Legalaized challenges history in the UAE 2000 Guineas

The Argentine colt will run this Friday at Meydan and is one of the top contenders for the first leg of the Triple Crownat Meydan, where the Uruguayan runners Namaguederaz and Don Pelícano will also compete, both trained by Antonio Cintra and Julio Olascoaga

Six Speed and Legalaized (right) face off again at Meydan / DRC

The grand opening of the road to the Kentucky Derby (G1) in the Middle East will have one of its most anticipated chapters this Friday at Meydan with a new edition of the UAE 2000 Guineas (G3 - 1,600m, dirt). The race features a full field of 16 colts, including the Argentine Legalaized, who will seek to confirm his quality against a roster dominated by USA-bred runners.

The race is part of the Fashion Friday program and serves as the first major step toward the UAE Derby (G2), which this year will once again be a "Win and You’re In" race at the start of the Triple Crown in the United States, following the restructuring of the Churchill Downs point system. While the Guineas award 20 points in the Euro/Middle East ranking, the truly decisive moment will come in March, when the Derby grants 100 direct points to the winner.

The horse to beat is Six Speed, a son of Not This Time trained by Bhupat Seemar, who arrives with two clear victories this season and a 101 rating. Winner of the Guineas Trial, he showed speed, a change of gears, and great potential for the mile. “He was very strong at the finish; he is a very serious contender,” said William Buick, who will now vacate that mount to ride Devon Island (Practical Joke) for Godolphin.

Right behind him is Legalaized (Dabster), with a 100 rating and a perfect record in Argentina before landing in Dubai. In his local debut, he finished second, 3 lengths behind Six Speed in the Trial, giving up 4.5 kilos due to his Southern Hemisphere birth and running wide throughout. Now, with better acclimation, he seeks revenge.

“The extra 200 meters are an unknown, but if he can get a cleaner trip, he can run a great race,” stated his jockey James Doyle, confident that the Argentine chestnut can make the definitive leap.

The colt owned by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum will break from post 9 and will be one of three South Americans in the gates, joined by the Uruguayans Namaguederaz (Algorithms) and Don Pelicano (Midshipman), both trained by the team of Antonio Cintra and Julio Olascoaga.

Francisco Leandro must serve a one-day suspension and will not be able to compete this Friday. Silvestre de Souzawill be aboard Namaguederaz, while Adrie de Vries will take the reins of Don Pelicano.

Among the rivals, the aforementioned Devon Island (undefeated in two starts in Dubai) and Brotherly Love (Zoustar) stand out. The latter is a half-brother to Heart of Honor (Honor A.P.), who was previously second in this race and later a protagonist in major U.S. events.

History shows it is not easy to make the jump from these Guineas to the great classics, though names like Street Cry (Machiavellian), Thunder Snow (Helmet), and Golden Vekoma (Vekoma) have left their mark. For Argentina, the race holds a special place: Little Jim (Roar), Gold for Sale (Not for Sale), Asiatic Boy (Not for Sale)—later a Triple Crown winner—and Honour Devil (Honour Devil)—who would later take the UAE Derby (G2)—have already written their names in the record books, the last two also sporting the yellow and blue silks of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum.

Now, it is Legalaized's turn to follow that legacy and confirm that Argentine turf can once again rub shoulders with the world's elite.