2019 GIII Hutcheson S. hero Gladiator King (Curlin) made his first appearance at Meydan a winning one, stalking the pace and grinding home to win the G3 Dubawi S. by a neck in Dubai on Thursday. He defeated MSW & MGSP Ibn Malik (Ire) (Raven's Pass), who was another 1 1/2 lengths in advance of last year's runner-up and dual Group 3 winner Drafted (Field Commission).
Away in alert fashion, the chestnut stayed well off the inside and pressed the pace in fourth four deep on the backstretch as Lavaspin (GB) (Hard Spun) led the way glued to the rail. He came calling a quarter mile from home, as Ibn Malik began to wind up from farther back. Lavaspin grudgingly gave way at the 300-metre marker and Gladiator King was always holding the charging Shadwell rival in the rush to the line. Drafted arrived from well off the pace, but was given too much to do late on and settled for third.
Said pilot Mickael Barzalona, “We knew the race wasn't going to be easy, but he was sharp and looked great. I think he will come on a lot from this race, so I'm looking forward to next time. On the bend, I was travelling really comfortably and I knew he was a danger. I knew Drafted would be coming from behind, but he found an extra gear. He travels strong.”
“You know, when you first get a horse, there's always a little worry and a little doubt, but this horse was training so well and really coming around,” said Seemar, who was winning his sixth Dubawi. “It feels great to get a win for Sheikh Rashid.”
Gladiator King, a private purchase by his current connections, was returning from just over seven months on the bench after a fifth-place finish in the Ocala S. at Gulfstream on June 1 for Thoroughbred Champions Training Center LLC and Jaime Mejia. After taking the Hutcheson last March, the Satish Seemar trainee won the Roar S. a month later and was a close head second in the GIII Chick Lang S. at Pimlico on May 18.
Pedigree Notes
One of 64 black-type winners for Hill 'n' Dale's Curlin, he is also the 31st group winner for the two-time U.S. Horse of the Year and 2008 G1 Dubai World Cup hero. Barbara Fritchie H. heroine Golden Dawn produced colts in 2017 and 2018–Pafos (Liam's Map) followed by Beyond Infinity (Maclean's Music) two years ago. She is due to Curlin's 2013 GI Belmont S.-winning son Palace Malice this spring. Gladiator King's second dam is the GII Astarita S. heroine Paved in Gold (Carson City), a half-sister to SW Dressed in Gold (Black Tie Affair {Ire}) and MGSP Gold Miner (Gold Crest).
Thursday, Meydan, Dubawi
DUBAWI S. (SPONSORED BY EMIRATES NBD PRIVATE BANKING)-G3, $200,000, Meydan, 1-2, NH3yo/up & SH3yo/up, 1200m, 1:11.29, ft.
1–GLADIATOR KING, 127, c, 4, by Curlin#tot">Curlin
1st Dam: Golden Dawn, by Hennessy
2nd Dam: Paved in Gold, by Carson City
3rd Dam: Amber Gem, by Amber Pass
($65,000 RNA Ylg '17 KEESEP; $195,000 RNA 2yo '18 OBSJUN).
O-Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid Al Nuaimi; B-Stonestreet
Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Satish Seemar; J-Mickael
Barzalona. $120,000. Lifetime Record: GSW-US, 16-6-2-1,
$378,740. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Ibn Malik (Ire), 127, g, 7, Raven's Pass–Moon's Whisper, by
Storm Cat. O-Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum;
B-Shadwell Estate Company Ltd (Ire); T-Musabbeh Al Mheiri.
$40,000.
3–Drafted, 127, g, 6, Field Commission–Keep the Profit, by Darn
That Alarm. ($19,000 RNA Ylg '15 OBSAUG; $35,000 2yo '16
OBSMAR; AED40,000 HRA '17 GODSEP). O-Misty Hollow Farm;
B-John Foster, Barbara Hooker & Field Commission Partnership
(FL); T-Doug Watson. $20,000.
Margins: NK, 1HF, 2HF.
Also Ran: Waady (Ire), Tour to Paris (Fr), Lavaspin (GB), Nine Below Zero (GB), Walking Thunder, Neverland Rock (GB).
Click for the Racing Post chart or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. ERA Video.
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