Subsandor tops Wathnan group headed to Dubai for winter

Subsanador, winner of the Grade 1 California Crown Stakes at Santa Anita in 2024 but winless in four starts this year, will be part of a small group of runners owned by Wathnan Racing in Dubai this winter.

Case Clay, Wathnan’s racing manager, said Subsanador will be joined by Flood Zone, Hypnus, Instant Replay, Stormforged, and possibly Tumbarumba. They will be trained by Hamad Al Jehani.

Subsanador, trained in California by Richard Mandella, finished 10th of 11 in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Aug. 22. He is currently in quarantine in Florida, Clay said.

Clay said Subsanador will be pointed to races at the Dubai Racing Carnival, a series of major races at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai in the first three months of the year.

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“We’re going to take a shot at some of those carnival races in Dubai and see if a change of venue will help” Subsanador, Clay said.

Subsanador, a 7-year-old Argentine-bred horse by the Distorted Humor stallion Fortify, has won 9 of 21 starts and earned $1,025,324. The $1 million California Crown is his most lucrative win. The race is now known as the Goodwood Stakes and will be run on Saturday at Santa Anita for $300,000.

Some of the other Dubai-bound runners owned by Wathnan have experience racing in that part of the world.

Flood Zone, a 4-year-old gelding, won the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct in March 2025 and was seventh of nine in the Grade 2 UAE Derby in Dubai a month later. Trained by Brad Cox, Flood Zone won an allowance race at Tampa Bay Downs in February, but has lost his last three starts, including a second in the Sprint Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs in March.

Hypnus was third in three races and fifth in the Group 2 Godolphin Mile in Dubai earlier this year. In his lone start in the United States this year, Hypnus was third in an allowance race at Churchill Downs on Sept. 10 for trainer Kenneth McPeek.

Instant Replay, trained by Cox, won the 2025 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs. An allowance race winner at Horseshoe Indianapolis in June, Instant Replay was fourth in an allowance race at Saratoga in his last start on Aug. 8.

Stormforged, trained by Steve Asmussen, has won 2 of 6 starts but has yet to start in a stakes.

Clay said that Tumbarumba, who was third in the $20 million Saudi Cup in Saudi Arabia in February, is scheduled to start at Keeneland in October for trainer Brian Lynch and may also be sent to Dubai for the winter.

Last winter, Tumbarumba had three starts in Dubai, including a second in the Group 2, $1 million Maktoum Challenge in January, a race that is part of the Dubai Racing Carnival.

“We may target the Saudi Cup” with Tumbarumba, Clay said.

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