Azure Coast (Street Sense) was plucked out of the Gainesway consignment at Keeneland September in 2020 by owner Vladamir Kazakov for $65,000, and that has proven to be an inspired purchase with the colt now three-for-three and a stakes winner after taking Friday's G3 UAE 2000 Guineas on his black-type debut.
Debuting over a mile in Moscow in September, Azure Coast came home a six-length winner. He resurfaced at Meydan for trainer Pavel Vaschenko in December, dropping back to seven furlongs to win a conditions race over the Meydan dirt by a head.
Making his first start since, Azure Coast was off a step slow and was soon dead last and a good 15 lengths off the lead as the trial winner Rawy (Frosted) carved out the pace. Azure Coast began to make up ground under Antonio Fresu as they entered the bend, and in the kind of move rarely seen on the Meydan dirt, he began circling runners out wide and was coming with a full head of stream as they straightened for home. Kiefer (Brz) (Drosselmeyer) and Bendoog (Gun Runner) were among those fighting out the lead in midstretch, but Azure Coast was always coming on ominously, and he swept to the lead passing the furlong pole and eventually hit the line under wraps and two lengths clear. Kiefer held on for second, while the trial runner-up Quality Boone (Arg) (Daniel Boone {Brz}) made up late ground to grab third.
Pedigree Notes
Azure Coast was bred in Kentucky by Emory Hamilton and is the second live foal out of the unplaced Divine Rule (Empire Maker), who has a 2-year-old colt by Blame and a yearling son of Frosted and is barren this year. Divine Rule is a full-sister to Grade III winner Soaring Empire and a half-sister to the multiple Grade II-winning and Grade I-placed Hungry Island (More Than Ready), as well as to the dam of young Kentucky sire and GI Woodward S. winner Preservationist (Arch), all of whom were bred by Hamilton. Azure Coast's third dam, Chic Shirine (Mr. Prospector), won the GI Ashland S., and the Grade/Group 1 winners appearing beneath her include Somali Lemonade, Librisa Breeze (GB), Harmonize and Verrazano. Divine Rule was bought by Five Rings Racing for $25,000 from the Gainesway consignment at Keeneland January in 2020.
UAE 2000 GUINEAS PRESENTED BY RACE OF CREATIVITY-G3, $150,000, Meydan, 2-11, 3yo, 8f, 1:39.21, fs.
1–AZURE COAST, 121, c, 3, by Street Sense
1st Dam: Divine Rule, by Empire Maker
2nd Dam: Flying Passage, by A.P. Indy
3rd Dam: Chic Shirine, by Mr. Prospector
1ST STAKES WIN. ($65,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Vladamir
Kazakov; B-Emory A. Hamilton (KY); T-Pavel Vaschenko;
J-Antonio Fresu. $90,000. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $110,635.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick
Rating: A+.
2–Kiefer (Brz), 131, c, 3, Drosselmeyer–Condoleza (Brz), by
Macho Uno. O-Haras San Pedro; B-Haras Santa Rita Da Serra
(BRZ); T-Ricardo Colombo. $30,000.
3–Quality Boone (Arg), 131, c, 3, Daniel Boone (Brz)–Quindici,
by Crafty Prospector. O-Stud Guara Del Sur; B-Haras Santa
Maria de Araras (ARG); T-Antonio Cintra Pereira. $15,000.
Margins: 2, NO, 2 1/4. Also Ran: Bendoog, Conglomerate (Ire), Sadaaty, Rawy, Nader (GB), Suvorov, Mujeer, Mr Kafoo, Pjerrot, Hear the Drums (Den). Scratched: Get Back Goldie.
Click for the Racing Post result. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO.
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