Two-Year-Olds vie for Honours
A full field of fourteen two-year-olds lines up for this week’s Dubai feature, the $200,000 Grade Two Camel Juvenile over a mile on the fast dirt.
The narrow favourite here is Northern Blast, a colt by Storm Cat out of a Seattle Slew mare, who is bred and trained by jockeymax6. He gained a hat-trick of victories in his first three starts, at Allowance, Stakes and Grade Two levels, but found one three-quarters of a length too good for him last time out when stretched out to seven furlongs in the Grade One Hoserhead Juvenile, when he recorded a speed figure of 89. The closing manner of his run suggests that he will benefit from the step up in distance as well as the drop back to Grade Two. B. Addison is up.
On the rail is Half A World Away, who is trained and bred by foxvbullet. This chestnut son of Belong To Me out of a Gone West mare has won three of his five races to date, including two at Grade Three level. Last time out he finished fifth in the Grade One Hoserhead Juvenile, two lengths behind the favourite for this race. It would be a surprise if he could reverse the form with the favourite, although he has the assistance of leading track jockey S L Ledwith here.
Also well-fancied is Heaven’s Door, who has run three times previously, winning at Maiden Special Weight and Stakes level over six furlongs, then finishing third last time out in a Grade One event over seven furlongs, when he recorded a speed figure of 88. Bred and trained by the super26 stable, this son of Mineshaft out of a Fappiano mare is partnered here by Q. Cassell.
Lulu’s First Tap is well-fancied despite a wide draw. Bred and trained by epic, this grey colt is by first-season sire Tapit out of the Kingmambo mare Well Lulu, the winner of one of her six races and the dam of two other winners. Her only Stakes winner to date, this one has three victories from five starts, two of them at Stakes level, and finished third in a Grade Three race. Last time out he ran a speed figure of 90 to win an invitational Stakes race over seven furlongs and should have the stamina to step up to a mile now. M. Links will be in the plate.
Drawn on the outside is Third Time Lucky(NZ), a colt by Octagonal(NZ) out of a Storm Cat mare. Bred and trained by scary, he has won two of his three races to date, at Maiden Special Weight and Allowance levels. Last time out, he finished second in a Grade Three event over a mile, putting up a speed figure of 89, when beaten two lengths by the number one ranked horse over the classic distance. Leading track jockey H Harzheim has the ride.
Slew Gulch, bred and trained by ace3, won his first two races, at Maiden Special Weight and Stakes levels, then came up against tougher competition in the three races he has run since. Last time out, he finished fourth in the Grade One race in which Heaven’s Door finished third, beaten one and three-quarter lengths by that horse. Their respective running styles in that race suggest that Heaven’s Door will still have the advantage here. N. Hansen will partner this one.
Kepler Storm, bred and trained by marre, is by Storm Cat out of the Mr. Prospector mare Sea Project, the winner of four Stakes races on the dirt and herself the dam of winners at Allowance and Stakes level and the grand-dam of Allowance winners. This one is her first Graded winner, taking the Grade Two Little Ones Juvenile and completing a hat-trick of victories, having won at Maiden Special Weight and Allowance level previously. In his two most recent races he has finished third after making or disputing the lead, and will only be able to improve over this distance if he can settle better. V. Carpenter has the task of keeping him relaxed.
Virtuoso, a colt by Cryptoclearance out of Fight Earn(IRE), a mare by El Prado(IRE), was bred by built4wins and runs for the super7 stable. He won the first two of his four races to date, at Maiden Special Weight and Allowance levels, which were both sponsored by his owner. Then, stepped up to Grade Two company, he finished a closing third to Northern Blast in the High Roller’s Juvenile, when he ran his best speed figure to date of 86. Stepped up in class again last time out, he finished ninth of fourteen, beaten five and three-quarter lengths, in the Grade One Hoserhead Juvenile. Although the step up in distance may help, he looks held by the favourite here. T. Tippett has the ride.
Banana Empire, bred and trained by cr, is by Empire Maker out of the Storm Cat mare Banana Brio. He has run only three times previously, winning his debut in a Maiden Special Weight race over the minimum trip, then finishing a closing fourth in a Stakes race over a furlong further. Last time out, he took a Stakes race over seven and a half furlongs, recording a speed figure of 82. He takes a big step up in class here, but looks ready to be tested. G. Ayso is in the saddle.
Drawn just on his outside is Blind Heart, a light grey colt by Lion Heart out of Funk You, a mare by Monarchos who never won a race herself. Her first foal, this one won a Maiden Special Weight race over five and a half furlongs at the second time of asking, then followed up in a Stakes race over the same distance. Last time out he recorded a speed figure of 85 to finish a closing second, beaten a head, in a Stakes race over six furlongs. Questions remain over his ability to stay this trip at present, especially considering the step up in class. Y. Jones is the jockey here.
Drawn one off the rail is Mr. Tiger Bro(AUS), who is by Reset(AUS) out of a mare by Broad Brush. Bred and trained by chi4504, he had a very average start to his career when tried in two races on the turf. Switched to dirt, he won over the minimum trip in a modest time, but has improved greatly since being stepped up in distance and given a chance to prove his worth in Stakes company. Although not a winner at this level, he has finished third, beaten three quarters of a length, and second, beaten two and a quarter lengths, in his two most recent races, both over six and a half furlongs. A front-runner, he may have to learn to settle in order to improve over this trip. Notably, he is drawn next to Kepler Storm, the other hard-puller in the field. G. Harmon will partner him here.
Best of the outsiders is Belmont Bomb, who was bred by graywolf10 and runs for the graywolf20 stable. A colt by Sarava out of Desert Fever, a mare by Stormin Fever, he only lost his maiden tag at the fifth attempt, on sloppy going, having disappointed in all his previous races apart from one second place, when he was beaten one and a half lengths, also on sloppy going. He finished well behind when tried in a Grade Three race two races ago, then improved to record a speed figure of 83 when winning an Allowance race over a mile, this time on fast going, last time out. He stays the trip and has proved that he can now handle fast going, but his chances would be much improved here if there had been rain. A. Cross will be the jockey.
Farmers Almanac has run three times previously, winning his debut on sloppy going over the minimum trip, then finishing a half-length second in an Allowance race over a mile, before winning a similar race last time out, when he recorded a speed figure of 84. Bred and trained by cigarfan, he is by Changeintheweather out of the Farma Way mare Farmafarma Quest, who won five races at Maiden Special Weight and Allowance levels. He stays the trip well at Allowance level, but has to overcome the big step up in class here. M. Hull has the ride.
The rank outsider is Dandadite(IRE), a light grey colt by Indian Ridge(IRE) out of Day Dealer(IRE), a mare by Daylami(IRE). The first foal of his dam, he was bred by loves3 and runs for the corza3 stable. He has only one victory from five races to date, this being in an Allowance race over the minimum trip, by which he earned a ticket to Stakes races. He finished well behind when tried in a Grade Three race over the minimum trip on turf the next time, whether because of the change of surface or the step up in class is not clear. He then returned to the dirt, where he finished tenth, beaten five lengths, in a Stakes race over six and a half furlongs. Last time out, he finished a creditable third, beaten two and a quarter lengths, in a Stakes race over five and a half furlongs. His breeding suggests that the mile should be to his liking, however the fact that he has not yet broken the 80 speed figure means that he has a lot of improvement to make to have any chance at all here. His jockey will be T.Miller.
This should be an interesting race, with the favourite looking to have the edge on several of these. However, Lulu’s First Tap is another one to note and if Third Time Lucky(NZ) runs up to the form of his latest race he may have the beating of all these.