Kentucky Derby 2019 Radar: Walking Thunder evoking dreams

The Phoenix Ladies Syndicate, an offset of the Phoenix Thoroughbreds formed initially with a goal of increasing female participation in Dubai, may look beyond its home territory this spring for a run at the 2019 Kentucky Derby.

With its winning percentage at close to 50 percent, and as the group announced a second ladies syndicate would be launching, the Derby received a significant mention this week by Pamela Cordina, principal of the syndicate.

The unbeaten colt, Walking Thunder, a Kentucky-bred son of Violence, has gone unchallenged in his three starts at Meydan.

“Walking Thunder has been a bit of a flag bearer for us,” Cordina said. “We knew he was a good horse, but he’s proving a bit better than that. He’ll run in the UAE 2000 Guineas before heading to the UAE Derby on World Cup night. We’ve not yet discussed having a go at the Kentucky Derby, but I guess it would be the logical step if all goes to plan.

“From the beginning, we said we wanted the Syndicate to take our members to some of the biggest racing events in the world and it doesn’t get bigger than ‘the Derby,’ so we’ll see. We won’t deviate too much from the types of horses we have bought so far when buying for PLS Two but we will consider new bloodlines as we look at racing in other territories.”

Walking Thunder impressed in his first two starts, but the Jan. 12 UAE 2000 Guineas Trial showed he’s a different kind from his Dubai-based competition. Under jockey Connor Beasley, he won by nine lengths over a field that included Godolphin’s Group 1-winning Royal Marine.

After rating just off the leader, then going on to complete a one-turn mile in 1:38.43, Beasley said he “couldn’t pull him up after the line.”

“As soon as I asked him off the bend there, he felt like he put it to bed in two strides, to be honest,” Beasley said on race day. “He’s just so very professional in his mannerisms — the way he goes to the start, just everything. I haven’t rode many good horses, but to me he feels like a good horse.”

By the way, the new Phoenix Ladies syndicate, referred to as PLS 2, could look for other international opportunities after Cordina attended Australia’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

“The goal is still to encourage female participation in the sport and having made a great start we want to continue in that vein,” she said. “This opportunity is open to ladies everywhere, not just in the UAE. The only major change to our approach is that you might get to see our Orange and White silks in the winners' enclosures in places other than Dubai.”

If interested, contact Cordina at info@phoenixfund.net.