

PatCummings — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 13:32:14 +0000

Saturday’s turf course at Del Mar features the Eddie Read (G1) and the presence of two runners from the Dubai World Cup meeting. Crowded House was twice second, under two brutal trips, in starts at the 2010 Dubai International Racing Carnival. Following those heartbreaks, he checked in a credible ninth, just three lengths from Gloria De Campeao before a listless effort at Newmarket. Tyler Baze will ride for Brian Meehan before the horse is turned over the locally-based Ben Cecil. The Eddie Read, over nine furlongs on the oceanside Jimmy Durante turf course, also brings us the graded stakes return of Dubai Duty Free (G1) fourth, The Usual Q.T. He did most of the running in the early phases for trainer Jim Cassidy and gets back to the top of the Southern California circuit where he has succeeded in the past.

Dar Re Mi, winner of the 2010 Dubai Sheema Classic (G1), was withdrawn from the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1) with a stone bruise and, according the below-linked article, may be pointed to the Yorkshire Oaks.

Click HERE for more on Dar Re Mi’s defection.

Could Cocoa Beach stop Zenyatta?

PatCummings — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 08:15:17 +0000

America’s top older mare, Zenyatta, holds a perfect record 12-for-12 mark and takes it into Saturday’s Lady’s Secret Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita against former Dubai International Racing Carnival winner Cocoa Beach. After taking the 2008 UAE 1000 Guineas and UAE Oaks (G2), Cocoa Beach was third in the 2008 UAE Derby (G2) behind Honour Devil. She was second behind Zenyatta in the 2008 Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic (G1) over this same Santa Anita Pro-Ride surface.

Zenyatta has only three starts in her 2009 campaign, the last of which being her narrowest victory, a nose win over Anabaa’s Creation in the Clement L Hirsch (G2) at Del Mar. Arguably, Cocoa Beach is the most accomplished filly to face Zenyatta this season but has also had only three starts in her 2009 campaign, which included a lackluster fourth in the Ballston Spa Handicap (G2) over the turf at Saratoga. Richard Migliore will ride Cocoa Beach for Godolphin.

The Lady’s Secret is part of a Breeders’ Cup preview card at Santa Anita, which includes Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) hopefuls in the Goodwood Stakes (G1).

Asiatic Boy might duck Rachel Alexandra

PatCummings — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 12:06:22 +0000

The 2007 UAE Triple Crown winner and potential starter Saratoga’s Woodward (G1) might have his plans shifted and head west to Del Mar to run in the Pacific Classic (G1), so trainer Kiaran McLaughlin told Bloodhorse legend Steve Haskin.

Unbeaten in 2009, Rachel Alexandra has won the Kentucky Oaks (G1), Preakness (G1), Mother Goose (G1), and Haskell (G1) – and is now being pointed to a start in the Woodward, her first foray against older males.

Will those older males show up? McLaughlin seems keen to duck what he calls “a great horse.” Under the conditions of the Woodward, Rachel Alexandra gets a favorable impost of 118 pounds as a 3-year-old filly while her older male competitors tote 126. Asiatic Boy, second in the 2008 Dubai World Cup (G1) behind Curlin, could now head to southern California for the first synthetic race of his career over Del Mar’s Polytrack. Owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, Asiatic Boy was second in both the Stephen Foster (G1) and Suburban (G1), his only American starts.

Click HERE for McLaughlin’s full comments from Bloodhorse. Click HERE for Asiatic Boy on HorseRacingNation. Click HERE for Rachel Alexandra on HorseRacingNation.

Dubai World Cup winner Well Armed has bone chip, surgery pending

PatCummings — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 23:24:50 +0000

2009 Dubai World Cup (G1) winner Well Armed will have surgery following this week’s discovery of a bone chip, reported the Daily Racing Form’s Jay Privman. The Tiznow gelding finished last in Sunday’s San Diego Handicap (G2) at Del Mar, his first start since the victory in the world’s richest horse race.

Click HERE for the full article.

Well Armed last in return following Dubai World Cup; Godolphin Mile also-ran Informed wins a close one

PatCummings — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 18:31:30 +0000

The 2009 Dubai World Cup (G1) winner Well Armed failed to pick up the running in Sunday’s San Diego Handicap (G2) at Del Mar. A race he won in 2008 in his first start following a third place finish behind Curlin in the 2008 Dubai World Cup, Well Armed failed to get the lead and tracked the pace for the first two-thirds of the race before slowly backing out of contention. “He’s run another clunker,” track announcer Trevor Denman exhorted, reminding the viewer of Well Armed’s awful performance in the 2008 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita where Well Armed was a well-beaten heavy favorite.

On the other side of the coin, Informed ran another quality race, having won two Grade 2 races in his last three starts, landing the Californian (G2) before a lackluster sixth in the Hollywood Gold Cup (G1).

Informed was seventh in the 2009 Godolphin Mile (G2). Watch Informed’s win, and Well Armed’s loss, below.

Dubai World Cup champion Well Armed back to action in Del Mar’s San Diego Handicap

PatCummings — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 23:33:08 +0000

It has been more than four months since Well Armed demolished his rivals in the final Dubai World Cup (G1) at Nad Al Sheba. Now – the champion of the desert is back and will make his first start since in Sunday’s San Diego Handicap (G2) at Del Mar.

The Eoin Harty trainee landed the Dubai World Cup by 14 lengths over Gloria De Campeao, who franked the form of the race when he landed the Singapore International Cup (G1) over Presvis in mid-May. After a third behind Curlin in the 2008 edition, Well Armed was rested to begin a second-half campaign that began with a win in the 2008 San Diego Handicap. That was followed with a narrow loss in the Pacific Classic (G1) and a win in the Goodwood Handicap (G1) before an unexplained loss in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.

A 6-year-old bay gelding by Tiznow, Well Armed has been assigned top weight of 123 pounds for this year’s San Diego having carried six fewer pounds last year; a field of eight others will attempt to dethrone the returning champion. Owner Bill Casner of WinStar Farm has indicated in the past that Well Armed could be on track for a return to Dubai for the $10,000,000 edition of the 2010 Dubai World Cup at Meydan.