Allowance winner Meraas targets Riyadh Dirt Sprint
Meraas, a 2 1/4-length winner of a second-level allowance at Aqueduct on Saturday, will be pointed to the $1.5 million Riyadh Dirt Sprint on the undercard of the $20 million Saudi Cup on Feb. 25.
It is expected that Meraas will head to Saudi Arabia along with Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner Elite Power, who defeated Maraas by 4 1/2 lengths in a second-level allowance Sept. 3 at Saratoga. Elite Power went on to win the Grade 2 Vosburgh and Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
Meraas, meanwhile, came out of that September allowance to finish 10th in the Grade 3 Bold Ruler after being bumped hard soon after the start. Meraas rebounded nicely off that race with his front-running score Saturday, running six furlongs in 1:10.39, .30 faster than Drafted ran winning the Gravesend. Meraas earned a 97 Beyer Speed Figure.
Chad Summers, who trains Meraas for Maitha Salem Mohammed Belobaida Alsuwaidi, said he toyed with the idea of running Meraas in the Gravesend, but opted for the allowance when the stake came up with a 12-horse field. Ironically, the Gravesend went with five while the allowance went with nine.
“You want to peak on the big day,” Summers said. “You want to leave as much as you can in reserve. I thought we were able to accomplish that. He’s a naturally fast horse. I was happy he was able to go 22 for the opening quarter and slow it down enough from there.”
Summers said that Abner Adorno, who rode Meraas in the allowance, would retain the mount for the Riyadh Dirt Sprint.
Though Meraas won two dirt sprints at Meydan in Dubai last winter, he is not targeting the Golden Shaheen on March 25 there, per Summers. Meraas was scratched out of that race by ontrack veterinarians last year and would have to train in front of veterinarians at Meydan in order to be approved to run.
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