Benny bulldozes rivals in Golden Shaheen

Benny the Bull is the fifth straight American-based horse to take the Golden Shaheen (Dubai Racing Club/Andrew Watkins) IEAH Stables, Greg James et al’s BENNY THE BULL (Lucky Lionel) hit top gear in the final yards of Saturday’s $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen (UAE-G1), handing trainer Richard Dutrow and jockey Edgar Prado their second victory on Dubai World Cup night. Earlier on the card, the two had successfully combined with Diamond Stripes (Notebook) in the $1 million Godolphin Mile (UAE-G2). Benny the Bull blitzed about six furlongs down Nad al Sheba’s fast straightaway in 1:08.70 to extend his winning streak to three, and to continue American dominance in this lucrative sprint. Benny the Bull broke in good order, but was outpaced in the early stages as several speed merchants tore off to vie for the lead. Among them was fellow American Idiot Proof (Benchmark), who showed plenty of dash near the stands’ side before gradually drifting over to the center of the course. After burning up his pace rivals, Idiot Proof opened up a sizeable lead with a furlong to go, while continuing his leftward shift until he wound up on the other side of the track on the rail. In the interim, Prado had gotten busy on Benny the Bull. The farther they went down the stretch, the more momentum Benny the Bull gathered, eventually steamrolling past Idiot Proof by 1 3/4 lengths at the line.

“I knew I had Idiot Proof within striking distance and I hadn’t really asked
my horse yet,” Prado said. “Today he had to prove he could run against the
best horses in the world, and he did it.”

“I can’t explain it right now,” Dutrow said from Gulfstream Park, where he
watched both of his Dubai heroes. “I’m on cloud nine.

“I wasn’t sure he was going to get there with the way that horse was drifting
in,” he added. “I hadn’t really thought about how tough it would be for him to
close (on the straightaway). When I sat down with Edgar to talk about strategy,
I didn’t know what to tell him. He said, ‘Don’t worry. I know what to do.’ He
did a great job.”

Idiot Proof had to survive a stewards’ inquiry into his odyssey across the
entire breadth of the track, but he was judged not to have interfered materially
with his opponents, and he was allowed to preserve his runner-up effort. Another
2 1/4 lengths adrift came Star Crowned (Kingmambo), who thereby staved off an
American trifecta. Barbecue Eddie (Stormy Atlantic) checked in fourth, trailed
by New Freedom (Burooj), Esperamos (Stormy Atlantic), Diabolical (Artax), Drift
Ice (Western Winter), Narc (National Assembly), Mutamarres (Green Desert),
Sarissa (Music Prospector), Cobalt Blue (Golden Missile), Bushwacker
(Outflanker), Calrissian (Efisio) and Munaddam (Aljabr).

Benny the Bull improved his scorecard to 15-7-1-2 with $1,833,550 in
earnings. After his first stakes victory in the Iowa Sprint H. last June, a
major interest in Benny the Bull was acquired by IEAH Stables, and he was
transferred to Dutrow. The dark bay then posted three solid efforts, finishing
fourth in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. (G2), second in the Forego S. (G1) and
fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1), but he has blossomed ever since then.
Benny the Bull was an emphatic winner of the Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash
S. (G1) last November, and in his five-year-old bow, he captured the Sunshine Millions Sprint by 4 1/2
commanding lengths last time out.

Bred by Tomoka Farms in Florida, Benny the Bull was originally purchased for
$38,000 at the 2004 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The first foal from
stakes heroine Comet Cat (Birdonthewire), he has an unnamed juvenile
half-brother by Broken Vow. This is the family of Blue Finn (Empery), Canada’s
champion two-year-old colt in 1986, and Grade 3-winning millionaire Maysville
Slew (Slew City Slew). Benny the Bull’s fourth dam, Consequential (Dr. Fager),
is a three-quarter sister to Killaloe (Dr. Fager), the dam of 1981 Metropolitan
H. (G1) hero and outstanding sire Fappiano (Mr. Prospector).

Dutrow said that he has not penciled in any immediate objectives for Benny
the Bull.