Stakes Debut in Remsen for Shadwell's Takaful

Owner and breeder Shadwell Farm and trainer Kiaran McLaughlin hope lightning strikes twice when they send out Takaful in the $300,000 Remsen Stakes (gr. II) Nov. 26 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

A year ago McLaughlin saddled Shadwell's Mohaymen to victory in the 1 1/8-mile Remsen, a victory that would help the son of Tapit   establish himself as one of the favorites for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), where he would finish fourth.

There are differences in the racing patterns of the two Shadwell horses, though, as the Remsen was the third start overall and second stakes try for Mohaymen, who entered off a clear victory in the Nashua Stakes (gr. II) four weeks before the Remsen.

Takaful, a Bernardini   colt, will make his stakes debut in the Remsen after overwhelming eight rivals in an Oct. 29 maiden special weight race at Belmont Park. In that 6 1/2-furlong test, Takaful opened a clear lead through swift fractions of :21.97 and :44.96, but still had plenty left to open up through the stretch to score an eight-length win while completing the race in 1:15.82 on a fast track.

"It's a big step up from a maiden to a grade II and it's a big step up from 6 1/2 (furlongs) to a mile and an eighth, but he's certainly a grade II type," McLaughlin said. "The distance is a little bit of a concern, but we don't have a lot of options, so we're going to give it a go. We've missed out on a (longer) prep, but we can't do anything about that, so we're going to hope for the best."

In the Remsen Kentucky-bred Takaful will try two turns for the first time. After the maiden win, Takaful (Bernardini—Sablah, by Distorted Humor  ) has worked three times including a half-mile breeze in :47.66 Nov. 18 at Belmont where he earned the bullet among 52 workers at the distance.

"We had little issues with his shins but we always kept him here (in training)," McLaughlin said. "We've always liked him; it just took a little while (to start him). Maybe it'll all work out for the best."

Takaful is expected to face nine other juveniles in Saturday's race, including Lael Stables' No Dozing, who enters off a solid finish in the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (gr. I) Oct. 8 at Keeneland. Before finishing fourth in the 1 1/16-mile Breeders' Futurity, No Dozing won a pair of six-furlong sprints, taking his maiden debut Aug. 20 at Delaware Park and an allowance/optional claiming race Sept. 10 at Laurel Park.

No Dozing is a son of Union Rags  , who through Nov. 22 ranked second on this year's freshman sire list.

Meanwhile Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, and Team D's Mo Town will stretch out again. After finishing second in his debut sprinting six furlongs, Mo Town found the one-turn mile to his liking. On Sept. 24 at Belmont, Mo Town drew off in the stretch to score a seven-length victory at that distance.

"I don't think that two turns will be an issue for our horse at all," said trainer Tony Dutrow of the colt out of the winning Bernardini mare Grazie Mille. "I don't even think about that, because I just don't feel like there's anything to worry about in that regard.

"To this day, none of us know how good of a horse he is or how nice of horse he is, but, since February, when you could see him training, you could feel like he's a better kind of horse. Around the barn and anywhere else, he doesn't bring attention to himself. But on the racetrack, he's impressive and always has been."