Kimbear Finds His Stride in Dubai

Selling a Thoroughbred racehorse, at any time in his or her career, has a lot to do with instinct and feel.

When an offer comes in, questions can flood the brain. Is it too early? Is it time? Am I getting the best value? Make a wrong decision, and the second guessing begins.

But more often than some might admit, a private sale can work out for both buyer and seller, as is the case with Kimbear, a onetime hopeful on the Triple Crown trail who has found his stride in Dubai. The 4-year-old Temple City  colt is set to participate on the country's most important night of racing March 31 in the $1 million Godolphin Mile Sponsored By Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum City—District One (G2).

A $30,000 purchase out of the 2015 Keeneland September yearling sale by trainer Eric Kruljac for Fred and Karen Lewkowitz and partners, Kimbear took a little while to get going on the tough Southern California racing circuit. But he broke through in his sixth start in February of 2017 at Santa Anita Park, where he bested eventual stakes winner and 2017 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) runner Sonneteer by 4 1/2 lengths in a maiden special weight event.

As is the tendency for talented 3-year-olds, into the fire went Kimbear, and he represented himself well next time out when he finished sixth, beaten 5 1/2 lengths by winner Gormley  in the Santa Anita Derby (G1).

But the phone wasn't ringing just yet. That came after his next start, the Lazaro Barrera Stakes (G3) May 13, when he loomed in the stretch but was no match for American Anthem, who went on to win the Woody Stephens Stakes (G2) next time out, then placed in two grade 1 sprints to end his 3-year-old season.

"After he ran second in the (Lazaro Barrera), that's when we started getting offers," Kruljac said.

Kimbear came in second in an allowance and sixth in the Los Alamitos Derby (G3), and then the offer was set—$600,000 from a bloodstock agent who represented trainer Doug Watson and Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid Al Nuaimi.

"It's so hard to buy horses in America, and we were looking for some value for the owner, and I think we found it with him," Watson said of Kimbear. "We were looking at the 3-year-old races out there and saw him run so well against good horses like American Anthem (and future grade 1 TwinSpires Breeders' Cup Sprint runner American Pastime). The form was behind him and the pedigree wasn't top of the page, but we liked him."

But there was also a reason Kruljac only paid $30,000 for Kimbear.

"He had everything I look for when I buy a horse at a sale, but we got him for that price because he had roughening around the inside of the cannon bone where the splint is," Kruljac said.

Before the deal was finalized, the splint acted up during a workout. The buyers from halfway across the world still wanted the bay, but the price dropped.

"Now it's $450,000," Kruljac said. "But for us old guys, who have been in the game for a while, we have no regrets whatsoever. We took that money and bought some more horses at Keeneland."

So, after quarantine time in Kentucky and some time off, Kimbear arrived in Watson's stable for the 2018 season at Meydan and immediately made an impression with a five-length handicap win at 1,600 meters (one mile) on the dirt. Then came two runner-up efforts in handicaps, and a breakthrough, 1 1/4-length score in the Burj Nahaar Sponsored By Emirates Holidays (G3).

"He hasn't had one issue since we got him, and it was neat to get him," Watson said. "The owner, he's not new—he had horses years ago—but he's only 35 and he's really getting into the game. He's had a lot of success early, and we hope to carry on."

Kruljac and his ownership group have kept tabs on the little colt they bought in 2015, and now they have something to cheer for on the premier Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1) undercard.

"My partners have been sending me the videos of his races in Dubai," Kruljac said. "He's a lovely little colt, he's got over the splint, and he's running his eyeballs out. We're rooting for him. We're just thrilled he's doing well."