Arabians Race at Churchill Downs

ARABIANS RACE AT CHURCHILL DOWNS QUICK SAND AA SEALS HIS 2018 DARLEY BID Steve Andersen

COA DY P H OTO

by

S

omeone please call the engraver. The race for the 2018 Darley Award for Horse of the Year is over.

Quick Sand AA (Burning Sand x Triumphs Silkie by Seyvilla Triumph) won his fifth consecutive race in the $100,000 President of the United Arab Emirates Cup at Churchill Downs on September 29, one of the nation’s most prestigious races for Arabians.

Earlier this year, Quick Sand won the Sheikh Zayed Stakes at Sam Houston in March, the Sheika Fatima Bint Mubarak Stakes at Santa Anita in April, and the Delaware Park Arabian Classic Handicap in August. All four of those races are Grade 1 events, drawing some of the best

runners in the nation. For good measure, Quick Sand also won an allowance race at Delaware Park in July to launch his summer campaign.

He has done everything expected this year by owners and breeders Betty and Joe Gillis and trainer Jernesto Torrez. “I think Quick Sand is the best horse I’ve ever trained,” said Torrez.

This is certainly Quick Sand’s best year and one that will include championship honors when the titles are announced next spring. He will also gain the champion older male award.

Considering the importance of the race, Quick Sand was the most impressive of the winners of the September

A H W > 138 < 1 0 . 1 8

QUICK SAND AA (Burning Sand x Triumphs Silkie by Seyvilla Triumph) won the $100,000 President of the UAE Cup at Churchill Downs on September 29. Quick Sand AA is owned by Betty and Joe Gillis, trained by Jerenesto Torrez, and was ridden by Sasha Risenhoover.

stakes races, pulling clear of eight rivals to win by nine lengths. In his career, Quick Sand has won 11 of 23 starts and has earned $260,231. The five-year-old gives the impression that he has not peaked and has inherited the role of leading older horse from Paddys Day, the threetime Horse of the Year from 2015 through 2017, whose form has tailed off this year.

This was the sixth time the President of the UAE Cup was run at the iconic Churchill Downs, which hosts the Kentucky Derby each May. This year’s race was part of an evening of major stakes.

Quick Sand AA, who was ridden by Sasha Risenhoover, was favored in the race run over 1 1/16 miles. Risenhoover had Quick Sand in fourth for the first quarter-mile and kept her mount handy on the backstretch. Racing wide, Quick Sand moved closer to the leaders on the final turn, and had a four-length advantage with a furlong remaining, with none of his rivals able to keep pace.

“This horse is so special,” Risenhoover said. “I got a great trip, and he was able to relax early in the race. I let him do his own thing, and when we turned for home, he kicked into gear.”

Madjikman (Madjani x Rubie Rose by Rubis De Carrere) finished second for Goldensands Racing LLC and trainer Fenneka Bentley. This was the best result in a stakes for Madjikman since a second in the 2017 Bob Magness Derby at Delaware Park.

Easter Man (Burning Sand x Angel Proof by NF Proof) finished third for the Gilleses and Torrez. Earlier this year, Easter Man was second to Quick Sand at Santa Anita. In 2017, Easter Man was second to Quick And Rich in the President of the UAE Cup at Churchill Downs. Quick And Rich finished fifth in the President of the UAE Cup this year.

The President of the UAE Cup was Quick Sand’s fifth career stakes win.

“It was great to get this victory here at Churchill Downs,” Torrez said immediately after the race.

The President of the UAE Cup was the richest of five stakes for Arabians in September at Churchill Downs, Delaware Park, Los Alamitos in California, and Retama Park in Texas.

Uptown Sandy Girl won the Buzz Brauninger Distaff Stakes at Delaware Park on September 8, enhancing her credentials as the outstanding four-year-old female of the year. Uptown Sandy Girl (Burning Sand x Wibwilcca by Wilkolak) was the champion three-year-old filly of 2017.

Also at Delaware Park, the promising three-year-old colt Burn Em Joy (Burning Sand x Triumphs Silkie by Seyvilla Triumph) won the $20,500 Delaware Arabian Juvenile Championship for three-year-olds for Joe and Betty Gillis and Torrez on September 29. Burn Em Joey is a full-brother to Quick Sand.

At Retama Park, near San Antonio, Rich Sin (TH Richie x DC Well Done by Dinamite Dare) won the $20,000 Texas Arabian Oaks on September 5. At Los Alamitos on September 23, Dream Pearl (Burning Sand x Triumphs Pearl by Seyvilla Triumph) won the $20,000 Emirates Breeders California Gold Rush Handicap.

Uptown Sandy Girl was the only filly or mare in the President of the UAE Cup field. Owned by Jon Hennigsgard and trained by Lynn Ashby, Uptown Sandy Girl had won her previous four starts before the Churchill Downs race.

In the Buzz Brauninger Distaff, the nation’s leading race for older fillies and mares, Uptown Sandy Girl dominated as expected. She closed from third in a field of six to win the race at 1 1/8 miles, on a wet track, by 5 ¾ lengths over RB Kindle. Uptown Sandy Girl’s four-race streak included the Cre-Run Oaks at Delaware Park on August 4. Her only two losses this year were to males. In April, Uptown Sandy Girl was sixth behind Quick Sand at Santa Anita.

