Reynaldothewizard Shows He's Still Got Magic
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In a battle of past Golden Shaheen Stakes (UAE-I) winners, 9-year-old Reynaldothewizard edged Krypton Factor by a neck in the $200,000 Al Shindagha Sprint Sponsored by Jaguar XJ (UAE-III) the night of Feb. 12 at Meydan Racecourse.
Later on the card, the improving Tamarkuz proved an easy winner of the $200,000 Firebreak Stakes Sponsored by Land Rover (UAE-III).
In a great scrape between veteran sprinters in the 1,200-meter (about six-furlong) Al Shindagha Sprint, Reynaldothewizard, widest of all for jockey Richard Mullen, won a head-bobbing finish over 7-year-old Krypton Factor after the latter had seized the lead 300 meters from home.
It was the second win this year over the course and distance for Zabeel Racing International's Kentucky-bred gelding by Speightstown , who took the Dubawi Stakes Jan. 15. Satish Seemar trains Reynaldothewizard, the 2013 Golden Shaheen winner who produced his ninth lifetime victory in 23 starts.
"He is obviously a real favorite in the yard and a horse we all like," Mullen said. "They went plenty quick enough up front and I was pretty happy out of my ground in the first half. Then he has picked up really nicely and done it well in the end."
Krypton Factor, winner of the 2012 Golden Shaheen who was ridden by Adrie de Vries, finished 1 1/4 lengths in front of third-place Speed Hawk in the field of 10 sprinters.
Bred in Kentucky by Gibraltar Group, the gelding had been sold by Taylor Made Sales Agency for $400,000 as a yearling to Hartley/DeRenzo Thoroughbreds during the 2007 Keeneland September yearling sale. Hartley/DeRenzo then sold him for $775,000 as a 2-year-old to Omar Trevino during the 2008 Fasig-Tipton Florida select 2-year-olds in training sale. Reynaldothewizard began his career in the U.S. with trainer Eoin Harty. He finished third in the 2008 Saratoga Special Stakes (gr. II) as a juvenile. After his 3-year-old season, Reynaldothewizard was moved to Seemar's Dubai-based stable.
Out of Holiday Runner, a daughter of Meadowlake who won a pair of stakes as a juvenile, Reynaldothewizard is a half brother to two-time grade I winner Seventh Street, by Street Cry.
Paul Hanagan, who won the UAE 2000 Guineas (UAE-III) earlier in the evening aboard Godolphin's Maftool, also guided Tamarkuz, a 5-year-old son of Speightstown, to a commanding four-length triumph in the 1,600-meter (about one mile) Firebreak.
"He is not the most straightforward," Hanagan said. "However, he is smart—very smart. The ability is certainly there and hopefully we can focus that in the right direction. He was impressive last time, but this was a big step up. Hopefully he has more to offer."
Winning his first group event, Tamarkuz was coming off a 4 1/2-length score in a 1,600-meter handicap at Meydan Jan. 22. The chestnut horse posted his fifth lifetime win in 11 starts for Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum and trainer Musabah Al Muhairi.
Gold City wound up second in the field of 10, with Empire Storm a farther 3 3/4 lengths back in third.
John D. Gunther bred the winner in Kentucky out of the Lemon Drop Kid mare Without You Babe.