Having celebrated a maiden-breaking victory in the UAE 1000 Guineas Trial over seven furlongs Dec. 23, MIMI KAKUSHI (f, 3, City of Light–Rite Moment, by Vicar) ran out a convincing 4 1/2-length winner of Friday's $150,000 Listed UAE 1000 Guineas at Meydan. The bay, fourth in her first two trips to the races over sprint distances in November and early December, jumped well enough for Mickael Barzalona, but was beaten for speed by Awasef (Cairo Prince) to the outside and was ultimately eased back and into the two path to chase from second. Shadowing the pacesetter into the final 700 meters, Mimi Kakushi was roused to the front with a quarter-mile to travel and put the race to bed while striding readily clear. Awasef held second ahead of the one-start maiden Unjokable (Practical Joke).
“She was happy to be on the pace and the extra furlong was a help as well,” said Barzalona, winning this race for the second time after Nashmiah in 2017. “I think she will run a good race in the [1900m] UAE Oaks too.”
Bin Ghadayer added, “We have four weeks until the Oaks which is enough time for a rest; she will just need one breeze before the race. She is the best filly I've trained.”
A $180,000 purchase out of the 2021 Fasig-Tipton October Yearling Sale, Mimi Kakushi was hammered down for $250,000 at that same auction house's Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale after breezing a furlong in :10 1/5 over the Timonium dirt track. A fourth stakes winner for her sire (by Quality Road), Mimi Kakushi is a half-sister to dual black-type winner Moment Is Right (Medaglia d'Oro) and SW Laudation (Congrats). Rite Moment is also the dam of a yearling filly by Cajun Breeze and is due to Khozan this term.
Friday's Results:
UAE 1000 GUINEAS PRESENTED BY ARN-Listed, $150,000, Meydan, 1-20, 3yo, f, 8f, 1:39.48, fs.
1–MIMI KAKUSHI, 126, f, 3, by City Of Light
1st Dam: Rite Moment (MGSW-US, $399,303), by Vicar
2nd Dam: Moments Of Joy, by Lost Code
3rd Dam: Valiant Sweetheart, by Danzig
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. ($180,000 Ylg '21 FTKJUL; $250,000 2yo
'22 FTIMAY). O-Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum;
B-Woodford Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY); T-Salem bin Ghadayer;
J-Mickael Barzalona. $90,000. Lifetime Record: 4-2-0-0,
$122,701. *1/2 to Moment Is Right (Medaglia d'Oro),
MSW-US, $228,445; and Laudation (Congrats), SW-US,
$100,840.
2–Awasef, 126, f, 3, Cairo Prince–Darling Sky, by Sky Mesa.
1ST BLACK TYPE. ($100,000 2yo '22 OBSMAR). O-Al Rashid
Stables LLC; B-Namcook Stables, Paul Braverman & Tim Pinch
(KY); T-Doug Watson. $30,000.
3–Unjokable, 126, f, 3, Practical Joke–Willowbern, by
Bernardini. 1ST BLACK TYPE. ($100,000 2yo '22 FTIMAY).
O-Sheikh Juma Dalmook Al Maktoum; B-Haymarket Farm LLC
(KY); T-Ahmad bin Harmash. $15,000.
Margins: 4HF, 5, 2 3/4.
Also Ran: Asawer, Nafas, Cite d'Or (Fr). Scratched: Here We Are.
MEY4: VIDEO.
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