Al Shaqab Racing’s Mshawish won the Donn Handicap (Gr1) on Saturday evening at Gulfstream Park in Florida, United States.
Having owned the 1800m race, the horse also won his ticket to Dubai for the Dubai World Cup, which will take place on March 26.
Last year’s winner of the Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap (Gr1), which was run on grass, Mshawish has adapted perfectly to the dirt this year.
Trained by Todd Pletcher, Mshawish was ridden by John Velasquez. The six-year-old finished two lengths ahead of Valid to win.
He won by two lengths beating Valid and Mexikoma, who finished third.
“We’ll go to Dubai and make a decision for his next race, but hopefully it will be the World Cup,” Pletcher said.
“I loved the way he finished up at a mile and an eighth. That was kind of the one thing we were looking to prove, that he could stay a mile and an eighth on dirt. I actually thought he ran the best race of his career really, and he’s run some good ones before that. It was good to see him finish up like that. He got a great trip. Johnny gave him a great ride and he delivered a big performance.”
Mshawish only had his debut on the dirt at the end of last year, after having finished fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (Gr1). He then took a convincing fourth place in the Cigar Mile Handicap (Gr1).
“I always had a lot of horse, but it was a tough race”, Velazquez said.
“I was in a perfect position the whole way because I knew the horse laying second (Valid) eventually he had to move to get to the horse on the lead. And when he started moving, I got my position and held it there. From the quarter pole I let him go and he went on. He finished up really well. For a horse that they were concerned about going two turns and a mile and an eighth, it doesn’t seem like it bothered him at all.”
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