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Hibaayeb shows her class in Sheepshead Bay Godolphin Stable's HIBAAYEB (GB) (Singspiel [Ire]) is a proven Grade/Group 1-caliber filly when conditions suit. With Saturday's $150,000 Sheepshead Bay S. (G2) at Belmont Park furnishing two of her prerequisites -- firm turf and long distance -- the Saeed bin Suroor trainee was in her element, and accordingly flaunted her class as the 7-5 favorite. Hibaayeb quickened impressively from just off the pedestrian pace to prevail by one length, rewarding her backers with $4.90, $3.10 and $2.40. The only rival who theoretically could have competed with Hibaayeb for the label of "class of the field" was Chilean Horse of the Year Belle Watling (Chi) (Dushyantor), but her three lackluster efforts in the United States have since dimmed her claims. Belle Watling set out to make amends here and had the run of the race on the front end. Nursed along through an early crawl in splits of :24 2/5, :50 3/5, 1:16 and 1:40 2/5, Belle Watling was stalked by Tarrip (Green Desert). The rail-skimming Hibaayeb was well placed by John Velazquez just behind the leader, while a hard-held Giants Play (Giant's Causeway) and La Luna de Miel (Ger) (Monsun) came next. Cheetah (GB) (Tiger Hill), who stumbled badly at the start, brought up the rear. Belle Watling continued determinedly into the stretch, but drifted out and handed Hibaayeb a golden opening along the fence. Bursting through to seize the chance, Hibaayeb took command at the 1 1/4-mile mark in 2:04 1/5 and put the race safely away. Although Giants Play also finished boldly on the inside, and Cheetah made late progress on the outside, neither posed a serious danger to the winner. Hibaayeb stopped the teletimer in 2:15 4/5 for 1 3/8 miles on the Widener turf. Giants Play held second by a neck from Cheetah, who was in turn a length up on Belle Watling. Tarrip wound up fifth, followed by La Luna de Miel. Choice Play (Vindication), part of an entry with Belle Watling, was scratched. "I was watching the horse on the lead (Belle Watling), and I know she drifts out," Velazquez said. "I was hoping when she did drift out, there wouldn't be somebody to push her back in. Nobody wanted to pass her, so it worked out. I knew as soon as he (jockey Ryan Curatolo) let go, she was going to get out, and sure enough (she did). It worked out this time." "That's kind of the way we drew it up," assistant trainer Rick Mettee said. "We thought to lay second in there and save all the ground we could. It really went slow; they really slowed it down a lot. Luckily, the rail opened when it did. It's one of the races where she pulled the ultimate perfect trip. Once she got up the inside, as slow as they were going, it was going to be hard to outfinish her off those fractions. They were running the last part, but she obviously was running, too. It was a pretty straightforward race." Hibaayeb's fourth career stakes victory improved her record to 14-4-2-3, $616,777. Her original trainer, Clive Brittain, pitched her into the 2009 May Hill S. (Eng-G2) when she was still a maiden. She vindicated the ambitious placement by finishing second, beaten by just a half-length, and she broke her maiden next time out in the Fillies' Mile (Eng-G1) at Ascot. Hibaayeb was subsequently promoted to the elite Godolphin operation for her sophomore campaign in 2010, but her debut for the team was an inauspicious 16th in the One Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1). The dark bay promptly regrouped with a respectable third to Sarafina (Refuse to Bend [Ire]) in the Prix Saint-Alary (Fr-G1), and she then dominated the Ribblesdale S. (Eng-G2) at Royal Ascot by 3 3/4 lengths. The proverbial wheels came off for Hibaayeb in her ensuing starts -- the Irish Oaks (Ire-G1), where she was a long-way last of 15 as the 3-1 favorite; a seventh-place effort as the 2-1 favorite in the Preis der Diana (German Oaks) (Ger-G1); and a remote last of the seven who took part in the Yorkshire Oaks (Eng-G1). Those results suggested that a move to the United States would resuscitate her career, and so it did. She promptly captured her American bow in the Yellow Ribbon S. (G1) at Hollywood Park, where she added Lasix. Beaten a total of 2 1/4 lengths when eighth in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1), Hibaayeb was freshened in advance of her four-year-old season. She reappeared in an April 2 allowance/optional claimer at Gulfstream, finishing a creditable third over 1 1/16 miles, and promised to move forward here. Bred by Rabbah Bloodstock Ltd. in Great Britain, Hibaayeb is out of the winning Lion Cavern mare Lady Zonda, who is also responsible for the Irish stakes-placed May Meeting (GB) (Diktat), a once-beaten three-year-old named Halifax (Halling) and an unraced juvenile filly named Secrets Away (Refuse to Bend [Ire]). While black type has been thin on the ground close up in her family, Hibaayeb hails from an excellent female line a little further back. Her third dam, the unraced Oh So Hot (Habitat), is a full sister to multiple Group 2 star and successful broodmare Roussalka (GB). Oh So Hot's notable half-siblings include the redoubtable Oh So Sharp (Ire) (Kris), who swept England's Triple Crown for fillies during her championship season in 1985. Oh So Sharp has gone on to produce Group 1 victress Rosefinch (Blushing Groom [Fr]) and Grade 2 winner Shaima (Shareef Dancer), herself the dam of multiple highweight Shantou (Alleged), hero of the 1996 St Leger (Eng-G1). Also in the family are 2001 One Thousand Guineas queen, Ameerat (GB) (Mark of Esteem [Ire]); multiple Grade/Group 1 globetrotter Collier Hill (GB) (Dr Devious); and 2009 Metropolitan H. (G1) victor Bribon (Fr) (Mark of Esteem [Ire]).
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