Secret Circle Uncatchable in Golden Shaheen
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Secret Circle (USA) reasserted American primacy in the Dubai Golden Shaheen sponsored by Gulf News courtesy of a determined, front-running victory as a tenacious Hong Kong challenge fell just short.
The winner, a dual Breeders’ Cup champion and runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint last November, was always prominent, vying for the lead out three-deep on the track for Victor Espinoza.
Having established a clear break by about a length at the furlong pole, the six-year-old entire found enough reserves in the stretch to repel the late thrust by the Sha Tin-trained Super Jockey (NZ), giving everything for Ryan Moore, by a head.
It was a race where it paid to be on the pace.
Another Hong Kong raider, Rich Tapestry (IRE), who helped force the early speed on the inside rail, traveled sweetly until 200m from home but couldn’t pull out any more in the finish and ran one and a quarter lengths further back in third. El Padrino (NZ) ran fourth for Singapore.
Winning jockey Victor Espinoza reported post-race: “What a thrill. He jumped well and we swung a little wide on the pace with the two Hong Kong horses inside me.
“The pace was good but we weren’t going too fast. Then he gave me a good kick at the top of the stretch and from that point I always felt we were going to do enough to win.”
Espinoza added: “The second horse came at us strongly but my guy battled real hard.
“He had the best American form in the race, running so well in Breeders’ Cups in the past, and now he has done the same here. He’s just a top-class sprinter. He’s really tough and he just wants to win.”
For trainer Bob Baffert, the result was his first success in the race having been second twice in the past.
This was the tenth victory for an American horse in 20 editions of the race and the winning time was 1 minute 10.64 seconds, the quickest thus far on the new Meydan dirt surface.
Source: Dubai Racing Club Press Release
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