Wild Dude Points Toward Dubai World Cup Carnival
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Photo: BENOIT PHOTO
Wild Dude wins the Kona Gold Stakes
Dual grade I winner Wild Dude, now under the care of Irish conditioner Michael Halford, could start next at Meydan Racecourse in the Dubai World Cup Carnival meet, according to The National.
The 6-year-old son of Wildcat Heir raced in the United States for owners Green Smith and Jerry Hollendorfer, where he won eight of his 22 starts and finished in the money in nine others, accumulating more than $1 million in earnings.
Wild Dude's last start was a one-length victory in the Kona Gold Stakes (gr. II) at Santa Anita Park May 12. One month later, he was purchased by Zhang Yuesheng for his YuLong Farm and Team Cheval and was sent to Ireland to train with Halford. From there, he shipped to South Korea and ran ninth in the Keeneland Korea Sprint (Kor-I) at Seoul Racecourse.
Bred in Florida by Versatile Thoroughbreds, Wild Dude was purchased by Hollendorfer and Smith for $42,000 at the 2012 Ocala Breeders' Sale 2-year-olds in training sale. He made his first of 15 graded starts a winning one, taking the 2014 Palos Verdes Stakes (gr. II) at Santa Anita by a neck over Secret Circle . The next year, he defeated Masochistic by 1 1/4 lengths in the Bing Crosby (gr. I) and won the Santa Anita Sprint Championship (gr. I) by a neck over Kobe's Back.