Yulong Warrior Wins First U.S. Stakes in Getaway Day
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Photo: Reed Palmer Photography
Yulong Warrior wins the Getaway Day Stakes at Emerald Downs.
Yuesheng Zhang's well-traveled Yulong Warrior has raced on three continents in his 10-race career and has now won stakes on two after his score in the $100,000 Getaway Day Stakes Sept. 23 at Emerald Downs.
The 3-year-old Street Cry colt began his career in Ireland, but couldn't win in four starts there in 2017. Moved to Dubai for the start of the 2018 season, he broke his maiden Feb. 8 and scored the Al Bastakiya Sponsored By Emirates.com March 10 by 11 1/2 lengths, which encouraged a start in the March 31 UAE Derby Sponsored By Saeed & Mohammed Al Naboodah Group (G2), where he finished a far-back seventh.
Transferred to trainer Doug O'Neill in Southern California, Yulong Warrior finished fourth in the Aug. 25 Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar, before he shipped to the Pacific Northwest, rode the rail in fifth through much of the 1 1/16-mile Getaway Day for 3-year-olds, and surged to the wire under jockey Evin Roman to pass Weekend Wizard late and win by 1 1/4 lengths.
Weekend Wizard appeared to be home free after he took over from longshot early leader Boundary Bay (who held third after he set fractions of :23.74, :47.36, and 1:10.50 through six furlongs) in the second turn, but Yulong Warrior emerged at the top of the lane and finished off the distance in 1:40.61.
"(The plan) was to go in front, but the horse (broke) a little slow," Roman said. "But he's a very smart horse, so he was relaxed in the race and finished strong."
Favored Sippin Fire, who came into the Getaway Day on a four-stakes win streak, all at Emerald Downs, got a stalking trip but wasn't involved late and finished fourth. He was followed by Hey Sequoia, Canadian Game, Elliott Bay, and Not Yet, to complete the order of finish.
Bred in Florida by Mossarosa, out of the Bernardini mare Mahkama, Yulong Warrior has a 3-3-1 record and $247,931 in earnings from 10 starts. An $180,000 purchase by BBA (Ireland) and Yulong Investments out of the 2016 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Yulong Warrior last went through the sales ring at the 2017 Goffs London Sale, where he was purchased for $460,008 by Satish Seemar, who trained the colt in Dubai.