Horses to follow in 2025: Raqiya

While Todd Pletcher has the likes of Fierceness, Locked, and Mindframe in his arsenal for 2025, the Hall of Fame trainer picked up a fascinating new turf recruit in Raqiya.

The Shadwell homebred was transferred from British trainer Owen Burrows after her victorious U.S. debut in the Nov. 2 Goldikova (G3) on Breeders’ Cup Saturday at Del Mar. That performance takes on added resonance because she was initially trying to get into the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1), only to find herself last of the also-eligibles at the pre-entry stage.

Raqiya’s tactical speed and preference for quicker ground made her a natural for a stateside campaign. Already training forwardly at Palm Beach Downs, the four-year-old has fired bullet half-miles in :48.27 on Christmas Eve and :48.67 on Jan. 3. Plans call for her to contest the Jan. 25 Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G2) at Gulfstream Park.

By the world-class sprinter and hot young sire Blue Point (himself a grandson of Giant’s Causeway via Shamardal), Raqiya is out of a mare by Dansili (the brother to Banks Hill, Intercontinental, Champs Elysees et al.) She comes from the family of star miler Bahri, two-time Jebel Hatta (G1) winner Alfareeq, and more recently, last year’s Irish 1000 Guineas (G1) runner-up A Lilac Rolla (herself one to watch as a recent purchase by John Stewart’s Resolute Racing).

Raqiya showed promise as a two-year-old when capturing two of her four starts in 2023. Moving forward from an encouraging debut fourth at Newbury, she wired a six-furlong novice at Salisbury by three lengths as the 1-4 favorite. Raqiya justified 6-5 favoritism next time in a Haydock novice, where she bolted up by 4 1/4 lengths from just off the pace, under wraps. She was favored again on the rise to Group company in the Firth of Clyde (G3), but the good-to-soft going at Ayr undermined her, and she failed to gain traction in fifth.

Ground remained the key to her sophomore season in 2024. Raqiya thrived back on good going at Salisbury in her May 25 reappearance in the Cathedral S. and beat older horses. Nestled at the back of the compact field, she traveled strongly before picking up well to score by a neck. 

After a sixth versus older distaffers in York’s Summer (G3) on an unsuitably rain-affected course, Raqiya was much more in her element on good-to-firm at Glorious Goodwood. In the July 31 Oak Tree (G3), her first attempt at seven furlongs, the 7-1 chance drafted just behind the leaders on the inside and began to make her move, only to have the rampant favorite Jabaara veer over and take her path. Raqiya recovered to alter course, come around to re-engage Jabaara, and miss by a head.

Given the incident at a crucial stage, the stewards conducted an inquiry and disqualified Jabaara for interference. 

Raqiya’s rider, Jim Crowley, made an effective case for her promotion:

“We’ve got the rail to run against, and we’ve got plenty of clear room to go. The horse in front has just shifted across her and I’ve had to switch. I think she’s lost a bit of momentum. I’ve had to check, then obviously she has stayed on again. I feel that, if that hadn't happened, she probably would have won.

“I stopped for about three strides,” Crowley continued. “There’s no question we have had to stop. Four strides, easily, and then you have lost your momentum. She’s made up a length and a half. With a clear run and, without losing her momentum, she would have won.”

Raqiya inherited her first Group laurel in a less than satisfactory way, but the formline with Jabaara is significant. Jabaara was coming off a second in the Falmouth (G1) to multiple Group 1 heroine Porta Fortuna, who was one of the most consistent performers at the top level prior to her subpar eighth in the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

Burrows didn’t find another enticing spot for Raqiya in Britain, so he waited to unleash her over a Del Mar course that figured to play to her strengths. The Goldikova marked a step up in trip to a mile, but around two turns on a flat track, and American conditions did indeed bring out the best in her.

New pilot Frankie Dettori mitigated the potential drawback of post 9 by letting her stride forward, and Raqiya was just too good as the controlling speed. Getting a breather after an opening quarter in :23.04, she carved out splits of :48.38 and 1:13.41 and accelerated her final quarter in :22.68 to put the race away. Third-placer Sacred Wish came right back to upset the Matriarch (G1).

The last word belongs to Burrows: