Challenge Winner? It's Surfer, Dude

Bred in the purple by Darley, Surfer (Distorted Humor) was consistent in four seasons racing over the former all-weather track at Meydan Racecourse. But he may well have found a new home on the dirt, as the 6-year-old remained perfect in two tries over the surface with a tidy 2 1/4-length victory in Round 1 of the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge on Thursday's opening program of the 2015 Dubai International Racing Carnival. “This horse just loves the dirt,” said winning jockey Richard Mullen. “He always worked well on it at home and has shown a real liking for it here at Meydan. He ran some great races here on the old all-weather surface, but this is really his game. We will have to sit down and plan whether to step up in trip or stick to 1600 meters with the [G3] Burj Nahaar on Super Saturday [Mar. 7] and the [G2] Godolphin Mile on Dubai World Cup night possible targets.” 

Thursday, Meydan, United Arab Emirates 
AL MAKTOUM CHALLENGE R1 (PRESENTED BY LONGINES CONQUEST CLASSIC MOON PHASES)-G2, $250,000, MEY, 1-8, NH4yo/up & SH3yo/up, 1600m, 1:38.21, ft. 
1–@SURFER, 126, g, 5, by Distorted Humor 
     1st Dam: Surf Club, by Ocean Crest
     2nd Dam: Horns Gray, by Pass the Tab
     3rd Dam: Cox's Angel, by Cox's Ridge
O-Zabeel Racing International Corp; B-Darley (KY); 
T-Satish Seemar; J-Richard Mullen. $150,000. 
Lifetime Record: SW & G1SP-UAE, 20-5-5-3, 
$416,329. *1/2 to Spring Party (Smart Strike), SW, 
$202,077; Emcee (Unbridled's Song), GISW, 
$479,900. Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. 
Werk Nick Rating: A++. 
2–Frankyfourfingers (Fr), 126, h, 5, Sunday Break 
(Jpn)–Texaloula (Fr), by Kendor (Fr). (€23,000 yrl '11 
OSASEP; €100,000 HRA '14 ARQARC). O-Sheikh 
Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum; B-SCEA des 
Prairies (Fr); T-Salem bin Ghadayer. $50,000. 
3–Haatheq, 126, h, 8, Seeking the Gold–Alshadiyah, 
by Danzig. O-Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum; 
B-Shadwell Farm LLC (KY); T-Ali Rashid Al Raihe. 
$25,000. 
Margins: 2 1/4, 1 1/4, HF. 
Also Ran: Gold City (Ire), Emirates Flyer (GB), Zambucca (SAf), Capital Attraction, Empire Storm (Ger), Mashaaref (GB), Ennobled Friend, Outstrip (GB), Ocean Tempest (GB), Grand Salute (Brz), Royal Ridge (SAf), Zahee (NZ).  

On the board in four of five European starts for Godolphin and trainer Mahmood al Zarooni, Surfer was transferred to the barn of Satish Seemar at the end of 2011 and broke his maiden in career start number 10 over the old Tapeta track in November 2012. Runner-up in Round 2 of the 2013 G2 Al Maktoum Challenge traveling 1900 meters, the chestnut was only eighth in that test 12 months ago before improving to third in Round 3 over 10 furlongs and was shelved off a 15th in the G1 Dubai World Cup Mar. 29. Missing for over nine months, Surfer resumed in the Dec. 18 Dubai Creek Mile–his first appearance on dirt–and made the most of the opportunity, besting Ennobled Friend (Malibu Moon) by a half-length. He figured to come on from that run and was sent off the favorite in international pools to make it two straight in this opening-night feature. 

Settled better than midfield after an uneventful departure, Surfer remained glued to the rail as Mashaaref (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) set the pace while racing a path or two away from the inside. Frankyfourfingers, a son of the 2002 GII Peter Pan S. hero and GI Belmont S. third placegetter, tracked the pace from out wide, and he and Surfer cornered as a team into the final 400 meters. The French-bred had maybe a half-head in front in upper stretch, but Richard Mullen got after Surfer in earnest soon after, shook him over onto his correct lead and edged away in the final 50 meters to a clear-cut success. Frankyfourfingers never switched his leads in his main-track debut, but stayed on well for second ahead of Haatheq, who finished nicely without threatening the top two. Outstrip (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}), the 2013 
GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf hero who was taking the main track for a spin for the first time, never appeared comfortable and finished a distant 11th, with a return to the grass a mere formality. 
In addition to Emcee and Spring Party, Surfer is a full-brother to Baffled, the dam of 2014 GI Florida Derby hero Constitution (Tapit) and last year's GIII Tempted S. victress Jacaranda (Congrats). Surfer is also closely related to Awesome Humor, a daughter of Horns Gray (Pass the Tab), who won the 2002 GI Spinaway S. 
Click for AmWest pps, race chart or the free brisnet.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO.