Dhaamer dominates in Round Table

Edward R. Brown's Dhaamer looked like the horse to beat going into Sunday's

$72,950

Round

Table Stakes at Hollywood Park, and the even-money favorite more than

fulfilled expectations with a smashing 4 1/2-length victory. Under patient

handling by new rider Joel Rosario, the Mike Mitchell trainee was anchored near

the back of the pack before making rapid headway on the final turn, and blowing

the race open down the stretch. The five-year-old gelding, who was making just

his third American start, looms as an exciting new addition to the Southern

California turf ranks.

"I thought he was the best horse going in," Rosario said. "Everything worked

out that way. That's why I rode him with a lot of confidence. He's a really good

horse for the distance. He looked good turning for home. I went inside, then

between horses and soon he was close to the pace. He galloped out really

strong."

"There were no instructions today," Mitchell said of race tactics. "When you

have a rider like Joel, you don't say much because you just don't know how these

things are going to go. He had plenty left in the tank."

An astute purchase for $50,434 from the Shadwell draft at the Tattersalls

Autumn Horses in Training Sale, Dhaamer completed a family double on Sunday.

Earlier the same day at Leopardstown, his maternal relation Yellow Rosebud

landed the Group 3 Derrinstown Stud One Thousand Guineas Trial.

Dhaamer missed by a neck to Dynamic Host in his American, and dirt, debut in

the Grade 3 Tokyo City Cup at Santa Anita March 24. He tried the extended 1 3/4

miles of the Grade 2 San Juan Capistrano Handicap over the Santa Anita turf

April 22, and although not disgraced in fourth, he shaped up as a better

proposition back down to 1 1/2 grassy miles here.

"I had so much respect for Bourbon Bay," Mitchell said of the now two-time

San Juan Capistrano winner. "I almost scratched when I saw that son-of-a-gun in

the race. He's just such a good horse. This horse came out of the race well; he

was bucking and playing and feeling good a day or two after the race, so you

just knew he wasn't knocked out."

In the early going of the Round Table, pacesetter Lumberyard Jack was pressed

by St. Joel through fractions of :24 3/5, :49 1/5 and 1:14 2/5. The filly

Quaintly was a ground-saving stalker, flanked by Bud I Crushed It, and the

10-year-old Porfido bided his time in midpack.

Dynamic Host, who hoped to confirm his Tokyo City Cup form with Dhaamer,

advanced on the backstretch, and took over the pace-prompting role after a mile

in 1:39 4/5. Dhaamer, meanwhile, was content to hold fire a bit longer, but

began to roll on the far turn.

Turning for home, Quaintly attacked Lumberyard Jack from the inside, and

Dynamic Host drew up on the outside. But before the trio could settle the duel

among themselves, Dhaamer erupted wider out. The favorite bounded clear as if

just joining in at the proverbial quarter-pole, stopped the clock in 2:27 3/5 on

the firm turf, and kept his powerful momentum well past the wire.

Quaintly held off Porfido by three-quarters of a length for the runner-up

spot, with Dynamic Host weakening a bit for fourth. Lumberyard Jack faded to

fifth, followed at long intervals by Bud I Crushed It and the eased Goldwaki and

St. Joel. Falcon Rock was scratched in favor of Thursday's 7TH race, where he is

entered for the $40,000 tag.

Dhaamer, who paid $4.20, $2.80 and $2.40, increased his earnings to $114,272

from his 13-4-2-1 record. Originally trained by John Gosden in England, the

Shadwell homebred broke his maiden over Lingfield's Polytrack and won two

handicaps on turf, at Sandown and Haydock, respectively.

Mitchell mentioned the Breeders' Cup Marathon at Santa Anita as a long-range

goal.

"When my son-in-law (Craig Rounsefell), Jamie Lloyd and my assistant Phil

(D'Amato) went to England, they told me 'This is your marathon horse.' I don't

know what the ultimate plan will be, but the way he ran on the dirt at Santa

Anita, you'd have to consider him for the Breeders' Cup Marathon," the trainer

said.

His next port of call is the Grade 3 Sunset Handicap, over the Round Table

course and distance, on July 15.

The Irish-bred chestnut is by Dubai Destination and out of Group 2-placed

stakes heroine Arjuzah, a daughter of Ahonoora. That makes him a three-quarter

brother to Malhub, winner of the Group 1 Golden Jubilee at Royal Ascot in 2002.

He is also a half-brother to the unraced Nebraas, dam of Group 3-placed stakes

victress Seeharn and the aforementioned Yellow Rosebud.

With his fourth dam being Irish champion two-year-old filly Fair Astronomer,

Dhaamer descends from the same family as Grade 1 star Anka Germania, the dam of

multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Deputy Commander; Grade 1 hero Mourjane;

English highweight sprint mare Farhana; and Group 1 queen Donna Blini, herself

the dam of recent Grade 1 Oka Sho winner Gentildonna.

As if Dhaamer and Yellow Rosebud's exploits in America and Europe weren't

enough, the family also had a good result in Japan early Sunday morning.

Gentildonna's full sister, Donau Blue, finished a terrific second in the Grade 1

Victoria Mile.