The losses do not diminish her developing career, by any means. Uptown Sandy Girl has won 8 of 15 starts and earned $130,070. Five of her wins have been in stakes.

Burn Em Joey is only at the start of what is already a promising career, and one with high expectations because of his pedigree. Burn Em Joey had had an active year,

A H W > 139 < 1 0 . 1 8

UPTOWN SANDY GIRL (Burning Sand x Wibwilcca by *Wilkolak) won the $45,000 Grade 1 Buzz Brauninger Distaff Stakes at Delaware Park on September 8. Uptown Sandy Girl is owned by Jon Henningsgard, trained by Lynn Ashby, and ridden to the win

by Jose Garcia.

Photo Š Hoofprints Inc.

M A RT I N E Z P H OTO

winning four of seven starts, with three second-place finishes. Because of a lack of numbers in the Arabian horse population at Delaware Park, Burn Em Joey had his first six races against older horses.

The Delaware Arabian Juvenile Championship was his first start in his age group. Ridden by Carol Cedeno, Burn Em Joey led throughout and won without difficulty. He held a nine-length advantage in the stretch and won by five lengths over Big Ben AA in a field of six.

In his only previously stakes appearance, Burn Em Joey was second to So Big Boy in the Delaware Park Arabian Derby on July 28.

Dream Pearl, a seven-year-old mare, has been a fixture in California races for much of her career, with occasional forays into other parts of the nation. Last year, for example, Dream Pearl was fifth in the Brauninger Stakes behind eventual champion, and older female, Ivory Shores.

A H W > 140 < 1 0 . 1 8

DREAM PEARL (Burning Sand x Triumphs Pearl by Seyvilla Triumph) won the $20,000 Emirates Breeders California Gold Rush Handicap at Los Alamitos on September 23.

Dream Pearl is owned by Dorothy Burt, Evelyn Call, Betty Eaton, and Cory Soltau, trained

by Terri Eaton, and was ridden

by Francisco Monroy.

COA DY P H OTO

since the start of her career in 2015. Sand Victor, trained by Eaton, races for the Joe and Betty Gillis.

“Dream Pearl challenged, and I thought Sand Victor was going to get there,” Eaton said as she left the winner’s circle. “When she came and challenged him, it was a tough challenge.

They both tried hard and both showed a lot of heart. They’ve been knocking it out all year. She was just the better horse.”

The Gold Rush Handicap was the seventh race of the season for both Dream Pearl and Sand Victor, and they have started in the same races. Dream Pearl has finished in front of Sand Victor in four of those starts.

Dream Pearl has fought weight issues in the past; Eaton has had difficulty keeping the weight on. This year, her condition has improved and so has her race record. This is the first year Dream Pearl has had four wins in a season.

Dream Pearl has won 14 of 27 starts and has earned $134,908.

“She’s just very tough,” Eaton said. “She wants to win.

This is probably one of her better years. We have her diet fixed, and she’s carrying a little more weight and has a little more substance to draw from.”

Dream Pearl could start in Texas this fall, which could lead to a first-ever encounter against Rich Sin. Owned by breeder Garrett Ford, Rich Sin won her first stakes in the Texas Arabian Oaks for three- and fouryear-old fillies. Ridden by Rodolfo Guerra for Torrez, Rich Sin was a heavy favorite. She was third early in the one-mile race and took the lead on the turn, pulling clear to win by 33 ¾ lengths over five overmatched rivals.

Rich Sin has won two of five starts and has earned $17,845. Trained by Eaton in 2017, Rich Sin won her debut and was fifth behind Uptown Sandy Girl in the Lone Star Juvenile last October. With Torrez this year, Rich Sin was fourth and third in allowance races at Delaware Park in June and July before the breakthrough win in the Texas Arabian Oaks.

RICH SIN (TH Richie x DC Well Done) won the $20,000 Grade 3 Texas Arabian Oaks Stakes at Retama Park, Texas, on September 5. Rich Sin is owned by Garrett Ford, trained by Jerenesto Torrez, and was ridden to the win by Rodolfo Guerra.

This year, Dream Pearl has stayed in California, winning four of seven starts through early October. The Emirates Breeders California Gold Rush Handicap was her fourth stakes win of the year and her most lucrative. Earlier this year, Dream Pearl won stakes at the Alameda county fair in Pleasanton, the Sonoma county fair in Santa Rosa and the Humboldt county fair in Ferndale.

Dream Pearl, who races for Dorothy Burt, Evelyn Call, Betty Eaton and Cory Soltau, faced four males and the mare RB Hot Risk in the California Gold Rush Handicap.

Dream Pearl was favored and ran to expectations.

Ridden by Francisco Monroy for trainer Terri Eaton, Dream Pearl was confidently handled throughout the seven-furlong race.

Monroy had Dream Pearl last in a field of six for the first quarter-mile and moved closer to the front with a wide move on the backstretch. Dream Pearl’s momentum carried her to the lead in the early stretch, but she was fully extended to win by a half-length over Sand Victor (Burning Sand x *Vague De Gemme by Baco Du Cassou).

Dream Pearl and Sand Victor were bred by Joe and Betty Gillis. Dream Pearl has raced for her current owners

Steve Andersen is a correspondent for Daily Racing Form.

A H W > 141 < 1 0 . 1 8