Dubai Majesty and Lady Chace traded blows through the stretch of the $108,900 Winning Colors Stakes (gr. III) (VIDEO) May 25 at Churchill Downs, but Dubai Majesty got the best of her rival to win by a length under Jamie Theriot.
It was the first graded stakes score for Dubai Majesty, a former claimer. The 4-year-old daughter of Essence of Dubai—Great Majesty, by Great Above is trained by Bret Calhoun.
Dubai Majesty broke sharply from post 5 and posted an aggressive opening quarter-mile in :21.78. With Miguel Mena aboard, Lady Chace stayed right on her heels and actually took a narrow lead after a half-mile in :45.11. With Dubai Majesty on the inside, those two dueled heads apart through the final furlong and nearing the sixteenth-pole it seemed as Lady Chace had gotten the better of her rival. But Dubai Majesty fought back on the inside and edged away late. Her final time for six furlongs on the ‘good’ main track was 1:10.61.
“She put us in the game early and I knew I had to keep her there to keep her happy," Theriot said. "When I called on her, she sprinted away and the horse on the outside (Lady Chace) fought back. But then she dug back in the last sixteenth-of-a-mile and showed a lot of heart and game today.”
Lady Chace, who drifted out in deep stretch while impeding a late charge by Keep the Peace, was disqualified despite finishing a neck ahead of her rival and placed third. Keep the Peace was ridden by Corey Lanerie.
Bred in Florida by Harold Plumley, Dubai Majesty is owned by Martin Racing Stable and Dan Morgan. She entered the Winning Colors off a solid third-place effort in the May 2 Humana Distaff (gr. I) at Churchill and won an optional claimer at Fair Grounds in February. She was purchased privately by her owners after finishing runner-up in the Azalea (gr. III) lasy July at Calder.
The dark bay filly is now 7-3-4 from 20 starts with earnings of $395,957.
“We’re looking at the Princess Rooney (gr. I, July 11) down at Calder in July," co-owner Bill Martin said of Dubai Majesty. "We won that race two years ago with River’s Prayer. It’s an option and so are a couple of races up in Canada.”
Sent off as the favorite, the winner paid $4.60, $3 and $2.60. The exacta (5-1) paid $16.20 and the trifecta (5-1-6) was $1.06.20.
