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'Reynaldo' scores in Dubawi; Mubtaahij, Local Time take Guineas trials

Reynaldothewizard, looking spry at the age of nine, will try to regain his title in the Golden Shaheen (Andrew Watkins/Dubai Racing Club) Nine-year-old Reynaldothewizard (Speightstown), unraced since finishing fourth as the defending champion in last March's Dubai Golden Shaheen (UAE-G1), proved that he's still got the magic with an emphatic 3 3/4-length victory in Thursday's Dubawi S. at Meydan. "He did two unusual things tonight," trainer Satish Seemar said of the veteran sprinter, who was seventh when making a similar comeback in the 2014 Dubawi. "He is not usually 100 percent on his first outing, and he was running on dirt when he's been used to the all-weather. I know he has form on the dirt from America (at two and three), but he looked to be one or two lengths better on the dirt than he was on the all-weather. He was supposed to run a few weeks ago but he was not 100 percent so we gave him a bit longer." Stable jockey Richard Mullen admitted that the result came as a pleasant surprise. "He's a funny horse. I didn't know what to think going into this race because he never shows much at home," Mullen said. "He works with maidens and 60 or 70 rated horses and barely gets his nose in front of them. Of course he does work on sand at home, but he never shows us much. But he felt better on the dirt tonight than he did on the all-weather."

Sporting the colors of Zabeel Racing International, Reynaldothewizard drafted behind the early leaders. Muarrab appeared to be traveling best of all as the field turned for home and readily swept to the front. But Reynaldothewizard got the split to the inside of Muarrab, began to strike top gear, and drew away to complete about six furlongs on the fast track in 1:12 1/5.

United Color (Ghostzapper), winner of this race last year, settled for third. Russian Soul (Invincible Spirit), the 2014 runner-up, rallied for fifth after a poor start.

Reynaldothewizard was winning for the first time since the 2013 Golden Shaheen, which capped a three-race skein including the Mahab al Shimaal (UAE-G3). Not seen again until his aforementioned seventh in the 2014 Dubawi, the bay gelding went on to finish second to Rich Tapestry in the Mahab al Shimaal and fourth to Sterling City and Rich Tapestry in the Golden Shaheen.

Seemar mentioned that he'll likely follow the same path in 2015.

"He's a horse that needs to be lightly raced and we might only look at a Super Saturday outing (March 7) before going back to the Dubai Golden Shaheen on Dubai World Cup Day (March 28)," the trainer said.

Now on his fifth Carnival, Reynaldothewizard has compiled a record of 22-8-2-2, $1,738,285, also reflecting a third in the 2008 Saratoga Special (G2) as a juvenile. He was bred in Kentucky by Gibraltar Group LP and sold twice at auction. A $400,000 Keeneland September yearling, he brought $775,000 as a Fasig-Tipton Florida two-year-old. Reynaldothewizard is out of the Grade 2-placed stakes heroine Holiday Runner (Meadowlake), who is also responsible for multiple Grade 1 star Seventh Street (Street Cry) and Grade 2-placed American Story (Ghostzapper).

Mullen later teamed up with another veteran, the George Baker-trained Belgian Bill (Exceed and Excel), to take the nightcap. Winless since landing a lucrative handicap at Royal Ascot (the Royal Hunt Cup) in 2013, the seven-year-old prevailed by a neck in a blanket finish. A notable also-ran was multiple South African Group 1 winner Slumdogmillionaire (Strike Smartly), 11th in his comeback from a 22-month layoff. Belgian Bill, who toured the metric mile in 1:36 2/5 on good turf, has now bankrolled $447, 032 from his 39-6-8-2 line. He has placed in four stakes, chiefly the 2013 Prix Quincey (Fr-G3).

Mubtaahij motored more than two seconds faster than the fillies (Andrew Watkins/Dubai Racing Club) Youngsters were also in the Carnival spotlight as classic hopefuls contested a pair of trials for the U.A.E. Guineas. Mike de Kock sent out the top two in the U.A.E. Two Thousand Guineas Trial, Mubtaahij (Dubawi) and Ajwad (Not for Sale), both owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al Maktoum. Godolphin just denied de Kock in the fillies' equivalent, with Local Time (Invincible Spirit) edging South African import Ad Idem (Jet Master). De Kock's fine showing on the dirt came in the wake of his much-ballyhooed comments last week about his horses not being suited by the new surface. But as the South African horseman had told Pat Cummings of dubairacenight.com, he was speaking of his older brigade, not the sophomore set. Hence his productive night in the Guineas trials wasn't exactly a surprise. Mubtaahij, an Irish-bred was coming off a maiden score on this track December 31. His Argentinean-bred stablemate, Ajwad, set the pace with Christophe Soumillon, but Mubtaahij was in close attendance. Under Dane O'Neill, the eventual winner got through on the rail and burst to a five-length victory. Mubtaahij negotiated about seven furlongs in 1:24 4/5. Godolphin's Maftool (Hard Spun), slowly away from the gate, did well to close for third.

"I felt that given the dirt, as things are, it is good to give horses experience," de Kock said. "Experience does them no harm at all. With these classic races you need to be hard and fit. I might leave the Al Bastakiya (March 7) and go for the Guineas ([UAE-G3] February 12) and Derby ([UAE-G2] March 28)."

Unplaced in two tries at Newmarket last fall, Mubtaahij upped his line to 4-2-0-0, $61,335. The $599,445 Arqana August yearling was produced by Pennegale (Pennekamp), making him a half-brother to European co-champion filly Lily of the Valley (Galileo).

In the U.A.E. One Thousand Guineas Trial, Ad Idem looked well on her way to a front-running success, only to be nabbed by Local Time in time. The Saeed bin Suroor filly outstayed her rival in the final yards, clocking 1:27 beneath James Doyle. There was a chasm of 10 lengths back to Runner Runner (Dark Angel) in third. Local Time's stablemate, Good Place (Street Cry), wound up fourth after a troubled start, while the other Godolphin runner, Comedy Queen (Distorted Humor) from the Charlie Appleby yard, was only sixth.

Local Time handled the switch to dirt and extended her winning streak to four (Andrew Watkins/Dubai Racing Club) Local Time has now reeled off a four-race winning streak since finishing fourth in her Lingfield debut. Victorious by a neck in the October 4 Oh So Sharp at Newmarket in her most recent start, she sports a mark of 5-4-0-0, $103,782. The Darley-bred is the first registered foal from Group 3-placed stakes victress Marie de Medici (Medicean). Bin Suroor and Doyle made it a double with Sheikh Rashid bin Dalmook al Maktoum's Haafaguinea (Haafhd) in a turf handicap. Wearing down Mr Pommeroy (Linngari) in deep stretch, the five-year-old covered about 1 1/4 miles in 2:02 4/5 and advanced his resume to 10-4-2-1, $294,957. Le Bernardin (Bernardini), best known to American fans as the hero of the 2012 Pegasus (G3) for Kiaran McLaughlin, rolled to a 4 3/4-length score in a handicap on the dirt. Reappearing quickly after a third here last Thursday, the Ali Rashid al Raihe charge took 2:06 to finish about 1 1/4 miles. Jockey Royston Ffrench guided the six-year-old, whose scorecard now stands at 11-5-0-1, $252,277.

The other dirt handicap went the way of Layl (Street Cry), in similarly decisive fashion, by 4 1/4 lengths. Making his U.A.E. debut for Doug Watson, the four-year-old finished about 1 3/16 miles in 2:00 3/5 with Pat Dobbs aboard. Layl, a near-miss second in a January 1 Southwell handicap for Mark Johnston, has earned $47,993 from a record of 8-2-1-0.

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