Walking Thunder Taking Next Step at Meydan
Image:
Description:
Photo: Dubai Racing Club/Erika Rasmussen
Walking Thunder
Phoenix Ladies Syndicate's Walking Thunder, who won the UAE 2000 Guineas Trial (non-black-type) by nine lengths Jan. 10 to earn his third win in as many starts, is preparing to stay the course in the $250,000 UAE Two Thousand Guineas (G3) Feb. 7.
Walking Thunder was bred in Florida by Golden Legacy Stable and the 3-year-old son of Violence was purchased by Alessandro Marconi for $42,000 from Q Bar J Thoroughbreds at last year's Ocala Breeders' Sales April 2-Year-Olds in Training sale. Trained by Ahmad Bin Harmash, Walking Thunder has raced exclusively at Meydan. He'll continue on a path toward the UAE Derby Sponsored by Saeed & Mohammed Al Naboodah Group (G2).
"He came out very well," Bin Harmash said of his Jan. 10 win. "He trained today and he looks so fresh. That's one of the reasons we decided to run him back in the Trial instead of going straight to the Guineas. From now, he'll go on to the Guineas and then the ($2.5 million) UAE Derby (on March 30)."
The UAE Derby awards Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top four finishers (100-40-20-10).