By Alan Carasso
In this series, we will have a look predominantly at American-bred first-time juvenile starters (through the end of 2025) and debuting 3-year-olds in maiden races at Meydan Racecourse, with a specific focus on pedigree and/or performance in a sales ring. The flagship venue for racing in the United Arab Emirates is Meydan Racecourse, which will host racing on Fridays through the end of March, with the exception of Super Saturday on Feb. 28 and Dubai World Cup night Mar. 28, 2026. Here are the horses of note for this Friday's program at Meydan:
Friday, December 12, 2025
8th-MEY, AED210,000 ($57k), Allowance, 2yo, 1600m
This contest, which has lured the Godolphin's highly impressive maiden winner Devon Island (Practical Joke) and Uruguayan import Don Pelicano (Uru) (Midshipman), has been selected by trainer Bhupat Seemar as the jumping-off point for a pair of American-bred juvenile colts sourced at this year's breeze-up sales.
RASHWAN (Gun Runner) was led out unsold on a bid of $425,000 at last year's Keeneland September Sale and was hammered down to the RRR Racing braintrust for $400,000 following a :10 4/5 breeze at this year's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale in May. A Mar. 1 foal, the bay is a half-brother to GI F.E. Kilroe Mile Stakes hero Hit The Road (More Than Ready) and is out of a daughter of GII E. P. Taylor Stakes victress Wandering Star (Red Ransom), also the dam of G1SW War Command (War Front) and GSW Naval Officer (Tale of the Cat). Rashwan gets the services of stable number one Tadhg O'Shea.
Petit (Independence Hall) is out of a full-sister to GI Man O'War Stakes winner Channel Cat (English Channel) and made appearances at all three U.S.-based auction houses. A $17,000 purchase as a short yearling at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton February Sale, the bay changed hands for $45,000 at Keeneland September about seven months later. When last seen in a sales ring, the Pennsylvania-bred Petit was being hammered down to bloodstock agent Pedro Lanz for $185,000 after working a furlong in :10 flat at OBS April.
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