For Immediate Release
Under heady handling by jockey Connor Beasley, Sultan Ali’s Dark Saffron (Flameaway -Meadow Saffron, by Military) scored a massive upset over a field that included male sprint champion Straight No Chaser to take the $2 million Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen at Meydan Racecourse April 5 and headline a weekend that saw four OBS graduates earn grade/group victories.
Trained by Ahmad bin Harmash, Dark Saffron fended off Nakatomi and Tuz charging late to become the eighth OBS sales graduate to capture the Dubai Golden Shaheen and first 3-year-old to win the race. The son of Flameaway has been campaigned exclusively in Dubai during his eight-race career and has $1,260,616 in earnings.
(Photo by Erika Rasmussen)
“He’s one of them, he’s just kept improving and he was in up against good competition on the turf,” Beasley told the Dubai World Cup publicity team. “He’s got speed to burn and to do what he’s just done is incredible.
“The way he’s done it, it’s just fantastic.”
Consigned by Julie Davies, Dark Saffron was purchased by Harmash Racing for $120,000 out of the 2024 OBS April sale after breezing in :9 4/5.
The undercard of the $12 million Dubai World Cup (G1) produced another highlight when Grade 1 winner Raging Torrent (Maximus Mischief-Violent Wave, by Violence) held off France’s King Gold and Kazu Petrin for Japan to take the $1 million Godolphin Mile (G2) and give trainer Doug O’Neill a second consecutive win in the race.
Owned by Great Friends Stable and Mark Davis, Raging Torrent previously captured the $300,000 Malibu Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita Park Dec. 26. He was purchased by Davis for $75,000 out of the 2023 OBS April sale from the consignment of Randy Bradshaw after breezing in 10 flat.
At Santa Anita Park on Saturday, Baoma Corp.’s Tenma (Nyquist – Amagansett, by Tapit) cemented her status as one of the leading contenders for the Kentucky Oaks (G1) when she captured the $200,000 Santa Anita Oaks (G2) to earn her fourth graded stakes win.
Tenma prevailed by 2 1/4 lengths over stablemate and fellow OBS graduate Silent Law to lead a Bob Baffert-trained exacta. The daughter of Nyquist now has 108 qualifying points for the Kentucky Oaks on May 2. She was purchased by Baoma for $850,000 out of the Wavertree Stables consignment at the 2024 April Sale after breezing an eighth in :9 4/5.
Also at Santa Anita Park, Dutch Girls Holdings LLC and Irving Ventures LLC’s Queen Maxima (Bucchero – Corfu Lady, by Corfu) went gate to wire under to earn her fourth-straight win for trainer Jeff Mullins with her victory in the $100,000 Monrovia Stakes (G3) going about 6 ½ furlongs on the hillside turf course.
Consigned by Blue River Bloodstock, the daughter of OBS graduate Bucchero was purchased by Michael Pender, agent for $40,000 from the 2023 OBS June sale after breezing in :20 3/5.
Other stakes winners on the weekend included LSU Stables’ Bank Frenzy (Central Banker- Storm Now, by Tiznow) who notched his fourth straight win and third consecutive stakes victory when he captured the $125,000 Haynesfield Stakes at Aqueduct April 6. Trained by Rudy Rodriguez, Bank Frenzy was purchased by Philip Harding for $110,000 out of the 2022 OBS April Sale from the Sequel Bloodstock consignment after breezing in :10 2/5.