Multiple group stakes highlight Thursday card at Meydan

Stakes racing abounds on the Thursday seven-race card at Meydan, with five group races included on the seven-race card.

The Group 2, $163,000 Zabeel Mile over 1,600 meters on turf looks like the deepest of the stakes, with a competitive field of 11 entered. Two horses look best here, with Art Du Val rating an edge over Epic Hero.

Art Du Val, James Doyle named to ride for trainer Charlie Appleby and Godolphin, is a 5-year-old No Nay Never gelding with just eight career starts. He wintered in Dubai last season, finishing fifth in his first start before returning to capture a high-end handicap race in his second race after a layoff. The pattern is repeating this year, to some extent, with Art Du Val fourth on Jan. 7 in the Group 2 Singspiel Stakes and now likely set to improve with that comeback race behind him. The question to some extent is of distance, with Art Du Val cutting back to 1,600 meters from 1,800, but Art Du Val is a listed stakes winner over about one mile in Europe.

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Epic Hero, trained by former Godolphin racing manager Simon Crisford, finished third last winter at Meydan in the handicap race that Art Du Val won. He hasn’t started since Oct. 31 at Newmarket, when he was third behind Zakouski, who won the Group 2 Al Rashidiya last week at Meydan.

Waady returns to turf in the Group 2, $163,000 Meydan Sprint over a straight 1,000 meters following two dirt races this winter. The 8-year-old won this race’s 2020 renewal by three-quarters of a length over Equilateral, another principal player in Thursday’s contest.

Appleby and Godolphin have won the last two editions of the Group 2, $163,000 Balanchine Stakes for fillies and mares over 1,800 meters on turf and have a strong hand to play again Thursday. Best among Godolphin’s four entrants, two from Appleby and two from trainer Saeed bin Suroor, is Althiqa, a 4-year-old Dark Angel filly who is 4-2-2 from her eight career starts. Althiqa dominated the Cape Verdi Stakes over 1,600 meters on Jan. 28 and here is asked to negotiate a distance beyond one mile for the first time.

The dirt stakes on the card are the Group 3, $130,000 Al Shindagha over 1,200 meters, about six furlongs, and the 1,900-meter UAE Oaks, a Group 3 worth $125,000.

Gladiator King won the 2020 Al Shindagha Sprint and should be tough again Thursday while making his second start of the 2021 World Cup Carnival. Gladiator King finished third, losing a place photo, in the Dubawi Stakes last month, and that race’s winner, Switzerland, starts in Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

Mnasek should win the UAE Oaks while making her third career start. By Empire Maker, the Doug Watson-trained filly won her debut and finished a quietly encouraging closing second to Soft Whisper last out in the UAE 1000 Guineas. Mnasek broke poorly in both starts and added distance Thursday gives her more time to overcome poor gate habits, should they continue.

First post for this card is 9:30 a.m. Eastern. You can catch all the action at DRFBets.com.