Godolphin's Now Spun gamely charged between horses in the stretch and tallied a 1 1/4-length win in the $150,000 Meydan Classic Sponsored by Shahrazad Ladies Banking Feb. 28 at Meydan in his season debut.
Making only his third career start, the 3-year-old Hard Spun colt showed little inexperience against his more seasoned rivals as he rallied past pacesetter Deauville Prince and runner-up Tarbawi to capture the 1,600 meters (about one mile) turf race.
Sixth on the inside on the turn, Now Spun was angled out for his run entering the stretch and showed good courage under Mickael Barzalona as he split rivals to take charge from Deauville Prince 200 meters out and cruised clear.
Now Spun won as the 7-to-5 favorite in North American pools hosted by Kentucky-based AmWest Entertainment. Elleval, the 3-to-2 second choice and winner of the trial for the Meydan Classic Feb. 7, rallied along the rail from near the back of the field to finish third, another 1 1/4 lengths behind runner-up Tarbawi.
Florida-bred Now Spun was timed in 1:38 and earned his first stakes win. After an inauspicious debut in September on the all-weather track at Wolverhampton, he scored a facile 3 3/4-length victory when switched to turf Oct. 12 at Leicester to close his 2-year-old campaign for trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni.
Al Zarooni said a classic start at Meydan in Now Spun's future.
"The U.A.E. Derby (UAE-II, on the all-weather track March 30) has to be a possibility, but he clearly goes well on turf and has won both his races on the grass. Sheikh Mohammed and Simon Crisford will have the final say."
Purchased by Rabbah Bloodstock for $290,000 out of the Dapple Stud consignment at the Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga select yearling sale, Now Spun was bred by Hickstead Farm out of the winning A.P. Indy mare Campionessa. His grandam is 1992 Hollywood Oaks (gr. I) winner Pacific Squall, who is from the family of 1980 Kentucky Derby (gr. I) runner-up Rumbo.
Hard Spun stands at Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum's Darley operation in Lexington and currently ranks third among North America's leading third-crop sires.
