A 'Wish' Granted for Al Shaqab in the Donn

Mshawish | Lauren King

At this juncture during his 5-year-old campaign in 2015, the connections of Al Shaqab Racing's Mshawish (Medaglia d'Oro) found themselves at something of a crossroads. Or at least a fork in the road. Under their care, they had a horse who had achieved all his success on the turf, but who routinely worked like an animal that could adapt to dirt racing. After toying with the idea of a run in last year's Donn–ultimately won by his stablemate Constitution (Tapit)–Mshawish instead took his place in the GI Gulfstream Park Turf H. and duly obliged with a nose victory.

Fast forward to 2016. Having run with credit when fourth behind 'TDN Rising Star' Tonalist (Tapit) when trying the dirt for the first time under race conditions in the GI Cigar Mile H. last November, Mshawish remained on the main track for the GIII Hal's Hope S. going Gulfstream's one-turn mile Jan. 9. He traveled like a winner most of the way that day, leading home a 1-2 finish for his sire with a neck defeat of Valid. This time around, the nine-furlong Grade I on grass was never a serious consideration, as a win in a race as prestigious as the Donn would go a long ways towards cementing his future as a stallion prospect. Despite facing the likes of GI Travers S. hero Keen Ice (Curlin), it was mission accomplished Saturday.

At €170,000, Mshawish was the third most expensive horse through the ring at the 2012 Arqana May Breeze-Up Sale and was turned over to Mikel Delzangles, for whom he won three of his 11 trips to the post, including the 2014 G2 Zabeel Mile at the Dubai International Racing Carnival. Fourth to world's top-rated racehorse Just A Way (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) in that year's G1 Dubai Duty Free S., he was subsequently transferred to this barn and ran the table in three starts at this meeting last year, with wins in the El Prado S. and the GII Fort Lauderdale S. prior to his GP Turf H. success. Third to Solow (Ire) (Singspiel {Ire}) in last year's G1 Dubai Turf (ex Duty Free), Mshawish was a big-figure fifth in the GII Fourstardave H. last August and fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile before being green-lighted for a switch to the main track.

While Javier Castellano had called the shots aboard Mshawish in the majority of his U.S. starts, the Eclipse Award winner had no choice but to opt for Keen Ice in his 4-year-old debut, and it was John Velazquez in the irons for just the second time Saturday afternoon. Away fairly, Mshawish edged forward and crossed over to the rail to sit third, causing slight interference to stablemate Madefromlucky (Lookin at Lucky), as Financial Modeling (Street Sense) was able to get across from his outside stall to lead into the first turn. Valid chased from second, while Sunshine Millions Classic hero Mexikoma (Birdstone) slipstreamed that one and Keen Ice was content to drop out the back after a half-mile that went in :48.13. Mshawish traveled strongly beneath Velazquez, but was settled enough from third into the turn, as Valid came after Financial Modeling and wrested command five-sixteenths of a mile from paydirt. Mexikoma was coming with a four-wide bid, but perhaps calling on his mount's turf turn of foot, Velazquez shifted Mshawish out sharply and had dead aim on the top two as they hit the top of the stretch. A touch wide exiting the final corner, the Al Shaqab runner drew on terms a furlong down and galloped home a convincing winner. Valid, ever game, held for second ahead of Mexikoma.

“I was pretty happy,” said Todd Pletcher, winning the Donn for the fourth time since 2010. “I loved the way he finished up at a mile and an eighth. That was kind of the one thing we were looking to prove that he could stay a mile and an eighth on the dirt. I actually thought he ran the best race of his career really, and he's run some good ones before that. It was good to see him finish up like that. He got a great trip. Johnny gave him a great ride and he delivered a big performance.”

Keen Ice worked home his final three-eighths of a mile in just over :36. He is expected to travel to Dubai for the G1 Dubai World Cup Mar. 26, where he is likely to face a rematch with Mshawish over a 10-furlong trip that is up his alley and one that remains a question mark for Mshawish. The Donn winner is also entered for the G1 Dubai Turf and G2 Godolphin Mile.

“The speed was holding pretty good today,” Castellano offered. “It was hard to come from behind. But I liked the way he did it today because he came running the last part. I know an extra furlong he could get it done. He passed the wire galloping out strong and passed the other horses. I couldn't pull him up. A mile and a quarter will be good for him.”

Mshawish's third dam is GSW At the Half (Seeking the Gold), whose MGSW & MGISP daughter Lu Ravi (A.P. Indy) is a half-sister to Half Queen (Deputy Minister), the dam of champion Halfbridled (Unbridled).

Saturday, Gulfstream Park
DONN H.-GI, $500,000, GP, 2-6, 4yo/up, 1 1/8m, 1:47.89, ft.
1–MSHAWISH, 117, h, 6, by Medaglia d'Oro
1st Dam: Thunder Bayou, by Thunder Gulch
2nd Dam: Bayou Storm, by Storm Cat
3rd Dam: At the Half, by Seeking the Gold
($25,000 Wlg '10 KEENOV; $10,000 Ylg '11 KEESEP; €170,000
2yo '12 ARMAY). O-Al Shaqab Racing; B-OTIF 2007 (KY); T-Todd
A. Pletcher; J-John R. Velazquez. $300,700. Lifetime Record:
GSW & G1SP-UAE, GSP-Fr, 23-8-2-3, $2,221,351. Werk Nick
Rating A+++ *Triple Plus*.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
[bullet ad=”woodstock-thrived”][bullet ad=”mandore-purchased-by”][bullet ad=”bsw-bloodstock-managed-2″][bullet ad=”irt-shell”][bullet ad=”kbif-g1″]

2–Valid, 117, g, 6, Medaglia d'Oro–Grand Prayer, by Grand
Slam. ($500,000 Ylg '11 KEESEP; $115,000 3yo '13 FTNMIX).
O-Crossed Sabres Farm; B-Edward P. Evans (VA); T-Marcus J.
Vitali. $97,000.
[bullet ad=”lanes-end-sales-grad”]
3–Mexikoma, 117, h, 5, Birdstone–Toccet Over, by Toccet.
($55,000 2yo '13 OBSAPR). O-Team Valor International;
B-Hickstead Farm (FL); T-Michael Dilger. $48,500.
[bullet ad=”irt-shell”]
Margins: 2, HF, 3/4. Odds: 4.60, 6.00, 7.30.
Also Ran: Itsaknockout, Financial Modeling, Keen Ice, Closing Bell, Madefromlucky. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

 

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