The Kids from Dubai
 

Shakis, Aliysa and now.....

From the UAE.....

Greetings moves Stateside
(no author listed... UAE press release)

Dubai International Racing Carnival graduate, Greetings (Brz), has joined the barn of Southern California-based trainer Paulo Lobo where the sophomore daughter of Choctaw Ridge will resume her racing career.

Campaigned in Dubai and Brazil by her owner, Michael Perlman’s Haras Interlagos, Greetings won most impressively on her first start in the UAE before finishing second and third to Folk in the UAE 1,000 Guineas and UAE Oaks, respectively.

Greetings won three of her five starts in Brazil, where she was unbeaten on the dirt, including a Group 3 event at Sao Paulo´s Jockey Club racecourse Cidade Jardim.

http://www.emiratesracing.com/eq/Inq...reg_no=2002562

http://www.emiratesracing.com/eq/Inq...?search=aliysa

http://www.emiratesracing.com/eq/Inq...reg_no=2047840

I'd have made it 1/9 in the betting that this thread was going to be about mistreated camel jockeys when I saw the title of this thread.....

However, when I saw who posted this thread....those odds soared markedly.

So basically you didn't realize that I have a royal blue cheerleading outfit, huh?

These three combined with about half the Belmont-based Godolphin runners like Council Member et al? Oh happy day! :p

If only Thajja and Salaam Dubai (non-Godolphin), Caradak and Echo of Light would come.....

If Godolphin really did hire cheerleaders....I wonder if they'd have to wear those blue beekeeper suits? --- Perhaps Hawk has an opinion on that?

I'm Discreet Cat's biggest fan though....

As a heads up, Godolphin has a 2yo colt in Europe by Officer out of a mare named Rovie Wade that is an absolute freak. Hopefully they don't give him some horrible arab sounding name.

You probably won't be thrilled that the 2nd favorite name for newborn boys in London last year was Mohammed.

Mohammed sounds find.

Horse Name

YOF Sex
Pedigree

El Oficial (USA) 2005 C Officer (USA) - Rovie Wade (USA)

Godolphin's 2yo record in Europe has been shocking the last few years.. They have a tendency to let everyone else run their juveniles and then buy up all the half decent ones that are for sale..

Maybe they should name him after you..... :p

Does anyone think Shakis has a shot tomorrow?

I think the Dubai boys (or Dubai-owned boys) both win tomorrow.

Shakis and Council Member. :cool:

Aaah well....

Didn't win but i thought Shakis looked good anyway.:)

Need to add a couple to the Dubai list..... Arabian Prince and Ampelio.

There's still the slightest chance that Shakis :cool: will be entered in the United Nations. Highly unlikely but if he is, can someone please call / text / send smoke signals / use thought transference... anything? i won't be around tomorrow.

Thanks!

Should be. He fits with those, obviously. I'll send you an email if he is...

Stormcat, the one horse we were speaking about..."Cafe Silver" was vetted at 700 and failed. Promptly came back and galloped again

The Bid...

Yeah I remember the Cafe Silver discussion. I'm a moron... can you explain vetted at 700? I don't care how dumb i sound... I don't understand what that means!

Phil,

Hey thanks!

IF he runs, he wins. :)

It means they tried to buy and the horse didnt pass vet. Agreed price was 700,000USD

Okay thanks for explaining! I appreciate it.

If you hear anything more will you post it?

Thanks. He sounded reeeeally good.:)

Ill tell as long as its not confidential.

I linked the race for everyone to watch but Im not sure if anyone was even interested. I have the last run on my email as well, very impressive. Stake company, near track record, never touched with the stick

I'd love to see it!

http://hipica-offline.montevideo.com.uy/20070701_10.wmv

Big Grey

Very cool! THANK YOU!

Need to see it again..... couldn't get the sound to work very well.

I appreciate it. :)

Shakis is entered this weekend and Desert Fight, who did alright in Dubai when she behaved anyway :D , is working and getting ready.

Anyone have Greetings updates?

DRF...



Songster out indefinitely

Godolphin's top sprinter Songster will be out indefinitely with a strained ligament, Mettee said Wednesday.

Songster, a 4-year-old son of Songandaprayer, made a stellar seasonal debut, winning the Grade 3 Bold Ruler Handicap by 2 1/2 lengths on May 12. He was training toward a start in the Grade 2 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap at Saratoga on July 28. On Sunday, he worked five furlongs in 1:01.24 over the Belmont main track.

"He did not come out of the work good," Mettee said. "He's got a strained ligament. He's going to be off for some time. We're going to have some scans done, redo them, and see where we are. He won't be going up to Saratoga with us. He really trained good. We're really disappointed."

As a 3-year-old, Songster won the Grade 2 Woody Stephens and Grade 3 Hirsch Jacobs. Overall, Songster has a record of 4-3-0 from 8 starts. He has earned $367,740.


* * *

Discreet Cat back on track

Mettee reported that Discreet Cat has been jogging for about two weeks and will likely begin galloping next week when he ships to Saratoga. Discreet Cat, who won last year's Grade 1 Cigar Mile, has not raced since finishing last in the Dubai World Cup.

Discreet Cat was found to have a throat abscess out of that race. He arrived here in early May and was simply walking under tack until two weeks ago.

"He's jogging sound and we're real happy with him," Mettee said. "He'll probably start galloping by the time we get up to Saratoga. We don't have a time frame for his first breeze. Once he gets into galloping, it won't be long until we get him into a little breeze. When he's good, he'll come to hand pretty fast."

