Inshallah, a $2.1 million purchase, makes debut
:quality(75))
In May, the colt Inshallah was purchased for $2.1 million at the Fasig-Tipton Midatlantic sale of 2-year-olds in-training, the most expensive hip of the auction.
On Saturday, Inshallah can grab attention on the racetrack when he starts for the first time in a maiden race at 5 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar. With his purchase price, and pedigree, there are high hopes for Inshallah, who is owned by KAS Stables of Saudi Arabia and trained by John Sadler.
Inshallah is from the first crop of Flightline, the undefeated Horse of the Year in 2022, and is out of Bar of Gold, the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at 66-1 at Del Mar in 2017 in her final start. Sadler trained Flightline.
Inshallah, who will be ridden by Joel Rosario, drew post 5 in a field of eight. He worked a half-mile in 47 seconds last Sunday for Saturday’s race.
“We’re excited to get him going,” Sadler said. “He’s really blossoming and ready to run.
“I do think that whatever the Flightlines do sprinting they will be fine, and they’ll be better going long.”
The maiden race consists entirely of first-time starters, including two colts trained by Bob Baffert – Emancipate, who is by Quality Road, and Absolution, by Jack Christopher.
Emancipate, who drew the inside post, is out of the six-time stakes winner Marley’s Freedom, and is a half-brother to the four-time stakes winner Hope Road, who won the Grade 1 Ballerina Stakes at Saratoga last October.
Absolution was purchased for $180,000 as a yearling at Keeneland last September.
Baffert said he would have preferred a longer distance for Saturday’s race, but wants to get their careers underway.
“I wish it was six furlongs or more,” he said. “They’re both nice horses. We have to get races into these horses.”
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.