By Alan Carasso
The lone nominee to the US Triple Crown series among the quartet of sophomores signed on for Saturday's Listed Al Bastakiya S., Godolphin's regally bred Blue Creek (Street Cry {Ire}) looks to regain some lost lustre in this course-and-distance prep for the $2-million G2 UAE Derby Mar. 26.
The son of 2011 G1 1000 Guineas winner Blue Bunting (Dynaformer) attracted a lot of attention when he stormed home to graduate by five lengths at first asking in a pre-Carnival maiden Jan. 1, defeating a pair of horses who have since combined to win their next four appearances. Heavily favored to add to that success in a Jan. 30 handicap over 1600 meters, Blue Creek could not reel in front-running Active Spirit (Ire) (Pivotal {GB})–from whom he was receiving 3.5 kilos–and settled for second. The latter has since franked the form with a next-out victory and trainer Charlie Appleby is of the opinion that Saturday's 1900-meter journey will suit this son of the 2002 Dubai World Cup hero.
Carrying the colors of Gary and Mary West and trained at the time by Wayne Catalano, Market Rally (Unbridled's Song) drilled a field of Monmouth Park maidens by 4 3/4 lengths at first asking Aug. 8 before being snapped up by Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid al Maktoum. Defeated soundly into third by G1SP Steady Pace (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in the UAE 2000 Guineas Trial Jan. 14, the $210,000 Keeneland September Yearling purchase reversed form in no uncertain terms last time, trading places with Steady Pace in a six-length drubbing of Lazzam (GB) (Archipenko) in the G3 2000 Guineas Feb. 11. Hombre Rojo (Ire) (Intikhab) was another seven lengths adrift in third in the Guineas and rounds out the field of four.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
