Dubai Hosts Triple Crown Winner
Asiatic Boy completes Triple; Hong Kong's Hero takes Dubai Classic
UAE's first Triple Crown winner is Asiatic Boy, victorious in the Dubai Derby by nine lengths. Vengeance of Rain scores for Hong Kong in the Dubai Sheema Classic.
Dubai's 12th annual racing carnival at Nad al Sheba race course yielded a locally trained Triple Crown winner. Asiatic Boy completed his trifecta by winning the $2 million Al Naboodah Group UAE Derby (gr. l) in a nine length romp on March 31.
UAE Triple Crown Winner
The 1800 meter (1-1/8 miles) UAE Derby run on dirt went off with a total group of thirteen thoroughbreds. Three-year-old Southern Hemisphere contestants and 4-year-old Northern Hemisphere entrants competed.
Asiatic Boy, winner of the first two legs of the UAE (United Arab Emirates) Triple Crown, was the favorite. The UAE 2000 Guineas, the Al Bastakiya and the UAE Derby make up the UAE Triple Crown. No thoroughbred had ever won all three races in a single season.
Asiatic Boy easily claimed his place in history. Ridden by Weichong Marwing, Asiatic Boy stalked his competition until the top of the stretch, then he burst into command. In a great surge of energy, he captured the field and romped to victory in 1:48.82.
Marwing said Asiatic Boy is the best horse he's piloted. The winner undid some top-notch contestants in Adil, a Godolphin Racing filly who had previously won the UAE 1000 Guineas and the UAE Oaks, and Godolphin's Eu Tambem, a Maktoum Challenge victor.
Also in the trip was English entrant Jack Junior, a maiden. He ran a good second, cracking away from the field after 5-1/2 furlongs, but Asiatic Boy was too strong to catch.
Jack Junior finished second, 2-3/4 lengths in front of Adil, guided by jockey Kent Desormeaux. Trainer Brian Meehan referred to Jack Junior as "only half a horse" as there is much improvement to come, he said. He was pleased with the run and is thinking about running his horse at the Kentucky Derby next month. His jockey is Richard Hills.
Desormeaux commented that Adil ran as fast as possible. The race setup couldn't have been better, he said. But the two horses in front wouldn't be denied.
Asiatic Boy's trainer, Mike de Kock, said his horse might be pointed to the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot, England. His main objective, though, is to enter the 2008 Dubai races. Asiatic Boy's cruising speed is his main weapon, he said. He can pick a spot.
Dubai Sheema Classic
Hong Kong's Vengeance of Rain, ridden by Anthony Delpech, clobbered 13 rivals in the $5 million Nakheel Dubai Sheema Classic (gr. l). Winning the turf race in 2:31.03 over 2400 meters (1-1/2 miles), Vengeance of Rain overcame Breeders' Cup turf champion Red Rocks, Japanese-bred Pop Rock, two Todd Pletcher entrants, Honey Ryder and Host, and the favorite, Sir Percy, the English Derby winner.
Vengeance of Rain took control at the 3/16 pole to outrun the closing efforts of Oracle West and Youmzain. He traveled the last quarter in under :22.0.
Trainer David Ferraris said Vengeance of Rain's run was Hong Kong's biggest race ever. It was Vengeance of Rain's first race abroad. He is a winner of nine races from 17 starts and has earnings of $7.8 million.
Ferraris also revealed that the winner had been rested prior to Dubai competition after detection of an irregular heart beat.
The beat went on quite impressively in Dubai!
