It took all of 1:35.88, but North America (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) announced his return in a big way on Thursday, running off by nine lengths in the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1 at Meydan. Breaking from stall two, the Satish Seemar-trained bay assumed command a few jumps from the barriers and was allowed to get away with an :24.45 opening quarter with Heavy Metal (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) and Gold Town (GB) (Street Cry {Ire}) tracking him about a length behind. North American began to put daylight between himself and the field after five panels in :59.05, and it was all over from there, as he quickened away to post an easy score. Kimbear (Temple City), who enjoyed a ground-saving trip in midfield for the majority of the race, swung off the fence a quarter mile from home and was best of the rest, 1 3/4 lengths in front of Muntazah (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) giving trainer Doug Watson the second and third home. 2018 G3 UAE 2000 Guineas hero Gold Town (GB) (Street Cry {Ire}), racing for Godolphin and trainer Charlie Appleby, was an equal distance back in fourth.
“That's the way he is,” said trainer Satish Seemar. “I was telling [Mullen] to let him do his thing. We had the right draw. If he pops out, just don't stop him. I know when he's in form like that, he's so good. About 10 days ago, we jumped him out of the gate, just to wake him up and he did it exactly the same way. After [North America] broke like he did, I had no worries. He could have set a track record today, but no one was there to challenge him. He'll go to [the Al Maktoum Challenge] Round 2.”
“Unbelievable,” added hoop Richard Mullen. “I just said to the [Seemar] that there are not a lot of horses who give me goosebumps and he has done that. It was an incredible performance for his first run [this season]. He has such huge stride. I think anything that comes near, he has that much pace that he just kills them off. This is step one. There are a few to go, so let us not get carried away. There is potential for him to be better. He is only going to have four runs this year and he already has his program penciled out. He is very lightly raced and very well looked-after. They have the whole summer off, so seven is the new three or four in UAE terms.”
The 7-year-old gelding broke his maiden in his first start on dirt at Meydan in November of 2016 and promptly won his next three starts, culminating in the G3 Firebreak S. in February of 2017. Only 10th in the G2 Godolphin Mile on Dubai World Cup night later that year, he was given some time off and returned to run third behind Heavy Metal (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) and subsequent G1 Dubai World Cup hero Thunder Snow (Ire) (Helmet {Aus}) in the 2018 edition of this race last January. Just a neck behind the latter in the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 upped to 1900 metres on Feb. 8, North America tasted Group 1 glory in the Mar. 10 2000-metre Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3. A tardy break in the Mar. 31 Dubai World Cup threw the Ramzan Kadyrov runner off his game that evening and he could do no better than 10th before reappearing on Thursday.
Pedigree Notes…
North America is one of 38 Group 1 winners and 104 group scorers for his sire, who has 162 black-type winners to date. After North America, 2004 GI Hollywood Starlet S. third Northern Mischief has thrown the winners Make Mischief (GB) (Makfi {GB}) and Liquid Gold (Ire) (Nathaniel {Ire}), as well as the unraced 4-year-old filly Nourah (Ire) (Shamardal). The half-sister to champion older mare and MGISW Gourmet Girl (Cee's Tizzy) has a yearling colt by Dandy Man (Ire) as her last reported foal and was covered by MG1SW and dual Guineas hero Churchill (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) last spring. Other group-level scorers that feature Yankee Victor as a broodmare sire are GI Santa Anita H. hero Melatonin (Kodiac Kowboy), G2 Norfolk S. heroine Shang Shang Shang (Shanghai Bobby), Canadian champion female sprinter and MGSW Youcan'tcatchme (The Daddy) and GSW Covey Trace (Stevie Wonderboy). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
Thursday, Meydan, Dubai
AL MAKTOUM CHALLENGE R1 SPONSORED BY MUBADALA-G2, $350,000, Meydan, 1-10, NH4yo/up & SH3yo/up, 1600m, 1:35.88, ft.
1–NORTH AMERICA (GB), 126, g, 7, by Dubawi (Ire)
1st Dam: Northern Mischief (GISP, $123,918),
by Yankee Victor
2nd Dam: Rhondaling (GB), by Welsh Pageant (Fr)
3rd Dam: Touch of Class (Fr), by Luthier (Fr)
(100,000gns Wlg '12 TATFOA). O-Ramzan Kadyrov; B-Qatar
Bloodstock Ltd (GB); T-Satish Seemar; J-Richard Mullen.
$210,000. Lifetime Record: G1SW-UAE, 16-6-3-2, $777,017.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick
Rating: A.
2–Kimbear, 126, h, 5, Temple City–Sky Dreamer, by Sky Mesa.
($30,000 Ylg '15 KEESEP). O-Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid Al
Nuaimi; B-John C Oxley (KY); T-Doug Watson. $70,000.
3–Muntazah (GB), 126, g, 6, Dubawi (Ire)–Rumoush, by Rahy.
O-Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum; B-Shadwell Estate
Co Ltd (GB); T-Doug Watson. $35,000.
Margins: 9, 1 3/4, 1 3/4.
Also Ran: Gold Town (GB), African Ride (GB), Dolkong, Etijaah, Masaarr, Heavy Metal (GB).
Click for the Racing Post chart. Dubai Racing Club Video.
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