Godolphin's progressive 5-year-old gelding Man Of Promise (Into Mischief) made a favourable impression when winning the Listed Dubai Sprint by 2 1/2 lengths off a 10-month break on Jan. 28, and he built on that promise in a big way on Saturday when running away with the G3 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint, the local prep for the G1 Al Quoz Sprint on World Cup night.
Man Of Promise raced prominently on the stands' side rail as the field broke into three groups up the Meydan straight. William Buick was still sitting quietly aboard the bay as many of the other riders had gotten busy on their mounts approaching the 400, and Man Of Promise cruised to the lead with relative ease passing the 300. It was at the furlong marker, however, that he hit another gear, sprinting clear to win by 4 3/4 lengths from last year's G1 Prix de l'Abbaye winner A Case Of You (Ire) (Hot Streak {Ire}), who made a good seasonal debut while closing quickly to finish 2 1/2 lengths ahead of Alkaraama (War Front). Last year's G1 Sprint Cup winner Emaraaty Ana (GB) (Shamardal) beat just one home after racing prominently early.
Man Of Promise, at $170,000, was the least expensive of 24 yearlings purchased by Godolphin during its 2018 Keeneland September buying spree. He is still lightly raced, having run just eight times thus far, but has found a new lease on life since being gelded and making Meydan his home last winter. His local debut was a three-length win in the Listed Dubai Sprint last February, after which he was eighth in both this race and the G1 Al Quoz Sprint, and he has gone to the next level this season.
Pedigree Notes
Man Of Promise was conceived when American supersire Into Mischief was standing for $45,000 in 2016-he is up to $250,000 this year. Man Of Promise is the fifth foal out of the winning Involved (Speightstown), who has a 2-year-old filly from the first crop of Into Mischief's half-brother Mendelssohn, and has this year produced a colt foal by Into Mischief's son Audible after being barren last year. Involved is a great-granddaughter of the GI Santa Barbara H. winner The Very One (One For All), herself a half-sister to French Classic winner Soviet Star.
Saturday, Meydan, Middle East
NAD AL SHEBA TURF SPRINT (SPONSORED BY EMIRATES SKYCARGO)-G3, $250,000, Meydan, 3-5, NH3yo/up & SH3yo/up, 1200mT, 1:08.14, gd.
1–MAN OF PROMISE, 126, g, 5, by Into Mischief
1st Dam: Involved, by Speightstown
2nd Dam: Winner's Ticket, by Jolie's Halo
3rd Dam: Ticket to Paradise, by Alydar
1ST GROUP WIN. ($170,000 yrl '18 KEESEP) O-Godolphin;
B-Betz, Magers, CoCo Equine, Kidder, Lamantial & Davidson
(KY); T-Charlie Appleby; J-William Buick. $150,000. Lifetime
Record: 8-4-1-1, $409,417. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple
Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–A Case of You (Ire), 126, c, 4, Hot Streak (Ire)–Karjera (Ire), by
Key of Luck. (€3,000 yrl '19 GOFOCT) O-Gary Devlin;
B-Limestone & Tara Studs (IRE); T-Adrian McGuinness.
$50,000.
3–Alkaraama, 126, h, 6, War Front–Agreeable Miss, by
Speightstown. ($600,000 wnl '16 KEENOV) O-Shadwell; B-Frank
Hutchinson (KY); T-Musabbeh Al Mheiri. $25,000.
Margins: 4 3/4, 2HF, HD. Also Ran: Jadwal (GB), Motafaawit (Ire), Parsifal (NZ), Acklam Express (Ire), Lord of the Lodge (Ire), Story of Light (Ire), Line of Departure (Ire), Mutaraffa (Ire), Jash (Ire), Final Song (Ire), Summerghand (Ire), Emaraaty Ana (GB), Dahawi (GB). Scratched: Royal Crusade (GB), Zamaani (Ire), Taneen, Live in the Moment (Ire).
Click for the Racing Post result. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO.
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