Two-time GI Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Doug O'Neill made the ground-breaking move of sending a string of around a dozen horses to train at Meydan and tackle the three-month Dubai World Cup Carnival this season, and the Southern California-based conditioner got off the mark in the desert on Thursday when Fore Left (Twirling Candy) went gate to wire in the one-mile G3 UAE 2000 Guineas. Fore Left carries the colours of Paul Reddam, who also owned both of O'Neill's Derby winners, I'll Have Another (Flower Alley) and Nyquist (Uncle Mo).
Fastest of the 16 away from the 14 gate, Fore Left was eventually able to slip over to the rail under William Buick and held an advantage of a length rounding the turn. Stealing away at the quarter pole, the bay opened up by as much as eight lengths before labouring a bit late, allowing Zabardast (Carpe Diem) to get within 1 1/2 lengths.
A $97,000 yearling and a $145,000 2-year-old, Fore Left won his first two starts last year, including the Listed Tremont S. over 5 1/2 furlongs, by 4 1/2 lengths. He picked up pattern black-type when third in the GII Best Pal S., but lost some lustre when beaten by open lengths in the GI Del Mar Futurity and GI American Pharoah S. The bay rewarded his connections for lowering their sights a bit when taking Santa Anita's 6 1/2-furlong Sunny Slope S. on Oct. 20, and after finishing third in the Listed Golden Nuggest S. on Nov. 9 he wrapped up a busy juvenile campaign when beaten six lengths in 10th in the GIII Cecil B Demille S.
While O'Neill had to wait until the sixth night of the carnival to visit the winner's enclosure, his prior runners had made a good account of themselves. His eight runners thus far have accounted for one win, three placings and two fourths. Just 30 minutes after Fore Left's victory, O'Neill was narrowly denied a double when Blitzkrieg (War Front) was second in the Listed Dubai Sprint.
“That was so cool,” said O'Neill, who was watching back home in the U.S. “I was absolutely going nuts and I'm so happy for Mr. Reddam and for my whole team. I am so proud to be part of a great team with Leandro [Mora, assistant] and Tony Romero and the entire team there and back home in California. What an awesome experience.
“With the post and the way the race was run with a little bend before the backstretch, he had to work a little extra-hard to get into position, so that was very impressive—but that's why William is a top jockey. He did exactly what he had to do and didn't overdo it. He got a little tired late, but that probably had a lot to do with what I just mentioned and that he had two months off. This race will do him a world of good. After this, we will see how he comes out. If he's diving into his feed tub, we may run him one more time [in the $350,000 Al Bastakiya on Mar. 7], but if for any reason he shows fatigue, we'll wait for the [G2 UAE] Derby. Dubai has made it so easy for us to relax and enjoy this and I'm a big believer that horses are a reflection of the people around them and this has been a great experience.”
Pedigree Notes
Fore Left became the second winner on the card, following Bella Fever, out of a daughter of Unbridled's Song. Fore Left is the first foal for his dam Simply Sunny and is the eighth group/graded stakes winner for Candy Ride (Arg)'s Grade I-winning son Twirling Candy, who stands at Lane's End Farm for $40,000. Simply Sunny has a 2-year-old filly by Flatter who was a $375,000 Keeneland September yearling last year; a yearling colt by Tiznow and was bred to Street Sense for 2020. Simply Sunny is a three-quarter sister to the stakes-winning and GI Florida Derby second Reveron (Songandaprayer). Fore Left's third dam is the dual Grade III winner Stylish Star (Our Native), who produced the track record-setting stakes winner Stately Star (Deputy Minister) and the GI Oak Leaf S. third Stylish Talent (Forty Niner).
Thursday, Meydan, Dubai
UAE 2000 GUINEAS SPONSORED BY MASDAR-G3, $250,000, Meydan, 2-6, 3yo, 8f, 1:38.43, fs.
1–FORE LEFT, 126, c, 3, by Twirling Candy">Twirling Candy
1st Dam: Simply Sunny, by Unbridled's Song
2nd Dam: Carolina Sunrise, by Awesome Again
3rd Dam: Stylish Star, by Our Native
1ST GROUP WIN ($97,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP; $145,000 RNA 2yo
'19 OBSMAR). O-Reddam Racing LLC; B-Machmer Hall (KY);
T-Doug O'Neill; J-William Buick. $150,000. Lifetime Record:
9-4-0-2, $355,902. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click
for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Zabardast, 126, c, 3, Carpe Diem–Sweet Maya, by Malibu
Moon. ($35,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP; 90,000gns 2yo '19 TATBRE).
O-Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum; B-Popatop,
LLC (KY); T-Salem bin Ghadayer. $50,000.
3–Emblem Storm, 126, c, 3, English Channel–American Girl
(Ire), by High Chaparral (Ire). ($45,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP; $95,000
2yo '19 OBSAPR). O-Al Bayraq Stable; B-Colts Neck Stables LLC
(KY); T-Satish Seemar. $25,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, 1, SHD.
Also Ran: Lake Causeway, Spirit of Light (Ire), Dark of Night (Ire), Al Modayar, Commanding (Ire), Nocentsinkentucky, Laser Show (Ire), Liam's Legend, Emirates Currency (GB), Good Fighter, Jukebox King, Bullof Wall Street, Colour Image (Ire). Scratched: Far Sky, Grey Flash. Click for the Racing Post result. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
