3/29/09
Last updated: 3/28/09 8:17 PM
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Big City Man chalks up a victory for Saudi Arabia
(Dubai Racing Club) |
Prince Sultan Mohammed Saud al Kabeer’s BIG CITY MAN (Northern Afleet) turned
in a performance of raw sprinting power to end five straight years of American
mastery in Saturday’s $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen (UAE-G1). Trained in Saudi
Arabia by Jerry Barton and ridden by Jose Verenzuela, the four-year-old chestnut
parried a late thrust from two-time American champion filly Indian Blessing
(Indian Charlie) to score by 1 1/4 lengths.
“I was very confident going into the race,” Verenzuela said. “I know the
horse well and we’d planned for this race and this night. Everything went
perfectly. I’m very, very happy.”
Although Big City Man currently flies the Saudi flag, he is an American
product. A Florida-bred and one-time Calder juvenile star, he was forwardly
placed throughout the about six-furlong event down the Nad al Sheba
straightaway.
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In contrast, Indian Blessing was a bit further back than expected through an
opening quarter in :23 2/5. Breaking a
step slowly from the far outside post 12, next to the outside rail, the Bob Baffert filly was covered up in the opening stages. As the stiff
half-mile in :45 began to
separate the field like a crucible, Indian Blessing found plenty of room to
launch her challenge on the outside.
Big City Man was already in full flight, however. Seizing a decisive
advantage before Indian Blessing was able to mobilize, Big City Man was
traveling too strongly and blazed home to stop the clock in 1:08 4/5.
“My filly was trying really hard,” Edgar Prado said of Indian
Blessing. “Every time I asked her for something, she was giving it me.”
Another five lengths adrift came Godolphin’s Diabolical (Artax) in third,
with a half-length to spare over Japan’s Bamboo Ere (Afleet).
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Big City Man is making up for lost time after missing his entire sophomore year
(Dubai Racing Club) |
“I was pleased and (Diabolical) gave his all,” Frankie Dettori said. “After
all, it was the first and second favorites he was chasing, so he was hardly
disgraced.”
Force Freeze
(Forest Camp) reported home fifth and was trailed by Black Seventeen (Is It
True), Hammadi (Red Ransom), Machismo (Trippi), Lucky Quality (Elusive Quality),
Change Alley (Elusive Quality), Balthazaar’s Gift (Xaar) and European champion
Marchand d’Or (Marchand de Sable).
“(Black Seventeen) kind of lunged out of the starting gate,” Clinton Potts
reported. “I dropped him to the inside and I had the inside all to myself. About
the three-eighths pole, he acted like he was going to give me a run, but in the
last eighth, he was just a little tired.”
“I don’t know what happened,” Davy Bonilla said of Marchand d’Or. “I knew
after 100 meters there was something wrong. He never got into a tempo. I can’t
blame it on the surface because when he ran two years ago, he started really
well and was leading (before finishing eighth). Tonight he was slow from the
start.”
Big City Man now boasts a mark of 8-6-2-0 with $1,521,505 in earnings. He
lorded it over the Calder two-year-old scene in 2007, capturing the Criterium S.
and the Dr. Fager division of the Florida Stallion S. for former conditioner
Jose Pinchin. After being privately purchased and sent to the Middle East, Big
City Man was sidelined until January 8, but he had not lost the winning habit.
He garnered an allowance at Nad al Sheba in his reappearance and quickly
followed up with a victory in the Al Shindagha Sprint (UAE-G3). His far-flung,
five-race winning streak was snapped last time out in the Mahab al Shimaal
(UAE-G3), when he was just collared late by Gayego (Gilded Time).
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Bred by Four Horsemen’s Ranch, Big City Man was sold for $45,000 as a
yearling at OBS August. He is out of the winning Mini Appeal (Valid Appeal),
whose youngest offspring is an unnamed yearling colt by Trust N Luck. This is
the family of multiple Grade 2-winning sprinter Mr. Nickerson (Slewpy) and Grade
3 heroine Graeme Six (Graeme Hall).
