Dubai: Three-year-olds to watch in UAE 2000 Guineas Trial

Potential UAE Derby (G2) prospects step out at Meydan on Friday in the UAE 2000 Guineas Trial, a connection emphasized by the Kentucky Derby (G1) appearing as the race’s sponsor. A field of 13 has signed on for the about seven-furlong conditions event, scheduled as the fourth race at 10:20 a.m. ET.

But there could also be UAE Oaks (G3) and Kentucky Oaks (G1) implications, with the filly #13 Arigatou Gozaimasu bidding to follow up on her sensational debut victory. Trained by Salem bin Ghadayer, the $235,000 OBS April juvenile purchase wired a Nov. 22 course-and-distance maiden for fillies by more than eight lengths.

The caveat is that Arigatou Gozaimasu subsequently came down with a suspected case of ringworm that caused her to skip her next planned outing in the Dec. 20 Shahama S. The daughter of Honest Mischief, New York’s top freshman sire of 2024, was therefore rerouted here.

“To be honest, we don’t really want to take on the boys, but we have to as we missed the Shahama S.,” bin Ghadayer told the Dubai Racing Club. “I’d like to reach the Cocoa Beach S. (on Jan. 17) with two races in her pocket, at least two seven-furlong races, before we start on the mile.”

The horseman also commented on her less advantageous draw. Arigatou Gozaimasu will break from post 11.

“She has the ability and the quality to compete against the boys,” bin Ghadayer said, “but I would rather have been drawn six or seven.”

The only other course-and-distance winner in the field, #5 Awab, similarly impressed in his official unveiling back on Nov. 8. The Musabbeh al Mheiri pupil is himself drawn wide in post 12, but he relished an outside stalking trip last time. By 2007 Kentucky Derby champion Street Sense, the Charles Fipke-bred is a half-brother to 2024 UAE Oaks third Lightning Paradise.

Godolphin trainer Saeed bin Buroor is double-handed with homebreds #6 Castle Gates and #3 Arabian Story. 

Castle Gates experiments with dirt after dominating a novice on heavy going at Goodwood. Two starts back, the son of Farhh was a close second at Bath to George Boughey’s promising Hopewell Rock. A half-brother to 2024 Epsom Oaks (G1) runner-up Dance Sequence, Castle Gates is out of a Street Cry mare, giving him hopes of adapting to the surface. 

Arabian Story, who tested dirt when third in a trial at Jebel Ali, launches his career officially in this spot. The Invincible Spirit colt is a three-quarter brother to Group 1-winning turfiste Territories, but from the further family of Street Cry. 

The two highest-rated entrants are South American imports #1 Don Vaccaro and #2 Nam Phrik, both making their first starts since joining trainer Juan Olascoaga. Don Vaccaro, 2-for-3 in his native Uruguay, was last seen capturing the July 21 Clasico Ensayo (G3) at about 7 1/2 furlongs. 

Brazilian-bred Nam Phrik has also raced exclusively in Uruguay, where he went 3-for-6 including a five-length romp in a listed stakes at about 1 1/8 miles. Most recently runner-up in the about 1 1/4-mile Gran Premio Jockey Club (G3) Oct. 6, the son of the blueblood Tapit stallion Hofburg might want to go further. 

“Both hold solid form from Uruguay,” Olascoaga said, “and they tick all the boxes of what we like to see in a three-year-old that comes over to Dubai from South America. Over seven furlongs, Don Vaccaro may have an advantage, but both have pleased us in their morning work.”

As Southern Hemisphere-breds, Don Vaccaro (133 pounds) and Nam Phrik (132 pounds) are conceding weight all around. Their male Northern Hemisphere-bred rivals carry 121 pounds, while Arigatou Gozaimasu gets the maximum weight break at 117 pounds. 

Bhupat Seemar, the reigning champion UAE trainer from the 2023-24 season, and frequent past titleholder Doug Watson each send out imports from former Soviet lands. 

Seemar’s contender, #11 Nimble Boy, is an Upstart colt bred by the late Brereton C. Jones. Exported to Russia as a $32,000 Keeneland November weanling, he won his first two starts sprinting before placing a half-length second over a metric mile Sept. 6. 

Watson’s hope, #4 Arlan, was a bargain-buy Keeneland September yearling for $3,000 who headed off to Kazakhstan. The son of the Pulpit stallion American Freedom scored twice at Almaty, from about six furlongs to a metric mile, and just missed by a head in his latest Oct. 5. Remember that one of the stories of the 2024 Dubai Carnival was a Khazak-campaigned Kentucky-bred, Kabirkhan, for the same yard.

The lone UAE-based multiple winner, Michael Costa’s #12 Rammayy, is 2-for-2 down the straightaway at Jebel Ali. Another Jones-bred hailing from Airdrie Stud, the Win Win Win colt commanded $250,000 as a yearling at Keeneland September. 

“He’s improved from his first outing,” Costa said of the workmanlike closer, who’s benefited from the stamina test up the Jebel Ali hill. “He’s having a spin at Meydan for his first time. He has a relaxed racing style, so we’ll see how he handles it.”

#7 Gallant Blade, by champion Maximum Security and out of a half-sister to Japanese dirt star Lemon Pop, trailed home last behind Rammayy in their mutual debut. But the $230,000 OBS April graduate finally scored in his third attempt for bin Ghadayer, setting the pace and gamely prevailing in a duel back at Jebel Ali. 

Ahmad bin Harmash has two representatives in #8 Golden Vekoma, a distant third in his premiere at Meydan, and the debuting #9 Laafit. Golden Vekoma, sourced for $90,000 at OBS April, could improve on the cutback from a metric mile. Laafit, a $140,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic recruit by Honest Mischief, was a very good second to a four-year-old in a local trial. 

Rounding out the field is #10 Nedawy, a Rashed Bouresly runner who has been well beaten by Rammayy in both of his official starts at Jebel Ali. But the Instagrand half-brother to the talented Montalcino previously shaped better in his Meydan trial, where he reported home second.

The Friday card also showcases a pair of Group races. 

The Zabeel Mile (G2) (fifth race, 10:55 a.m. ET) features #1 Ottoman Fleet, who had a productive U.S. turf campaign over the summer for Charlie Appleby; defending champion #2 San Donato; Simon and Ed Crisford’s stalwart #7 Poker Face; and recent French expat #4 Dolayli, who hopes to reinvent himself for new trainer bin Ghadayer. 

Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) conqueror #1 Tuz rates as the prohibitive favorite as he seeks a repeat in the Dubawi (G3) (sixth race, 11:30 a.m. ET). The Seemar veteran returned in smashing style in the Dec. 6 Al Garhoud Sprint, drawing off by nearly 5 3/4 lengths from #2 Colour Up.