Dubai Carnival beads: Polar vortex

If you haven’t seen unbeaten Polar River’s annihilation of last Thursday’s UAE 1000 Guineas, words won’t do it justice – you owe it to yourself to watch this thing of beauty. And if you have seen it, chances are you’ll want to enjoy the 3-year-old filly’s take-no-prisoners conquest all over again.

 

Ripping a penultimate furlong in :11.69, and a final one in :12.045 (according to Trakus), Polar River finished the metric mile in 1:37.09 – virtually a full second faster than the colt Market Rally (1:38.08) in the UAE 2000 Guineas (G3) later on the card.

Thanks to that dazzling kick, Polar River ran up the scoreboard to a gaudy 13-length margin. That’s almost three times the margin of her victory in the January 14 trial over the same runner-up, Godolphin’s Promising Run (a Newmarket Group 2 winner with European classic entries). The combination of the extra furlong, and the experience she gained from an educational trip in the trial, helped Polar River extend her dominance. Funnily enough, the stewards’ report for her Guineas trip reads more like one for a loss: “Shifted in on jumping bumping another runner. Brushed passing the 1400 metres. Raced wide without cover throughout.”

And we’re not done yet. Polar River was in hand for regular rider Pat Dobbs, who described her afterward as still a bit lazy and green (!). If she can win her first three career starts by a combined margin of 31 1/4 lengths when she doesn’t have a firm grasp of the game….

Polar River has just about engraved her name on the March 3 UAE Oaks (G3) trophy already. None of her contempraries on this circuit can live with her, and the step up to about 1 3/16 miles doesn’t look like a serious obstacle. Next on her marching orders is the March 26 UAE Derby (G2), where her substantive challenges should come from abroad.

The real fun comes with Polar River’s expected repatriation to the United States. Trainer Doug Watson is a Kiaran McLaughlin protégé who rightly says that Polar River deserves to pursue a U.S. dirt campaign.

Dare we hope for the Kentucky Oaks (G1) against the world’s leading 3-year-old dirt filly, Songbird? Speaking to thenational.ae’s Geoffrey Riddle before the Guineas, Watson expressed some wariness about going head to head with Songbird at Churchill Downs. That’s understandable, considering her American debut would be a trial by fire off an entire Dubai campaign. How about starting Polar River off in, say, the Acorn (G1), which would give her a little more time, and the chance to get in a one-turn mile before stretching out again? Could the Mother Goose (G1) serve up the Songbird showdown we crave?

Interestingly, both Songbird and Polar River are bred along similar lines to exceptional distaffers of recent years. Songbird’s pedigree has a resounding echo of Rachel Alexandra. Polar River is bred on the A.P. Indy/Empire Maker cross, the mirror image of Royal Delta’s Empire Maker over A.P. Indy.

Bear market: Since the trial for the UAE 2000 Guineas was so lackluster, I’d pinned my hopes on an intriguing new shooter to rescue the Guineas itself from mediocrity. Alas, that didn’t pan out at all. Godolphin’s Hawkbill went AWOL, stablemate Comicas missed a golden opportunity when opting to run on turf instead, and well-bred French shipper Qurbaan was miserable after a poor start.

As it turned out, the trial one-two, Steady Pace and Rouleau, did in fact disappoint in fourth and sixth (each making respiratory noises, per the stewards’ report). But trial fourth Market Rally improved beyond all recognition to overturn the form comprehensively.

A debut maiden romper at Monmouth for Wayne Catalano, Market Rally was acquired by the Maktoum family and turned over to Dhruba Selvaratnam. Jockey Chris Hayes credits Selvaratnam for making the equipment change that led to the rebound – the removal of the hood he wore in his Dubai debut. Market Rally responded with a pillar-to-post success in a strung-out field. British all-weather performers Lazzam and Hombre Rojo took the minor awards, for whatever it’s worth.

Market Rally carved out a marginally faster pace than the one Polar River stalked in her race, but not demanding enough to rationalize away his pedestrian final furlong in :12.781. And unlike Polar River, he was under urging, suggesting that he was all out at the end of the metric mile in 1:38.08. As a nicely bred son of Unbridled’s Song who’s now 2-for-3 lifetime, Market Rally has scope to keep progressing from here. But can he possibly bridge the gap with Polar River by the end of March? In the meantime, he’ll face better in the Al Bastakiya on Super Saturday, March 5 – the game plan for Godolphin’s talented but green Blue Creek.