Mettee said Godolphin has not targeted a return spot for Discreet Cat, who last year won a third-level allowance race at Saratoga by 11 lengths in his first start since winning that year's UAE Derby. Two years ago, he won his career debut at Saratoga.


http://www.drf.com/news/article/86789.html

Good boy, Shakis. :)

AWESOME performance. I think he's got a huge shot in the BC Mile.

Agreed! :cool:

A UAE press release....


Shakis shatters course record with Bernard Baruch win:)

Shakis, who raced 11 times in the UAE, has found a new lease of life in the USA evidenced by his win in the Bernard Baruch (copyright Adam Coglianese/NYRA)

After being mightily tested in several of Dubai’s best races over the past three seasons, Shakis uncorked a career-best performance to eclipse a 34-year-old Saratoga Race Course record and win the 49th running of the US$200,000 Bernard Baruch Handicap (Gr.2) on Saturday.

Bred in Ireland and raced by Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum, Shakis broke from the one post and saved ground along the rail during the entire 1 1/8-mile race under jockey Alan Garcia.

With pacesetting Grade 3 winner Ballast taking a lead into the stretch after cutting demanding fractions of :23.10, :47.10 and 1:10.11 on a dried-out course rated firm, Shakis bulled his way through a narrow hole at the hedge and then accelerated to a three-quarter length score in 1:45.33.

The time bested the Mellon Turf Course record of 1:45.40 set by Tentam in 1973 and equaled by Waya in 1978.

Big Prairie rallied to gain second by a head over Grade 3 winner Drum Major, who held a 1 ½-length advantage over the tiring Ballast. Favored Cosmonaut, who carried 122 pounds and gave six pounds to Shakis, dropped back from second through most of the race to fifth.

“He’s a real professional seven-year-old,” said winning trainer Kiaran McLaughlin of Shakis, a son of Machiavellian out of the Nashwan mare Tawaaded. “He has done everything right in the past. I was happy he was willing, and he had plenty to get through the inside.”

“I wanted to put him in the best position I could,” reported a jubilant Garcia, 21, who counted the victory as among the most significant of his career. “I was not intimidated by being behind horses.”

Shakis has raced 11 times in the United Arab Emirates after beginning his career in France, where he twice placed in Group 3 stakes. He won a handicap during the 2006 Dubai International Racing Carnival and finished second by a nose to Wolf Whistle in the ’05 Al Rashidiya (Gr.3).

Although he had never won a stakes prior to Saturday, Shakis was good enough to be entered in the 2005 Dubai Duty Free (Gr.1) and in the ’06 Dubai World Cup (Gr.1).

In three races at Nad al Sheba during the 2007 Dubai International Racing Carnival, Shakis did not finish better than fourth. However, his career has taken an entirely different turn in the United States, where he has raced four times and won twice since late May, all while treated with the anti-bleeder medication Salix.

On June 9, he finished only a head behind Breeders’ Cup Turf (Gr.1) winner Better Talk Now and multiple Grade 1 winner English Channel while third in the Manhattan Handicap (Gr.1), demonstrating his quality.

With the $120,000 first place-prize from the Bernard Baruch, Shakis boosted his career earnings to $496,889. He has won six of 27 career starts and placed seven times.

Shakis to the Shadwell Mile.....

SO! you're dumping Crossing The Line just like that?

I've followed Shakis for 2 years.....

I'm loyal.

CTL can be 2nd. :p

the CTL camp will be shocked when they hear about this.

Pleased for Shakis, i always thought he had a big win in him....... it was just extracting that ability. Now they have found the real key to him, the world is his oyster!

Cheers to Doug Watson. :)

He does deserve much of the credit, i believe.

A brilliant trainer, and nice guy. If you speak to him, tell him i said hi.

I will.

I liked Shakis a bit on Saturday.

But.... you will never see a horse get a better trip than he did. When a very good turf horse gets a dream trip like he did, it can look a bit better than it was.

I do like him, however. A 7 yo no less. I'm glad they sent him over.

i agree about the trip, it was was made to order. never had to move from the rail.

Hey Sightseek, do you go to Belmont during the week?

If so Emirates to Dubai is entered on Wednesday!!!:)

http://www.godolphin.com/Entries.aspx

(Damn I miss the music). :D

Finally!

Hollywood Park - November 18th, 2007 - Race 4
Estimated Local Post Time: 2:01 PM
Race Type: Allowance
Breed: Thoroughbred
Age Restriction: Three Year Old and Upward
Sex: Fillies and Mares
Purse: $56,000
Distance: Six And One Half Furlongs
Surface: All Weather Track
Post Horse Name Age Sex Weight Jockey Name
1 Dearest Trickski (FL) 3 Filly 122 Michael C. Baze
2 Pinata (KY) 3 Filly 120 Martin A. Pedroza
3 Greetings :) (BRZ) 4 Filly 120 David Romero Flores
4 Zardana (BRZ) 3 Filly 122 Alex O. Solis
5 Downthedustyroad (AR) 4 Filly 120 Jon Kenton Court
6 Ex Caelis (KY) 4 Filly 122 Victor Espinoza

Cool. Thanks for this.

I should be able to watch her.

Hi my miss!!
Long time no see....:D

In my opinion, as stated in another topic, Zardana is more impressive than Greetings...
Long layoff, though

Oh dear! I just saw the chart..... last and 2nd last? Not exactly what i had hoped for! :D