Oaks Contender Divine Image Rules Over Males in Dubai

Thunder Snow was a well-beaten second at Meydan Racecourse March 9 in the feature race on "Super Saturday," a preview card of Dubai World Cup Day, which is three weeks down the road.

Other than that, it was a big night for the Godolphin home team, with four wins from seven stakes races. Trainer Charlie Appleby had three of the victories, and Thunder Snow's trainer, Saeed bin Suroor, scored another group 1 triumph.

One of the Godolphin-Appleby winners was Divine Image, a Scat Daddy filly who beat the boys in a prep for the UAE Derby Sponsored By The Saeed & Mohammed Al Naboodah Group (G2) and now is a live candidate for the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1). She was bred in Kentucky by Peter Magnier.

Divine Image destroyed 11 male rivals and two fillies in the Al Bastakiya Stakes Sponsored By Emirates.com, a 9 1/2-furlong test that leads to the $2.5 million UAE Derby. With Brett Doyle at the controls, the UAE Oaks Sponsored By Range Rover (G3) winner saved ground while racing close behind the leaders into the stretch turn. Sent around those rivals, she quickly assumed command and won by 7 1/4 lengths.

Superior, a Triple Crown nominee, ran well to finish second. Divine Image finished in 1:59.07 without being asked for her best in the final 100 meters. Tone Broke, trained by Steve Asmussen and the only other Triple Crown nominee in the field, finished last of 14.

Divine Image, out of the Ishiguru mare Sure Route, started her career with a victory on the Chelmsford all-weather course in December and finished second in her UAE debut before winning the Oaks. Her UAE Oaks win earned her 50 points toward the Kentucky Oaks should her connections choose to make the trip.

"I'm delighted for His Highness Sheikh Mohammed, who is here this evening to see her," Appleby said of Divine Image. "She's a very talented filly, but she's learning on the job and this was a team effort tonight. Before the race, we had the discussion of if she were to win, we wouldn't rush into (making a decision about the UAE Derby). It's definitely on the cards, but we also have the Kentucky Oaks to take into consideration."

In the day's featured race, Sultan Ali's Capezzano burst into contention for the March 30 Dubai World Cup Sponsored By Emirates Airline (G1) with a commanding 9 1/2-length thrashing of defending World Cup champion Thunder Snow in the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 Sponsored By Emirates Airline (G1). South Korea-based Dolkong, also a Kentucky-bred, was third.

Bred by Darley, Capezzano was having his fourth run of the Dubai season while Thunder Snow had been idle since a third-place finish in the Nov. 3 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Churchill Downs. Capezzano's three previous races, however, were at about one mile, and jockey Mickael Barzalona said he wasn't totally confident the 5-year-old Bernardini  gelding would handle the about 1 1/4 miles of Round 3, especially when having to cross over quickly from gate No. 9 in the short run to the first turn.

But, having accomplished that, Barzalona said, "When I asked him to go in the last three furlongs, he really picked up nicely."

Trainer Salem bin Ghadayer called Capezzano "an honest horse. Even when he won over a mile, he ran an amazing race. We thought, why not try him over 10 furlongs. … This horse really is amazing when he decides to run. His problem is, he's a little bit tricky of a horse, and he needs to keep calm and relax. He has a big future."

Thunder Snow's connections also are looking forward.

Thunder Snow's rider, Christophe Soumillon, said the World Cup champion "ran really well. It's his first run since the Breeders' Cup, and he would need the race, for sure. I was very happy with the way he was moving."

Bin Suroor, who trains Thunder Snow for Godolphin, said the 5-year-old "will have a nice piece of work before the World Cup."

Bin Suroor got a nice consolation prize just one race later in the program's nightcap as Dream Castle led a Godolphin 1-2-3 finish in in the Jebel Hatta Sponsored By Emirates Airline (G1) at about 1 1/8 miles on the turf, a preview of the $6 million Dubai Turf Sponsored By DP World (G1).

Dream Castle, a 5-year-old Frankel gelding, had only two rivals beaten as the field turned for home. Soumillon took the overland route out to the middle of the course, set sail, and Dream Castle responded with a burst of speed that had him in front 100 meters from home. He led Appleby charges Wooton and First Contact across the line, advancing his record to 3-for-3 on the season.

"The race went well for us," Soumillon said. "We had a nice pace. When I asked him to go, he quickened sharply." 

Before the finale, Appleby already had a hat trick in the books.

Old Persian overcame all kinds of traffic issues to take down the Dubai City of Gold Sponsored By Emirates SkyCargo (G2) at about 1 1/2 miles on the turf, completing Appleby's triple and making his case for the $6 million Longines Dubai Sheema Classic (G1).

"He's got a bright future ahead of him," Appleby said of the 4-year-old son of Dubawi. "We certainly have our eyes on the Sheema Classic. But there's a bit of improvement yet to come for that. I'm pretty confident that he will. I don't want to repeat myself about Dubawi, but I don't think there's any sire in the world that can match what he does (with his progeny) from 3 to 4."

"I was behind a wall of horses on the turn," said Buick. "But I had so much horse under me."

Still, Old Persian needed every bit of the stretch to catch frontrunning Godolphin stablemate Racing History to win by a short head. Desert Encounter was third.

Muntazah, the international favorite, showed the way in the Burj Nahaar Sponsored By Emirates Holidays (G3) at one mile on the dirt. The 6-year-old Dubawi gelding, with Jim Crowley up, was in control throughout and won by a commanding 10 lengths, finishing in a track-record time of 1:34.99. A Turkish horse, Good Curry, chased Muntazah into the lane and held on for second. Veteran Heavy Metal missed the break badly but made up ground through the stretch to finish fourth.

The Burj Nahaar is a prep for the $1.5 million Godolphin Mile Sponsored By Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum City—District One (G2), where Muntazah finished second in 2018 behind Heavy Metal.

Trainer Doug Watson said there's no thought of stretching Muntazah out for a run at the World Cup. "He's a miler," the trainer said. "Maybe next year."

Blue Point served notice in the Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint Sponsored By Arabian Adventures (G3) that the Godolphin "Boys in Blue" will take some beating in the $2 million Al Quoz Sprint Sponsored By Azizi Developments (G1) on World Cup night. The 5-year-old Irish-bred son of Shamardal, racing down the middle of the course, was on the lead halfway through the six furlongs and drew off smartly under Buick's urging to win by three lengths. Ekhtiyaar and Mazzini filled the minor placings.

Blue Point looked likely to give Appleby his first World Cup night victory in the 2018 Al Quoz but was scratched at the gate. Appleby won that race anyway with Jungle Cat, defeating Stormy Liberal, and Blue Point went on to win the King's Stand Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot. He is 2-for-2 at Meydan this season.

"He's just a lot more professional now," Buick said of Blue Point. "This was another steppingstone to the Al Quoz. It was just lovely that he's channeling all his ability and strengths."

Florida-bred Drafted was away slowly in the Mahab al Shimaal Sponsored By Emirates Skywards (G3), circled wide on the turn, and closed relentlessly through the stretch under Patrick Dobbs to win by a neck over Nine Below Zero. Argentine runner Tato Key was third, another neck in arrears. Drafted, a 5-year-old Field Commission  gelding, finished six furlongs on the dirt in 1:11.66.

Drafted has won three of his past four starts, all at Meydan, and finished second to Raven's Corner in the Dubawi Stakes Presented By Longines Ladies Master Collection (G3) in the other. The Mahab al Shimaal victory sets him up for a run at the $2.5 million Dubai Golden Shaheen Sponsored By Gulf News (G1). Watson trains the gelding for Misty Hollow Farm.