Newcomer Dothraki dismisses rivals at Caymanas Park
UNITED States-bred DOTHRAKI served notice on grade-one sprinters with an eye-catching debut victory at Caymanas Park yesterday, dismissing fellow American INCREDIBLE JO coming off the home turn, notching a length-and-quarter victory ahead of late-charging DIGITAL ONE, who unfortunately missed the break in the snappy five-and-a-half furlong event.
In what has now become standard for the top three classes this season, United States-bred runners dominated the overnight-allowance contest for the Vassel Najair Memorial, clocked in a fast 1:05.4.
DOTHRAKI, a former Bob Baffert runner with a 1:17.4 winning time for six and a half furlongs at Los Alamitos, California, went off as the 7-5 second choice to 4-5 favourite INCREDIBLE JO, a winner of his last three races, clocking an eye-popping 1:23.4 for seven furlongs late May.
However, DOTHRAKI, a four-year-old sired by Into Mischief, currently North America’s hottest stallion, commanding a stud fee of US$250,000, didn’t get that memo, hustled from the gate by Robert Halledeen to attack lightweight A GIFT FROM BEN as a team with INCREDIBLE JO racing on his outside.
Though allowing INCREDIBLE JO 14lb, DOTHRAKI raced between horses on his bridle into the lane before shrugging off rivals, Halledeen being extra careful to avoid the stewards by shanking his mount right to not bear down on rail-running A GIFT FROM BEN.
Let loose by Halledeen a furlong and a half out, still under a hand ride, DOTHRAKI sprinted clear, only getting reminders with two sharp bursts of the whip inside the final furlong, another pair close to the wire, as DIGITAL ONE leapt forward with Dane Dawkins.
Halledeen and DaCosta dominated the nine-race card, the second day of the three-meet Heroes Holiday weekend carnival.
DOTHRAKI closed a four-timer for champion trainer DaCosta, who combined with Halledeen for three wins on the day, starting with 10-1 outsider, MIDNIGHT TRAVELLER, who outbattled stablemate and even-money choice, MAYBELLE, in the second race for two-year-old maidens at five furlongs round.
Nail another longshot
DaCosta struck with a second outsider, MINEOLA, who surged forward with Clive Lynch on the wide outside at 48-1 to nail another longshot, 32-1 chance, CUTOUT, stealing home among non-winners of two races, fillies, at five and a half furlongs in the sixth.
Halledeen landed his second winner astride DaCosta’s American, H TWO O, tracking stablemate AMERICAN INVADER and local-bred DON KWESI, who inherited the lead but could not hold off the champion trainer’s foreigner, who collared him close home at seven furlongs in the seventh.
DOTHRAKI closed the card with a victory that set tongues wagging ahead of next month’s six-furlong Port Royal Sprint, a win-and-you’re-in for December’s US$300,000 Mouttet Mile.
The holiday weekend carnival of racing continues this afternoon with a 10-race card featuring The Viceroy Trophy at a mile in which Philip Feanny’s American, SUPERNATURAL POWER, is expected to make amends among open-allowance runners after an encouraging fourth-place finish behind last year’s Mouttet Mile runner-up, LEGACY ISLE, in the October 4 Gold Cup, a grade-one event.