El Kabeir withstands Imperia to capture Kentucky Jockey
Club
The finish came just in time as El Kabeir posted a wire-to-wire decision in Saturday’s Grade 2, $233,000
Fourth in the Grade 1 Champagne at Belmont Park and second in the
The Zayat Stables colorbearer flashed speed from post 4,
It got very interesting late as Imperia just missed in the
El Kabeir, a gray son of Scat Daddy trained by John
“He came out of the last race
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“I went easy for the first couple of weeks because he was a little tired
after that last race. He was a lighter colt and he’s put on weight and looked
good so I got a good work in him the other day so I decided to ship him down
here to see how he handled the two turns.
“We just thought we’d ship to see how he shipped,
first time going on the road,” the horseman added about sending El Kabeir to
Kentucky instead of staying in New York for the Remsen. “He’s a real talented colt. He’s just a little bit
trying to find his balance.
“It (handling the surface) was great and he handled himself well in the paddock.
He shipped in great and wanted to get over this surface and we wanted to get the
two turns.”
“We were kind of on the fence about coming to this race. We talked to John all week and debating back and forth, and we said
‘Why not take a
shot?’ We knew he was a little short but he had the talent to do it,” remarked
Justin Zayat, son of owner Ahmed Zayat. “It was more fitness-wise than it was distance. Calvin came off and said he was
kind of looking around at the shadows and everything so he’s kind of a little
green still. He’s just a baby and is still learning.”
“I had never been on the colt, and
he got in about five days ago,” Borel said. “We took him to the gate, stood him, and took the
blinkers off of him and that was (Terranova’s) idea to get him to
relax. As a matter of fact I was out here watching him and everything and he did
everything was perfect and it was just a matter of getting the distance and
getting him to relax. We did our job; we got him to relax and we we’ve got to
keep going forward. I was feeling very good.”
At the finish I knew it was getting tight because he had never been this far
and the track is a little heavy. With everything put together it was a matter of
who could out grind the other one. I think he did. It was the first time going
this far. Truly, after this race it’ll tighten him up real good.”
Imperia, a turf stakes winner and the 5-2 second choice, turned in
a fine performance in his first dirt attempt for Kiaran McLaughlin. It was
another three parts of a length back to 8-1 Eagle in third, and 7-5 favorite
Lord Nelson wound up fifth.
“One more jump and he had it, but he ran great and we’re tickled with the way
he ran,” McLaughlin praised his charge. “We belong with the three-year-olds
moving forward to the first Saturday in May.”
El Kabeir captured his second start by 10 lengths over
maiden special weight rivals at Saratoga and has now earned $268,892 from a
5-2-1-1 line.
The colt was bred in Florida by Rustlewood Farm Inc. and sold for $250,000 at
the 2013 OBS August sale.
El Kabeir is out of the unraced Unbridled’s Song mare
Great Venue, a half-sister to a trio of stakes winners, including multiple Grade
2 hero Too Much Bling.
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