Sajjhaa, winner of the Group 2 Cape Verdi Stakes in January, scored an upset victory in Thursday’s $200,000 Balanchine Stakes at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai, spoiling the 2013 debut of South African 2011-12 Horse of the Year Igugu.
Sajjhaa won the Balanchine Stakes over about 1 1/8 miles on turf by a length over Prussian, with Igugu, third, beaten 4 1/4 lengths.
Green Moon, winner of the Melbourne Cup over two miles last November, makes his 2013 debut in Saturday’s $515,000 Futurity Stakes for sprinters at Caulfield Racecourse in Australia.
Green Moon will be tested in the Group 1 Futurity Stakes over about seven furlongs. The race has drawn a field of 10, including All Too Hard, a half-brother to the undefeated sprint star Black Caviar. All Too Hard, 4, won the Group 1 C.F. Orr Stakes over seven furlongs in his 2013 debut Feb. 9.
Igugu, a 6-year-old Australian-bred who was the South Africa Horse of the Year in 2011-12, will be a heavy favorite to win her first start in Dubai in Thursday’s $200,000 Balanchine Stakes at Meydan Racecourse.
A mare by Galileo, Igugu won the Group 1 J&B Met, the top race for milers in South Africa, in January 2012, her most recent start. In the Balanchine Stakes over about 1 1/8 miles on turf, Igugu is part of a field of seven.
The Australian sprinter Black Caviar keeps finding ways to amaze.
Stretching her unbeaten streak to 23 races, Black Caviar won her first start since June in Saturday’s Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes at Flemington Racecourse, running 1,000 meters, or about five furlongs, in course record time of 55.42 seconds.
Ridden by regular rider Luke Nolen, Black Caviar ($2.10 in American pools) was prominent from the start in the race over a straightaway. She was in command midway through the race, and cruised clear of her seven rivals to win by 2 1/2 lengths.
Defending champion Testa Matta can end a five-race losing streak in Sunday’s $2.45 million February Stakes over a mile on dirt at Tokyo Racecourse, the first Grade 1 of 2013 in Japan.
Testa Matta scored the biggest win of his career in the 2012 February Stakes, but struggled through the rest of the year and in his first start of 2013, a sixth in the Group 3 Negishi Stakes at Tokyo on Jan. 27. During that span, his best result was a second in the Group 2 Breeders’ Gold Cup at Mombetsu last August.
Soft Falling Rain gave trainer Mike de Kock his fifth victory in the Group 3 UAE 2000 Guineas on Thursday night at Meydan in Dubai. The win for de Kock was somewhat overshadowed by a powerhouse performance from Godolphin, which won four of the six races on the card, including the Group 3 Firebreak with Moonwalk in Paris and the Group 3 Al Shindagha Sprint with Mental.
Black Caviar, the famous unbeaten sprinter who has captured worldwide attention with her 22 victories, returns to racing at Flemington Racecourse in Australia on Saturday for her first start since an historic win in England last June.
The 2012 Australian Horse of the Year, Black Caviar starts in a race named in her honor – the $520,000 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes over about five furlongs on turf. Black Caviar has won the last two runnings of the Lightning Stakes. Post time in the United States is 12:30 a.m. Eastern.
One cool part of racing at Meydan in Dubai is the matching of horses from different corners of the globe, and just such a pairing comes Thursday in the Group 3, $250,000 UAE 2000 Guineas, where the South African colt Soft Falling Rain faces Fortify, who was among the better U.S.-based 2-year-olds of 2012.
[DUBAI RACING: Watch Thursday's Meydan card live, bet with DRF Bets]
All Too Hard, the younger half-brother of Black Caviar - who was unbeaten in 22 starts - is holding up the family’s reputation quite well in Australia.
Saturday, All Too Hard won his second Group 1 race in the $412,000 C.F. Orr Stakes over seven furlongs at Caulfield Racecourse. Ridden by Dwayne Dunn, All Too Hard closed from the back of the nine-horse field to win by a half-length over the 15-1 shot Mawingo. Mr Moet was third.
The previously unbeaten Callanish, making his Group 1 debut, could only finish eighth after fighting for the early lead.
Hunter’s Light, the winner of a Group 1 turf race in Italy in November, won his first start of 2013 in Thursday’s $250,000 Round Two of the Maktoum Challenge at Meydan Racecourse, joining the list of candidates for the $10 million Dubai World Cup on March 30.
Alpha, who finished in a dead heat for first in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga last summer, was last of 12 in his first start of 2013. Alpha was last of 12 in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita in November.
