ERA...
Grade 1 winner Johnny Eves may be Dubai bound
Johnny Eves, a Grade 1 winner who has strung three impressive efforts together in his most recent starts, has been named a candidate for the US$2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen (Gr.1) or the $1 million Godolphin Mile (Gr.2).
Trainer Jay Robbins said he would like to take the four-year-old gelded son of Skimming to Dubai in search of victory in one of the rich races. First, however, he has penciled in the $150,000 San Carlos Stakes (Gr.2) over seven furlongs at Santa Anita Park on February 16.
Johnny Eves scored the biggest win of his career in his very first start in graded company, taking the Malibu Stakes (Gr.1) over a strong field of 13 rivals, including previously unbeaten Divine Park, on December 26 at Santa Anita. His time for the seven furlongs was 1:21.08.
Less than three weeks later, Johnny Eves ran a determined race to finish second by a nose to Air Commander in the 1 1/16-mile San Fernando Stakes (Gr.2) after fighting back from the rail when passed in the stretch.
In November, Johnny Eves set a Hollywood Park track record when he won a 6 ½-furlong allowance in 1:14.03 for owner and breeder Mooncoin LLC. Overall, the gelding has won five of 11 starts, placed three times and earned $364,720.
In other American racing news, probable Horse of the Year Curlin worked on Friday for the third time following his victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (Gr.1), breezing five furlongs in an easy 1:04 at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans for trainer Steve Asmussen.
Although legal issues surrounding the minority owners of the four-year-old son of Smart Strike have not been resolved and whether he will race in 2008 is still not clear, Asmussen has said the Dubai World Cup (Gr.1) is the logical target for Curlin.
|