Kentucky Derby 2019 Radar: Walking Thunder rises in Dubai

Whereas Phoenix Racing made an impact on the 2018 Triple Crown with Gronkowski second in the Belmont Stakes, the Phoenix Ladies Syndicate, an offshoot designed to increase female participation in Dubai, could have a 2019 Kentucky Derby prospect or two on its hands.

Walking Thunder, a son of Violence trained by Ahmed bin Harmas, is 2-for-2 after striking Dec. 6 in a 1-mile race at Meydan. Next, the colt will target the UAE 2000 Guineas (G3) on Feb. 7, according to the latest batch of Dubai Racing Club notes.

Superior, also a debut winner for Phoenix Ladies, will contest January’s 2000 Guineas Trial, keeping stablemates separated on the lead up to the UAE Derby (G2), which on March 30 awards Kentucky Derby qualifying points on a 100-40-20-10 basis to the Top 4 finishers.

“Part of the plan was for him to get an education — put him behind and take the (kickback) to see if he could handle it before he faces it in bigger races,” Amer Abdulaziz, principal of Phoenix Thoroughbreds, said of Walking Thunder’s most-recent effort. It followed a seven-furlong debut win, with the UAE 2000 Guineas a next step.

Jockey Connor Beasley “did an amazing job and kept him in the right place and then he just took off,” Abdulaziz added. “It was very impressive. The Phoenix Ladies have some very good young horses and we also look forward to the older Phoenix big guns coming for the Carnival.”

Those big guns, by the way, are Gronkowski and Axelrod, the soon-to-be 4-year-old colts who will prep locally for runs in the Dubai World Cup, also on March 30. Axelrod has one more domestic start to make in Santa Anita’s Dec. 26 Malibu Stakes (G1) before both horses are turned over to trainer Sandeep Jadhav in Dubai.

Gold Town won the 2018 2000 Guineas before heading into a UAE Derby matchup with Mendelssohn, who romped. Before that, Thunder Snow completed the 2000 Guineas-UAE Derby double in 2017.

Beasley told the Dubai Racing Channel after the Dec. 6 victory that Walking Thunder’s “attitude is unbelievable for a 2-year-old who’s only run twice.” Pamela Cordina, of the Phoenix Ladies syndicate, added that, “He has us dreaming of some big targets during the Carnival and with luck we can win some nice races.”

Both Walking Thunder ($42,000) and Superior ($50,000) were relatively cheap purchases as 2-year-olds at the Ocala Breeders’ Sale last April. We’ll see moving forward if they can hang with the likes of Royal Marine, a Godolphin runner — and already a Group 1 winner — who could also target the UAE Derby.