Saturday could be quite a day’s racing for Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid.
In America, the Minister of Finance will be represented in two of the five Grade 1 races on the stellar Travers Stakes card at Saratoga Racecourse.
Mohaymen drops back in distance to 1,400 metres with a view to getting his career back on track in the Grade 1 Ketel One King’s Bishop at Saratoga at 11.35pm (UAE time), while just after midnight, 2015 Godolphin Mile hero Tamarkuz attempts to register his first success since that win at Meydan in the Grade 1 Forego Stakes over the same distance.
Before that on the other side of the Atlantic, talented sprinter Muthmir is also out to salvage his reputation in the Listed Beverley Bullet at Beverley Racecourse before Thikriyaat has a gilt-edged opportunity of winning the Group 2 Celebration Mile at Goodwood, the classiest race of the day in Britain.
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Of the quartet, it is Mohaymen who looks the most likely winner and it is the Deputy Leader of Dubai’s decision to allow the grey to run on the undercard to the 147th Travers Stakes.
This week, Shadwell US supremo Rick Nicholls discussed Mohaymen’s plans with his high-profile owner and it was decided the son of Tapit would be better placed in the easier contest to finally bag his first win at the top level.
“It’s great for a stallion to have the King’s Bishop on his resume,” trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said earlier this week.
“It was a tough decision, but it looks like we would fit very well in the King’s Bishop. I’m happy with going in the King’s Bishop, [considering] there are 14 runners going a mile and a quarter in the Travers. I prefer the seven-eighths right now.”
Mohaymen’s form is closely tied with all of the principal runners in the 147th Travers Stakes. He was fourth last time over 1800 metres in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy, a traditional Travers warm up, behind Laoban, Governor Malibu and Destin, and finished ahead of Belmont Stakes victor Creator, all of whom take their chance in the $US1.25 million (Dh4.6m) event.
For the first time in 39 years, there are a maximum 14 runners in the Travers, considered America’s midsummer Derby, which possibly reflects the open nature of the race in contrast to last year when Keen Ice dethroned Triple Crown champion American Pharoah and beat Frosted.
The Travers is the centrepiece of the Saratoga card, which also features the Personal Ensign and Ballerina Stakes, both Grade 1 races for fillies and mares respectively over 1800 metres and 1,400 metres, as well as the Sword Dancer Stakes, a Grade 1 on Turf that stars Chad Brown’s classy European import Flintshire. For good measure, Brown also runs the unbeaten Lady Eli, who makes her first start in over a year after recovering from laminitis.
Frosted himself underwent his first gallop since his victory three weeks ago in the Whitney Stakes, which was his second consecutive Grade 1 win since his fifth place in the World Cup in March.
Frosted went 800 metres in 49 seconds on the all-weather surface at Darley’s lush Greentree Training Centre at Saratoga and galloped out 100 metres in 1m.02s.
Frosted’s future has been kept under wraps by Godolphin for the past three weeks, with owner Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and ruler of Dubai, still to decide the next race for the four-year-old son of Tapit. Whether the grey colt returns to Dubai for next season is also still up for discussion.
McLaughlin revealed that the Grade 1 Woodward Stakes over 1800 metres on September 3 is being seriously considered, a race for which Dubai World Cup second Mubtaahij, who is also trained by McLaughlin, could also be aimed at.
“It’s not confirmed yet,” McLaughlin said on Thursday. “Jimmy Bell [Godolphin’s North American representative] has sent word to John Ferguson [Godolphin chief executive and racing manager] who is in turn talking to Sheikh Mohammed about the Woodward. We’re not confirmed yet. That’s what we’re looking at. He’s ready if that’s what they choose.
“He’s doing great. He hasn’t changed at all. He came out of his race huge. No issues, so all is well.”
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