Will Al Shaqab's 'Wish' Be Granted?

Sheikh Joaan Al Thani's powerful Al Shaqab Racing looks to get its first North American win at the highest level this afternoon with 5-year-old Mshawish (Medaglia d'Oro) in the GI Gulfstream Park Turf H. A winner of last February's G2 Zabeel Mile at Meydan for Mikel Delzangles, the dark bay had an awful trip when sixth in his Stateside debut in Monmouth's GIII Oceanport S. July 27, and was disqualified from first to third in a Saratoga optional claimer a month later. Third in Belmont's GIII Knickerbocker S. Oct. 11, he broke through with a victory in this venue's 7 1/2-panel El Prado S. Dec. 13 before adding the GII Fort Lauderdale S. by a neck over Grand Tito (Candy Ride {Arg}) 
Jan. 10. Msawish drew the rail, but that may play to his advantage. 

“He needs to be covered up. We've known that all along, but sometimes it's easier to do than others,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “He's starting to fulfill the promise that we thought he had. He's a very talented horse.” 

Crossed Sabres Farm's Lochte (Medaglia d'Oro) was dismissed at 39-1 in this race last year, but slipped up the rail and scooted away to blow up the tote over Imagining (Giant's Causeway). Second in Santa Anita's GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile in March and third behind Wise Dan (Wiseman's Ferry) in the GI Maker's 46 Mile at Keeneland in April, his form tailed off a bit in subsequent tries before he annexed September's The Vid S. After suffering three more losses–including a fifth in the Ft. Lauderdale–Lochte bounced back with a head success in the GIII Tampa Bay S. two weeks ago. 

“I ran him over there just for a prep for this race,” trainer Marcus Vitali said. “It was all based on how he came out of the race. He came out of it phenomenal. I gave him a few days off after he ran, and when he came back off the race his exercise girl told me he's hair, teeth and eyeballs. We're going to try to defend our title.” 

Imagining annexed the GI Man O' War S. last May in his first start after the Gulfstream Park Turf before finish sixth in the GI Manhattan S. in June. He finished second–beaten just a head–third, and seventh behind eventual dual champion Main Sequence (Aldebaran) in the Aug. 17 GI Sword Dancer Invitational S., Sept. 27 GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic S. and Nov. 1 GI Breeders' Cup Turf, respectively. 

“He's doing good. We gave him a little freshener and he's been doing really, really well,” Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, who won this race with fellow Phipps homebred Point of Entry (Dynaformer) two years ago, said. “We ran really well at Saratoga [in the Sword Dancer] and just got beat. Maybe he went a little quick the first part of it, but I'm sure there will be some horses in here that will be pretty competitive.”