Yaupon, Wildman Jack tangle in Golden Shaheen

Yaupon failed his first Grade 1 test and has traveled a long way to be administered his second.

Eighth as the 13-10 favorite Nov. 7 in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, Yaupon makes his first start since that defeat Saturday at Meydan Racecourse in the Grade 1, $1.5 million Dubai Golden Shaheen.

The Golden Shaheen, contested on dirt at 1,200 meters, about six furlongs, is the second-richest dirt race in Dubai, and during the 15 years it has been run on dirt, American sprinters have ruled, winning 12 renewals. Four Americans shipped for this year’s edition, with Jalen Journey, Zenden, and a very live Wildman Jack joining Yaupon in field reduced to 13 when Important Mission was scratched.

Yaupon debuted last June and won his first four, including the Grade 2 Amsterdam and Grade 3 Chick Lang, while facing 3-year-olds. His credentials were solid for the BC Sprint, but his short price owed much to the weakness by historical standards of the BC Sprint field. Yaupon led in his early triumphs but broke flat-footed in the Breeders’ Cup, came under early pressure to keep up, was bounced around between horses at the quarter pole, and went evenly to the wire.

“He got away very poorly in the Breeders’ Cup,” said Scott Blasi, assistant to trainer Steve Asmussen. “We put him in a position he had never been in before when stepping up to face older horses in a Grade 1. As long as he stands up and breaks well from the starting gate, he’ll be very competitive.”

Joel Rosario rides Yaupon, who breaks from post 2.

Even at his best, Yaupon should find Wildman Jack a formidable foe. Trained by Doug O’Neill, Wildman Jack wintered last year in Dubai and would’ve been among the favorites for the Al Quoz Sprint after winning the Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint by nearly five lengths. Wildman Jack’s form slipped from July through Jan. 1, but when O’Neill tried Wildman Jack on dirt for the second time in his career, he romped in the Jan. 23 Palos Verdes Stakes, earning a career-best 104 Beyer Speed Figure while geared down late. In post 6, he’s drawn better than Yaupon, and Wildman Jack obviously has a familiarity with his surroundings.

“He’s doing great right now – I can’t say that enough,” assistant trainer Leandro Mora said.

Canvassed and Al Tariq, trained by American expatriate Doug Watson, are the leading local hopes.

Al Quoz Sprint

Space Blues will be a short price to win the Group 1, $1 million Al Quoz Sprint, but at a straight six furlongs, is the race too short for him?

Space Blues can handle 6 1/2 furlongs down a straightaway: He did that winning in Saudi Arabia last month and capturing the Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest last August at Deauville. Space Blues’s only try over a distance this short came in his only Dubai race, the Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint last March, when he hit a career nadir, finishing seventh. Maybe that performance shouldn’t carry too much weight, since Space Blues otherwise brings strong credentials, but as the race favorite that Meydan misstep merits mulling.

Equilateral was Dubai’s leading turf sprinter this winter, but his two wins have come over five furlongs, his preferred trip, and at age 6, Equilateral, capable and reliable, has little upside on the day.

The interesting horses at a longer price are Royal Crusade and Speak in Colours. Royal Crusade, Space Blues’s Charlie Appleby-trained stablemate, has raced only six times, and while he finished just sixth in the Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint, Royal Crusade’s history indicates he should improve Saturday in his second start off a layoff. Royal Crusade improved from his career debut to his second start, and from a comeback race last June into his second outing that form cycle. He’ll run better in the Al Quoz and appears to be a real six-furlong horse.

Speak In Colours, trained in Ireland by Joseph O’Brien, might not be a true Group 1 sprinter, but he’s not far from that level, is a six-time winner over six furlongs, and got in a Dubai prep earlier this month over synthetic at Dundalk.

The 3-year-old colt Cowan, one of three Americans running, gets nine pounds from the older males and raced effectively in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. He drew post 1, an especially bad draw in these straight turf sprints, where outside paths above the crown of the track are preferred. Extravagant Kid for trainer Brendan Walsh exits two dirt races, is better on grass, and has a puncher’s chance in the Al Quoz.

UAE Derby

The filly Soft Whisper was all the rage this winter, but Panadol looks like the best Dubai-based 3-year-old of 2021, and he can prove it Saturday in the Group 2, $750,000 UAE Derby.

The 1 3/16-mile UAE Derby drew a full gate of 14, which will lead to a scrum as the bulky field moves rapidly into the first of two turns. The race is part of the Churchill Downs Road to the Kentucky Derby and awards 170 Derby qualifying points distributed 100-40-20-10 to the top four finishers.

Soft Whisper won four consecutive races from last August into January. She won two on the European turf and two over fillies on the Meydan dirt. But she came up short last month in the Saudi Derby, finishing fifth, beaten nearly five lengths. Perhaps being back home in Dubai boosts her fortunes, but Soft Whisper also races beyond one mile for the first time.

Panadol, a New York-bred by Flatter, didn’t debut until February, when he won a Meydan maiden mile by nearly eight lengths. Saddled with post 12 going 1 3/16 miles in the Al Bastakiya on March 6, he showed good speed to get the lead into the first turn, bounded clear in upper stretch, and went on to a measured three-quarter-length win under Mickael Barzalona, who’s back aboard. Panadol drew a better post, 6, than Soft Whisper and might be overlooked in the betting.

France Go De Ina looks like the live Japan-based runner in Dubai. He attracted the services of jockey Joel Rosario and has won a pair of ninefurlong dirt races in Japan by a combined nine lengths. American shippers Ambivalent and Lugamo appear to be minor players.

Godolphin Mile

Midnight Sands didn’t do much in three American starts last season, but he loves Meydan and appears to be the horse to beat in the Group 2, $750,000 Godolphin Mile.

Midnight Sands has six wins and a second from his seven Meydan races, and picked up March 6 where he’d left off during winter 2020, with a smooth score in the Group 3 Burj Nahaar over this same one-turn dirt mile trip.

The three American shippers – Avant Garde, Parsimony, and Snapper Sinclair – all could have a say in the outcome.