By Alan Carasso
Golden Vekoma (Vekoma) stretched out to the metric mile following up on his sound success in the UAE 2000 Guineas Trial over 1400 meters on Jan. 3, wrested command with about a furlong and a half to travel and held off the well-fancied Heart of Honor (Honor A.P.) to take out Friday's G3 UAE 2000 Guineas at Meydan.
Drawn 13 in a full field of 16, the bay colt bounced well enough from out wide and took up a position just ahead of midfield as dirt debutant High Season (GB) (New Bay {GB}) took them along at a decent clip up front while chased by the four-start maiden and American import Rafid (Into Mischief). Fifth passing the 800-metre peg, Golden Vekoma was patiently handled in behind a wall of four rounding the turn, was produced five deep entering the straight, eased to the front at the 300 metres and kept on nicely to score by a length and a half. Heart of Honor missed the kick and spotted his rivals valuable real estate down the back. Left with plenty to do approaching the final 400 metres, the Jamie Osborne trainee was taken out to the grandstand side and steamed down the outside to finish a sound second. Royal Favour (GB) (Hard Spun) rounded out the placings.
“We have had good 3-year-olds before but none for this distance,” said trainer Ahmad Bin Harmash. “We will go to the Saudi Derby next, because when you have a class horse, you have to try something different.”
“He's a horse we've always thought a lot of and he's a horse who's only going to get better,” added jockey Connor Beasley. “He's got the size, scope and looks to go with it. The world's his oyster, really, and I'm looking forward to seeing what the second half of the season brings.
“He's seen the mile out well there and he wasn't stopping at the end. I think if something had come to him he'll have pulled out even more.”
Pedigree Notes:
OBS April graduate Golden Vekoma becomes the seventh stakes winner and second graded winner for his 2024 leading American freshman sire. The winner's dam, a daughter of the 2005 American champion 2-year-old male Stevie Wonderboy, was purchased by the Sticks Wondergirl Partnership for $60,000 at the 2014 Keeneland November Sale and is the dam of four winners from four to race, including the stakes-winning Midshipman's Dance. Sticks Wondergirl represents the only black-type in the second dam, but the third dam is full of runners that have come through the program of prominent US breeder Ramona Bass. The Grade I-placed third dam is responsible for Choreograph (Dynaformer), whose six winners include MGSW Goliad (War Front), SW Dancing To Town (Speightstown), MSW Welcome Dance (Henny Hughes) and MGSP Fredericksburg (Speightstown). Sticks Wondergirl did not produce a foal in 2023 or 2024 and is due to Tiz the Law for 2025.
Friday, Meydan, Dubai
UAE 2000 GUINEAS PRESENTED BY LONGINES-G3, AED700,000, Meydan, 1-26, 3yo, 8f, 1:37.08, fs.
1–GOLDEN VEKOMA, 121, c, 3, by Vekoma
1st Dam: Sticks Wondergirl (SW-US, $198,048), by Stevie Wonderboy
2nd Dam: Y Country, by Quiet American
3rd Dam: Dance For Vanny, by Sovereign Dancer
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. 1ST GROUP WIN. ($145,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP; $90,000 2yo '24 OBSAPR). O-Mohammed Ahmad Ali Al Subousi; B-Woods Edge Farm, LLC (KY); T-Ahmad bin Harmash; J-Connor Beasley. AED420,000. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-1, AED617,500. *1/2 to Midshipman's Dance (Midshipman), SW-US, $178,589. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Heart Of Honor (GB), 121, c, 3, Honor A. P.–Ruby Love (Chi), by Scat Daddy. (USA). 1ST BLACK TYPE. 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€160,000 2yo '23 ARQMAY). O-Jim And Claire Limited; B-David Redvers Bloodstock (GB); T-Jamie Osborne. AED140,000.
3–Royal Favour (GB), 121, c, 3, Hard Spun–Cascanueces, by Smart Strike. 1ST BLACK TYPE. 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (175,000gns Ylg '23 TATOCT). O-Sultan Ali; B-Miss K Rausing (GB); T-Simon & Ed Crisford. AED70,000.
Margins: 1HF, 3HF, 3/4.
Also Ran: Awab, Rafid, Force And Valour (Ire), Don Vaccaro (Uru), Nam Phrik (Brz), Giustino (Arg), High Season (GB), Midnight Thunder (GB), Nimble Boy, Baloban, Arlan, Proud Samaritan. Scratched: Desert Shadow (GB), Diamond Dealer, Nedawy, On The Way, Rammayy.
Click for the ERA chart & video.
What. A. Race!
gamely denies the fast-finishing HEART OF HONOR in the @Longines UAE 2000 Guineas! @HARMASHRACING | @connorbeasley9 #FashionFriday | #DubaiCarnival pic.twitter.com/6IwAKPirbB
— Dubai Racing Club (@RacingDubai) January 24, 2025
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