GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint upsetter Mongolian Saturday (Any Given Saturday), fresh off an unplaced effort in Sha Tin's G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize May 1, is now preparing for a tilt at Royal Ascot. The bay breezed three furlongs over the Arlington all-weather in :33.20 May 20.
“He ships May 25 to England for Royal Ascot,” explained trainer Ganbat Enebish. “It will be the first time he goes to England. I nominated him to three races, all Group 1 Global Sprint Challenge races. The King's Stand S. June 14, then four days later on the 18th is the six-furlong Diamond Jubilee. The time between the two races is very short, but I'll watch him after the [King's Stand] and if he comes back very good, then maybe we will try the next race. I think we will stay and also go to the July 9 Darley July Cup in Newmarket. It's almost three weeks in between, so we will go if he is [doing well].”
After his victory in the Breeders' Cup, Mongolian Saturday went to Sha Tin, where he finished fifth in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint Dec. 13. The 6-year-old gelding was making his seasonal bow at Sha Tin three weeks ago, when finishing a non-factor ninth in the Chairman's Sprint.
“The horse trained better for Hong Kong than even Breeders' Cup,” trainer Ganbat Enebish said. “But our jockey [Florent Geroux] couldn't ride because he had a horse in the Kentucky Derby [Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg})] so we got a different jockey from Hong Kong. He was very experienced, but he didn't do as I said. I told him to whip the horse to get around [in the stretch], and he never did. He was behind a wall of horses, and pulled back. I've never complained to a jockey, never, but this time I was very unhappy with him. All the best sprinters of the world were in the same race, and [Mongolian Saturday] came out of the race very well; he was not tired at all. He was very strong and sound afterwards, like nothing had happened.”
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