Desert Party

2009 Prep Recap

Date	Trk	Race	Chart	Distance	Time	BSF	Video
1/22	DUB	Ford Flex Trophy	N/A	7 fur.	1:24	N/A
2/12	DUB	UAE 2000 Guineas (G3)	N/A	1 1/8m	1:37	N/A
3/28	NAD	UAE Derby (G2)	N/A	1 1/8m	1:50:1	N/A

Profile by Alan Shuback

Strengths: This son of Dubai World Cup winner Street Cry, himself the sire of 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense, is bred for the job. His broodmare sire Tabasco Cat won both the Preakness and the Belmont. Consistent if not brilliant, Desert Party only poor run came when a troubled sixth in the Hopeful last year. Has been running on a Nad Al Sheba dirt surface made to resemble that of Churchill Downs, so he should have an advantage over synthetic track winners. Working sharply Godolphin's best chance yet for elusive Derby triumph. Relentlessly one-paced, he will stay the distance.

Weaknesses: Godolphin is 0 for 5 in the Run for the Roses, suggesting Dubai is not the place to train a Derby winner. More-over, with the exception of stablemate Regal Ransom, he was facing inferior types at Nad Al Sheba, although he was beating them by large margins like a good one should.

Strategy: Should be tracking the pace in sixth or seventh, beginning his long drive to the line on the far turn. Couldn't quite catch Regal Ransom in the UAE Derby chasing a relatively slow pace, but still got the last quarter in 24.73 seconds, the final eighth in 12.51. Fast pace would aid him immeasurably.

Value: Plenty at projected 15-1, as this Derby is without a standout. Bettors will be divided on his chances, students of breeding liking him, anti-Dubai types dismissing him. He must, however, be used in exotics.

Pedigree Analysis By Dan Illman

Dosage Profile:  5-2-5-0-0
Dosage Index:  3.80
Center of Distribution:  1.00
Auction:  $425,000 yearling, $2,100,000 juvenile

Sire:  Street Cry won the Dubai World Cup at 1 1/4 miles, took the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap at nine furlongs with a 118 Beyer, and capped off his career with a runner-up effort in the nine-furlong Whitney Handicap with a 119 speed figure.  He has already sired a Kentucky Derby winner in Street Sense, and an undefeated Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic champion in Zenyatta.  Street Cry's son, Tomcito, won a pair of Group 1 races in Peru between 10 and 12 furlongs while Summer Doldrums won the Grade 3 Colonial Turf Cup at 1 3/16 miles on the grass.

Dam:  Sage Cat only raced twice in her career, and never competed past six furlongs.  She won her career debut at Laurel with a 60 Beyer Speed Figure.  Her sire, Tabasco Cat, won the Preakness and Belmont in 1994. 
Sage Cat has already foaled Elliecat, a stakes-winner at 1 1/16 miles on the dirt.
Desert Party's second dam, Lady Sage, placed third in the Maryland Million Oaks at 1 1/16 miles, but all of her wins came in sprint races.

Outlook:  The female family is tilted toward speed, but Street Cry's progeny can go long, and Desert Party was slowly grinding his way to the winner at the end of the nine-furlong UAE Derby.  The Derby distance is going to be testing, but not impossible for this Godolphin runner.