Desert Party posts smooth success in Dubai

Desert Party (right) led home a one-two for Godolphin (Dubai Racing Club/Andrew Watkins) Sanford S. (G2) hero DESERT PARTY (Street Cry [Ire]) had not raced since last summer, but the Godolphin colt showed no signs of rust when driving to a half-length victory over stablemate Regal Ransom (Distorted Humor) in Thursday's 2ND race at Nad al Sheba. Making his debut for Saeed bin Suroor, the bay sophomore completed about seven furlongs on the fast track in 1:24 2/5. With Frankie Dettori aboard, Desert Party tracked the pace set by Redding Colliery (Mineshaft) through an opening quarter of :24 3/5. Godolphin's other runner, Regal Ransom, ranged up to secure a narrow advantage while clocking a half-mile in :47 2/5. Dettori angled Desert Party to the rail for the stretch run, while Regal Ransom kept on beneath Ted Durcan on the outside, and Redding Colliery battled between horses. The two Godolphin colts soon drew clear from the field and had the finish all to themselves. Regal Ransom tried to match strides with Desert Party, but the winner was too strong in the closing stages and edged away late.

"We are really pleased with the performance of Desert Party, and he will

improve a lot for that run," Racing Manager Simon Crisford told godolphin.com.

"He certainly stays a mile, and we will now look to run him in the U.A.E. Two

Thousand Guineas (UAE-G3) at Nad al Sheba on February 12."

Another 3 3/4 lengths adrift came Redding Colliery in third, followed by

Blues and Rock (Casual Meeting), Rocks Off (Orpen), Absent Pleasure (Elusive

Quality), Fullback (Redback), Felix (Farallon P.), Classic Blade (Daggers

Drawn), Indiscutible (Indy Dancer), Dr Smart (Dr Fong), Molnaya (Statue of

Liberty), Keeptheboatafloat (Fusaichi Pegasus), Versaki (Verglas [Ire]), Ab

Include (Include) and Ard na Greine (Galileo [Ire]).

Desert Party was purchased for $2.1 million as a two-year-old in training at

Fasig-Tipton Calder. He originally sported the Darley Stable silks and began his career with trainer Eoin Harty at Arlington Park, taking a 4 1/2-furlong maiden special weight by 3 3/4 lengths

on June 22. The bay

colt was immediately stepped up in class for his next race and responded with a

3 1/4-length decision in the six-furlong Sanford. Desert Party suffered his

first loss when sixth in the Hopeful S. (G1) in his juvenile finale. From a

4-3-0-0 mark, the colt has now banked $138,467 in lifetime earnings.

Bred by David Smith and Steven Sinatra in Kentucky, Desert Party was produced

from the winning Sage Cat (Tabasco Cat), making him a half-brother to the

stakes-winning Elliecat (Crafty Prospector). This is the same female family as

Grade 2 winner and Louisiana-based sire Good and Tough (Carson City).

Big City Man boasts a five-for-six career record (Dubai Racing Club/Andrew Watkins) Also at Nad al Sheba on Thursday, former Calder juvenile star BIG CITY MAN (Northern Afleet) stamped himself as a leading player on the local sprint scene in the $200,000 Al Shindagha Sprint (UAE-G3). Trained by Jerry Barton and ridden by Jose Verenzuela, the four-year-old pressed the early pace, took control at the three-furlong mark, and reeled off about six furlongs in 1:10 1/5. Star Crowned (Kingmambo) was the only opponent to make a race of it, finishing three-quarters of a length back in second, but 6 1/4 lengths clear of third-placer Diana's Choice (Windrush). Barbecue Eddie (Stormy Atlantic) disappointed in his first outing for Sheikh Hamdan, retreating to ninth after being forwardly placed early.

League Champion (Rahy) checked in fourth and was trailed by Force Freeze

(Forest Camp), Sea Hunter (Lend a Hand [GB]), Salaam Dubai (Secret Savings),

Strike Up the Band (Cyrano de Bergerac), Barbecue Eddie, Northern Fling (Mujadil),

Ekhtiaar (Elmaamul) and Terrific Challenge (Royal Academy).

Owned by Prince Sultan Mohammed Saud al Kabeer, Big City Man improved his

record to 6-5-1-0, $281,512. The chestnut burst into the spotlight in 2007,

rolling to daylight victories in the Criterium S. and the Dr. Fager division of

the Florida Stallion S. for former trainer Jose Pinchin. Big City Man was then

sold privately to the prince, but he did not race for his new owner until

January 8. Returning from a nearly 17-month layoff, he strolled to a 3

3/4-length score in an allowance at this same track and trip.

Big City Man is out of the winning Valid Appeal mare Mini Appeal, whose

latest offspring is an unnamed yearling colt by Trust N Luck. This is the family

of multiple Grade 2 sprint hero Mr. Nickerson (Slewpy) and last year's Winning

Colors S. (G3) queen Graeme Six (Graeme Hall).

Barton indicated that Big City Man would likely use the Mahab al Shimaal

(UAE-G3) on March 5, Super Thursday, as a stepping stone to the March 28 Dubai

Golden Shaheen (UAE-G1) on Dubai World Cup night.

Hunting Tower is the latest South African to make his mark in Dubai (Dubai Racing Club/Andrew Watkins) Other developments from Thursday's installment of the Dubai International Racing Carnival: Reigning Dubai Duty Free (UAE-G1) hero Jay Peg (Camden Park) wound up a distant fourth in the 4TH race, an about 7 1/2-furlong turf handicap. The Herman Brown charge shouldered the top weight of 132 pounds, 12 more than the winner, GLADIATORUS (Silic [Fr]), who sizzled in a course-record 1:29 1/5 on the good turf. Jay Peg was making his first start since capturing the May 18 Singapore Airlines International Cup (Mal-G1), but Gladiatorus had been sidelined even longer, since his runner-up effort in the 2007 Gran Criterium (Ity-G1). He is conditioned by first-season trainer Mubarak bin Shafya. Multiple South African Group 1 victor HUNTING TOWER (Fort Wood) made his Dubai debut a winning one in the 1ST race. Conditioned by Mike de Kock, the seven-year-old gelding produced a fine burst of speed beneath Kevin Shea to storm 1 1/4 lengths clear. Hunting Tower completed the about 6 1/2-furlong handicap in 1:18 1/5.

The Luca Cumani-trained PRESVIS (Sakhee) dominated the 7TH race with Ryan

Moore, exploding to a 3 1/2 length score. The bay gelding stopped the teletimer

in 2:05 2/5 for about 10 grassy furlongs, and in the process, confirmed his

status as a progressive type. Presvis was last seen romping in a valuable

handicap at Newbury in September.