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Let’s review the slugfest in the Saudi Derby (Gr.3) between the Bob Baffert trainee, sprinter Havnameltdown, who was stretching to a mile for the first time, and Commissioner King.
The Saudi Derby has traditionally served as a prep race to the UAE Derby (Gr.2) and I expect to see Commissioner King show up there on the stretch out. The Saudi Derby doesn’t award points towards the Kentucky Derby, although we might expect that to change as the UAE Derby awards points to the top five finishers and essentially guarantees the winner a spot in the Kentucky Derby starting gate.
Now, to the race. The big horse here was Havnameltdown who came in with four wins in five races. A beast in the United States, he dominated sprint races in California throughout his two-year-old season with a debut win in late July at Del Mar going five furlongs. He won by an easy 2 ¼ lengths over Mister Iceman and highly regarded stablemate, Dillinger. Also in that race was Skinner and Alexander Helios. From there, he went to the Best Pal (Gr.3) in August at Del Mar by an easy 2 ½ lengths over horses like Agency, Man Child and Arman.
Havanameltdown led gate to wire to win through fast fractions of 21.74, 44.87, 57.35 and finished up in 1:10.22 but those fractions were no match for stablemate Cave Rock who would defeat Havnameltdown in the Del Mar Futurity (Gr.1) over the seven furlong trip, Cave Rock would go on to capture the American Pharoah (Gr.1) and finish second in a classy Breeders Cup Juvenile (Gr.1) field.
Havnameltdown pressed Cave Rock to run fractions of 21.56, 43.65, 1:08.55 but was no match in the lane, he finished second beaten five lengths, but he finished 4 ¼ lengths ahead of Skinner, as well as Robert B. Lewis (Gr.3) winner Newgate, Classical Cat and popular two year old The Big Wam. After being beaten by Cave Rock, he captured the Bob Hope (Gr.3) at Del Mar going seven furlongs in 1:21.68 leading virtually all the way to a 1 ¼ lengths win over Newgate and a few others. After that, he got a winter break and came back for his three-year-old debut in the San Vicente (Gr.2) going seven furlongs again, he won by 1 ½ lengths and led easily through fractions of 22.46, 45.46, 1:09.67 and a final time of 1:22.29 sealed the deal over a horse who was billed up to be a monster in Faustin.
After the San Vicente, he went to Saudi but surprisingly wasn’t favored. Why? Well, in the San Vicente he opened up 3 lengths and yet only won by 1 ½ lengths. Most people speculated he struggled with the 7 furlongs and in the last furlong of the 1 mile Saudi Derby he would wilt away after leading early. Nick Luck said “Havnameltdown, will he ebb away in the final couple hundred yards” as they stepped into line. Well, they got one part of it right, but he certainly did not wilt away in a race that was my personal favorite of the card. The son of Uncaptured ran in such a way that has me incredibly excited for his return to the states.
Commissioner King, a son of Commissioner who won races like the Skip Away (Gr.3), the Pimlico Special (Gr.2) and the Hawthorne Gold Cup (Gr.2) before retiring with five wins in fifteen starts, was the forgotten horse coming into the Saudi Derby. He is Kentucky Bred, but Saudi owned, trained and campaigned.
Commissioner King was a debut winner at King Khaled Racecourse in September of his two-year-old campaign that sparked hope in his connections he could be something special. Then, he traveled to King Abdulaziz Racecourse for the Jockey Club Award stakes where he finished third in November. After that, he won the Ministry Of National Guard Cup at King Abdulaziz racecourse in December. He came into the Saudi Derby with a lot of speed, and two wins in three starts as he carried local hopes. Well, he didn’t disappoint.
The gates sprang back, and they were off in the one turn mile Saudi Derby (Gr.3). As expected, European sensation Frankie Dettori, who is wintering in California this year, got Havnameltdown straight out of the gate and to the lead. Frankie stated in a pre-race interview he wasn’t sure about the mile and he would employ some interesting tactics to try and get the three-year-old to settle down and slow things down up front. So that he could last the mile if possible.
Frankie took Havnameltdown out to the middle of the track and with him went Commissioner King who sat right outside of him, pressing a quick pace up front. The two of them cleared off from the rest of the field early, with Havnameltdown a short lead still from Commissioner king. Neither jockey moved on their mounts as it became clear they wouldn’t be able to take back or go any faster.
They drove along to a rapid 21.63 opening quarter-mile with Commissioner King gaining ever closer, now ½ a length back. Frankie Dettori leaned his weight back but didn’t get heavy handed in the bridle, trying to slow his mount down as they went into the turn. It didn’t work as they tore through a 44.98 half mile while still in the four path, trying to relax but the second Havnameltdown sprung his ears up.
Commissioner King bounded alongside as they ran for the top of the lane stride for stride locked in this competition of who can run faster for longer. They straightened out into the lane, still well off the rail and opened up nearly 8 lengths on the nearest horse while slowing down to a quarter mile a little over 25 seconds on the turn.
Both seemed cooked already with still a quarter mile to run. This is when it looked as though Havnameltdown would quit, but he didn’t. He dug in gamely and dared his gallant foe to come back, which he did from now a length down again. With every stride, it seemed Commissioner King gained an inch on Havenameltdown. Quite literally, not more than an inch each stride as he wore down the colt from California. Both jockeys went to the whip at the same time, just as they had both gone to a hand ride in sync around the 3/8ths pole. Havnameltdown inside with Frankie Dettori swinging left-handed, Commissioner King outside with Luis Morales going right handed.
With a furlong to go Havnameltdown was still there by a sweaty neck as the pack drew nearer, now just 4 lengths behind the two still locked in combat since the gates opened. At the 16th pole, Havnameltdown’s lead went from a neck to a head in a matter of a few strides and he was completely spent but he kept on fighting, grappling with Commissioner King in this battle to the death, in which death was a heartbreaking defeat.
Now the pack was just 3 ½ lengths behind inside the final 50 meters, Havnameltdown still somehow had his nose desperately in front as both horses reached and stumbled towards the wire, as they entered the light that was cast over the 5 strides before the wire, Luis Morales reached forward and tore the earplugs from Commissioner King’s ears as they were right together, nose to nose, and the new sound of the crowd gave Commissioner King what he needed to give one last desperate jump as he got up by half a head in the final strides to defeat Havnameltdown who was as game as a racehorse comes in second. The final time for Commissioner King was 1:38.82 and the final time for Havnameltdown was 1:38.85. Just three hundredths of a second splitting them in the end, it was truly a fantastic race with the two horses match racing gate to wire.
The two big things to take away from this race are that Havnameltdown can stretch out to a mile successfully, as long as he gets a breather no matter how small. He showed he has a huge heart. The reason he lost on Saturday was that he was pressured from the start to the finish and the Saudi stretch is much longer than most stretch runs in the US. The second big thing is to look for Commissioner King to run in the UAE Derby on Dubai World Cup night as he’ll look to stretch out to Preakness distance and pick up points for the Kentucky Derby. I think he finished really well in Saudi, and he should stretch out well in the absence of Havnameltdown, just look out for whoever the Japanese send to that spot.
