Solow All Alone in Dubai Turf
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Jockey Maxime Guyon guided Alain and Gerard Wertheimer’s homebred Solow to a commanding score in the $6 million Dubai Turf Sponsored by DP World (UAE-I) at nine furlongs over a “good” course at Meydan, giving trainer Freddy Head his first victory in Dubai.
The 5-year-old gelding by Singspiel—High Maintenance, by Highest Honor, prepped for the Dubai Turf with a win going a mile March 3 at Chantilly in his first race under Guyon. Solow finished the Dubai Turf in 1:47.76.
“He’s a great horse; improving all the time. This was his biggest test in his first group I races,” Head said. “Maxime was really cool.”
The Grey Gatsby, 9-5 co-favorite for the race with the winner, was reluctant to enter the starting gate. Blindfolded and finally loaded, the 4-year-old son of Mastercraftsman wound up finishing second. He was followed by Mshawish in third and pacemaker Euro Charline in fourth.
Euro Charline broke best of the field of 10 and set the pace while being tracked by longshot Farraaj. The early pace, the opening quarter-mile went in :26.1 was moderate. Solow sat in midpack for most of the race, but came with a strong move while on the outside to collar the pacesetters in the lane. He quickly opened up daylight and cruised to the line under a celebratory Guyon.
The winner returned $5.60. The $1 exacta, 10-6, paid $9.40, and the 50-cent trifecta of 10-6-3 returned $27.30.
Solow has now won eight of 13 starts. He finished up last year with back-to-back wins in the Prix Quincey Lucien Barriere (Fr-III) at a mile at Deauville and the Qatar Prix Daniel Wildenstein (Fr-II) at mile on Arc day (Oct. 4) at Longchamp.
Solow was bred in Great Britain. He is the first foal out of the group III-placed High Maintenance. The mare is out of the group II-winning Fabulous Hostess and is a half sister to Hostessante, the dam of North American stakes winner and grade III-placed Colony Band (by Dixieland Band), the dam of grade III winner Coliezo.