G1- Sand Castle Turf Sprint from Dubai is a wide open affair.

The Grade 1 Sand Castle Turf Sprint will be ran on Saturday March 30th at 2:40pm.  It will be run on the Turf course here at Meydan and will cover the distance of 6 furlongs (or 1200 meters) and is restricted to entrants that are 4 years old and older.  The race will have a guaranteed purse of $750,000.

We have a good mix of early speed and late running closers entered for the event.   Ksparrow is the only owner with 2 entries in the race.  We have 2 females and 2 geldings in the field of 14.  Six 4 yo’s,  Five 5 yo’s and Three 6 yo’s will take to the starting gates.  MUHAARAR has sired 2 of this years runners.  We have 3 bred in Kentucky and England, 2 from Ireland, South Africa and Australia, while 1 each are from Wales and Great Britain.  3 scratch breds will try and best the 11 mare breds.

The handicapper has put none of the horses below 5-1 and has 9 of the starters listed at 12-1 or better odds with only one being a true longshot with odds outside 20-1.

 

THE POST PARADE:

1 – NAHAGLIIV                                                                  (12-1)                                  LENNY271

SMART STRIKE x DANZIG x DUBAWI                                                                             23-10-3-4

The 6 year old scratchred from Australia enters on a 3 race winning streak all this year with the latest coming earlier this month in Turkey at the Shuhei Turf Sprint.  Has made 3 previous graded starts with a best of them a 3rd place in the G3- You Know What Stuart Cap in November of 2017.  Since switching over to the turf in May of 2017 has 9 turf sprint wins.  A fast starter out of the gate, will look to set the early fractions.  L. Radzinski has 1 prior ride where he set his career best SP# of 110.

2 – APOYANDO                                                                (5-1)                                    TRAPPER07

SLADE POWER x FASTNET ROCK x DYNAFORMER                                                 24-9-4-2

This 6 year old Irish bred is the 5th foal out of the 1 race winning mare ROCK RAIN and is her only graded winner.  The handicapper has tabbed him as the Morning Line favorite.  7 of wins came from his first 9 starts.  Set his lifetime best SP# of 113 with K Hellestrae in the saddle for the 4th time (3 ITM finishes) 2 back in a NW2s allowance over 1 Mile the distance he has run is last 4 races.  In October of 2016 won the G3- Mr. Sallinger Stakes.  Will settle and and make a late run.

3 – CANDY SMUGGLER                                             (6-1)                                      KINGAB

MUHAARAR x DANZIG x MR. PROSPECTOR                                                               19-8-5-1

This English bred 5 year old is the daughter of KILOS BABY KILOS who only ran 1 race but won it and is 1 of 3 graded winners she has produced (all females).  The former Equine Of The Year and 2 time EQUINICS competitor will be making her 2019 debut here.  Has posted a career best SP# of 112 on 3 different occasions. Won 3 straight graded races last year the G3- Mule Button, the G2- Drummer Boy and the G1- Fujimoto Turf Sprint.  Not sure why the handicapper did not make this closer the favorite here, maybe Gender bias?

4 – CAPTAIN BONES                                                (16-1)                                     KSPARROW

CAPTAIN AL x CAPOTE x STORM CAT                                                                        28-10-4-5

The most experienced horse in the field with 28 starts is this 5 year old South African bred out of the stakes winning mare BONE CAPPER that has produced 1 graded winner (AIR FORCE BONE).  Last 10 starts have all been graded turf sprints of  which only 3 third place finishes were produced.  Last out earlier this month ran 13th in the G1- Ye Ole Shopping Exchange.  Last win came in February of 2019 in a 37K open allowance.  Post career high SP# of 109 running 3rd in the G1- Cup of July his last ITM finish.  ecent form points to him trying to come from off the pace.

5 – SUZERAINTY                                                      (16-1)                                      BOBMARLEY

MAIN AIM x DANSILI x GALILEO                                                                                 21-8-3-3

Enters here on a 2 race winning streak, but also has not run since last October.  The South African bred 5 year old from the mare DANCILEO was her 4th offspring and her only graded winner.  Last out won the G3- Mr. Sallinger Stakes.  I Soler gets a leg up on him here after 3 previous rides including 2 graded reaces as a juvenile – one a win in the G1- Middlepark Stakes.  Raced here in Dubai once last year but on the main track.  Has used several race startegies and coming off the long layoff not sure what he will do here in this one.

6 – BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN                                 (8-1)                                         SJMEOLA

MUHAARAR x SMARTY JONES x NORTHERN DANCER                                      16-12-1-2

The 4 year old English bred gelding comes in off a win in the G3- Thank You Stakes ripping a 118 SP# in gate to wire fashion.  He is the 8th progeny from the graded winning mare SJ’S SJ and so far is her only graded winner.  He has only missed the board once in 16 starts and that came in his first graded start the G1- Pekays Rememberance  in January.  Has never not been in the lead at the first call.  M. Wallace has been in the irons 4 previous times accounting for 3 victories.  We will see if he can hold off the talented closers in this one, but I like his chances.

