By Alan Carasso
In this series, we will have a look at American-bred first-time juvenile starters (through the end of 2023) and debuting 3-year-olds in maiden races at Meydan Racecourse, with a specific focus on pedigree and/or performance in a sales ring in the meetings leading up to the Dubai World Cup program Saturday, Mar. 30, 2024. The flagship venue for racing in the United Arab Emirates, Meydan will host racing predominantly on Fridays, with the exception of Super Saturday Mar. 2 and Dubai World Cup night. Here are the horses of interest for the Friday's program at Meydan:
2nd-MEY, AED165,000 ($45k), Maiden, 2yo, f, 1200m
LAHFATY (Mitole) looks to add to her young sire's first-crop totals on debut here. The Apr. 19 foal, a half-sister to SW and GI Champagne S. runner-up Syndergaard (Majesticperfection) from the same Storm Cat line, was a $210,000 purchase by Jebel Ali Stables at Keeneland September last year. Ben Coen rides for trainer Michael Costa.
The stable's second colors are carried by Maryland-bred Mesyaal (Cairo Prince), whose Bison City S.-winning second dam Seeking the Ring (Seeking the Gold) was a full-sister to Sovereign Award-winning 3-year-old filly Catch the Ring, herself the dam of champion Catch the Thrill (A.P. Indy). Seeking the Ring is responsible for two-time Grade III winner Southern Ring (Speightstown). A $20,000 KEEJAN short yearling, Mesyaal sold for $30,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic yearling sale and fetched $150,000 at the same company's Midlantic 2-year-old sale this past May (see below).
Morjanah (Street Boss), whose female family includes Chiefswood graded winners Weyburn (Pioneerof the Nile) and Yorkton (Speightstown), was an $11,000 FTKOCT yearling turned $45,000 OBSAPR breezer and won a local trial over 1000 meters by a handy 3 3/4 lengths for Ahmad bin Harmash Nov. 15 (see below).
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