Drafted gives trainer Watson third straight win in Al Shindagha Sprint

Drafted got a great setup and won the Group 3, $200,000 Al Shindagha Sprint, featured race Thursday night on the World Cup Carnival card at Meydan Racecourse.

His trainer, Doug Watson, now has won the Al Shindagha, a 1200-meter (about six-furlong) dirt race three years in a row having landed last year’s edition with My Catch and the 2017 race with Cool Cowboy.

Drafted, a 5-year-old gelding by Field Commission out of Keep the Profit, by Darn that Alarm, began his career in the U.S. with trainer Eoin Harty, is spending his second winter in Dubai and won for the second time in three starts during the current racing season. Second last out in the Group 3 Dubawi Stakes, Drafted sat in the clear, out of the dirt-track kickback he can’t abide) and pounced late under Pat Dobbs after My Catch set a strong pace, hounded by Switzerland. The latter recently arrived in Dubai and is one of two horses stabled there trained by Steve Asmussen traveled for the Al Shindagha but saw Switzerland slip back to last of six after coming up empty 400 meters from home.

Finishing second, beaten three-quarters of a length, was Argentine import Tato Key, who stayed on well after making the front in mid-stretch of his Dubai debut. The top two are expected to continue along through the series that will culminate in the Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen, a race to which American champion Roy H is being pointed.

Earlier on the card, Silva scored a serious upset while dominating the $250,000 UAE 1000 Guineas, a listed race over 1600 meters on dirt. Trained by Pia Brandt, Silva started three times in France during 2018, winning an all-weather maiden race in her most recent outing, but her performance trying dirt for the first time Thursday came out of the blue. By Kodiac out of the Dutch Art mare, Sotka, Silva’s pedigree doesn’t offer many dirt clues but after tracking the pacesetter she burst to the front in upper stretch and drew away to a 9 3/4-length score under Oisin Murphy.

Divine Image, the Godolphin filly heavily favored in international betting, finished second by a nose and did well to place that high. Breaking slowly under William Buick, Divine Image had to run through Meydan’s heavy kickback while trying dirt for the first time in just her second start. She continued on resolutely, finished with good energy, and is all but certain to improve with better gate habits and, most likely, more distance.

Capezanno won the $175,000 Mina Rashid Handicap, another 1600-meter dirt race, like a horse who could contend in the $1.5 million Godolphin Mile on the World Cup card of March 30. Best, though, to reserve judgement. Capezzano ran the race of his life for trainer Sandeep Jadhav, scoring by 14 lengths in a quick 1:346.95, but made a clear early lead over a surface that can enhance the performance level of loose front-running types a la Mendelssohn in the 2018 UAE Derby.