7 – ZOO BONES                                                     (8-1)                                          KSPARROW

ZOUSTAR x CITY ZIP x STORM CAT                                                                           25-6-5-2

5 year old Australian bred gelding has posted 5 of his 6 lifetime wins over off turfs.  He is out of the stkes winning mare BONEZIP RIP he is her 5th foal and only graded winner to date.  J Sands will be onboard for the 7th time but the pair have never produced an ITM finish.  Closed out 2018 winning the G1- King Kong Sprint over a yielding turf putting out a 115 SP#.  His last 8 strats have all been graded turf races.  I believe he will try and stay with the early speed but I don’t think the weather forecast will favor his chances in this one.

8 – NEVER A GOD                                            (19-1)                                           EMINC

CURLIN x GIANT’S CAUSEWAY x GALILEO                                                           15-7-5-1

This 4 year old Kentucky bred Filly enters here on a 5 race winning streak and off her first graded race in the G2- Oak Lee Plate where she bested the boys in her first open start while posting up her second SP# of 108.  She is the first offspring from the mare POOLS OF MAROON.  She has never failed to finish ITM in her 11 races since switching over to the grass.  R. Harzheim will be back in the saddle for a second straight graded race in a row.  She has shown the ability to win  from out front and off the pace but I expect her to follow same strategy as last ime against the boys.

9 – FOOD STAMP ABUSER                           (6-1)                                         ZLEDWITH05

FASTNET ROCK x KINGMAMBO x SEATTLE SLEW                                         21-15-1-3

The 6 year old Australian bred has won 5 out of 6 starts since being switched over to the weeds last May.  The only non-winning effort a 4th place in his only graded turf race the G3 Umbria which ended a 4 race win streak.  he is out of the stakes winning mare K’S BREATHTAKING and is her 4th foal.  Also only failed to hit the board in 1 of 15 races on the dirt, where he finished ITM in both of his graded races.  Likes to challenge the early pace but also has shown a nose for the finish line.

10 – SEBUM                                                       (25-1)                                        ROWDSTER

STIMULATION x SEBRING x ROCK HARD TEN                                               21-11-5-0

The handicapper has installed the 4 year old Welsh bred as the longest shot on the board in the moring line odds.  The second of 3 offspring from the mare SEB LASS he is her only graded winner.  Has won 9 out 16 starts on the turf however, 4 of those wins came on off turfs.  Will be making his maiden foray against graded company here.  Has a top SP# of 104 over 5.5f and also on an off turf.  Likes to run out in front of the pack but may not have the the top end speed to do that against this field.

11 –  PAERAU                                                  (13-1)                                           ATTHEWIRE

GODEN HORN x UNCLE MO x STREET CRY                                                      19-5-4-3

This English bred 4 year old is the first offspring from the mare CRY ME A WELL.  Has made 4 previous graded starts without hitting the board yet.  Has 2 win and a second in 3 starts over off turfs, but bthat will not be the case here in this one.  He likes to get a jump out and press the early lead.  Posted a lifetime best SP of 109 in January while winning the Cinnamon Cat Turf Challenge in New York.  Has 4 listed stakes victories.  Has posted a win and a second in his 2 starts so far this year.

12 – EXPRESSO KING                               (11-1)                                            HANDSHOBBY

MEDAGLIO D’ORO x KINGMAMBO x SECRETARIAT                                      14-6-3-3

The 4 year old Light Grey Kentucky Scaratchbred is the least experienced horse in the race with only 14 starts but has posted 4 wins and 8 ITM finishes in 10 turf starts.  Has run 2 graded turf races putting up his best SP# of 111 finishing third in the G3- Lipstick Guineas in December.  Last out in February had a disappointing 10th in the G2- The What The Who.  His last win came in the Tsunami Spangler Turf Memorial in November.  Has shown he can adapt to different riding strategies but most of his success has come when challenging the early pace.

13 – JUNIOR BUYER                                (12-1)                                             CUETEC

SEPOY x STRAVINSKY x PINS                                                                                15-5-4-2

The 4 year old Great Britain bred is the 5th offspring from the mare JOTE.  Earlier this month with M. Kirkpatrick in the irons for the 2nd time he ame home in second place beaten by a neck after leading the whole way in the G1- Ye Ole Shopping Exchange.  That is his only ITM finish from his 3 graded starts.  Put up his career best SP# of 113 winning the Kvort Turf Sprint making every pole a winning one last November.  A definitively quick starter that likes to run in front of the pack, hoping to keep his upward trend going in this one.

14 – LOVE AND METH                            (9-1)                                             QWIKVETT

GLENEAGLES x MR. PROSPECTOR x ROBERTO                                           21-5-5-3

The last 8 starts for this 5 year old Irish scratchbred have all been the longer sprints at 7 or 7.5 furlongs.  Last out in February was 2nd in the Quite Right Turf Sprint in Surrey where he psoted his top SP# of 112.  Has made only 1 graded start, finishing 11th in the G3- Blue Pin in September.  Has ye to win a stakes race at any level.  4 of his 5 wins came during a 4 race win streak from May to July of last year.  Ran 4 races here at Dubai including 1 on the turf course as a juvenile where he ran third.  Drawing the outside starting gate will not hurt as he will be coming from of the pace.

 

GOOD LUCK TO ALL………………..JB3