Pedro Cara Toughs It Out in Qatar Derby

[Wandering Eyes]

After nearly conquering Spain and America earlier in the year, Pedro Cara (Fr) (Pedro the Great) concluded his 3-year-old campaign with a tough-as-teak victory in Saturday’s $500,000 Qatar Derby at Al Rayyan Racecourse in Doha.

With the Hong Kong-bound Tony Piccone at the controls, Pedro Cara was pinched back shortly after the start, found himself near the back of the pack and was consigned to a five-deep run around the first turn of the 2000-metre test. Trapped out on the backstretch, Pedro Cara was allowed to stride a bit to be in a midfield position and traveled well while covering ground around the second bend of the long course. With Piccone sensing he had plenty of horse beneath him, Pedro Cara rallied smartly down the crown of the track and edged away to a clear-cut victory. Bangkok (Ire) (Australia {GB}) proved difficult to settle for Silvestre de Sousa, but remained in with a chance in the stretch. He darted through with a potentially winning move inside the 200 metres, but was outfinished by Pedro Cara. Local Thoroughbred Guineas winner Al Gazi (Ire) (Havana Gold {Ire}) ran with credit in third.

Trained by Madrid native, but now French-based conditioner Mauricio Delcher-Sanchez, Pedro Cara was a conditions winner at Nantes in April and two starts later raided his trainer’s former stomping grounds at La Zarzuela in Madrid. The apparent 3 1/4-length winner of the Grand Villapadierna Award (Spanish Derby) in June, he was disqualified and placed second, but bounced back to take the Listed Prix Frederic Lagrange at Vichy July 19. He most recently finished a nose runner-up to the well-regarded Spanish Mission (Noble Mission {GB}) in the $1-million Jockey Club Derby Invitational at New York’s Belmont Park Sept. 7. He had since been purchased by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Thani.

Pedro Cara is one of four stakes winners for his third-crop sire, winner of the 2012 G1 Keeneland Phoenix S. and who stands in France at Haras de la Haie Neuve.

Saturday’s Results:
QATAR DERBY, $500,000, Al Rayyan, 12-21, 3yo, 2000mT, 2:04.66 gd.
1–PEDRO CARA (FR), 128, g, 3, by Pedro the Great
1st Dam: Magic Cara, by Akarad (Fr)
2nd Dam: Magical Song, by Fabulous Dancer
3rd Dam: Bellbird (Fr), by Vayrann (Ire)
1ST STAKES WIN. (€23,000 Ylg ’17 ARQNOV). O-H H Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Thani; B-SAS Regnier & Olivier Lesage; T-Mauricio Delcher Sanchez; J-Tony Piccone; $285,000. Lifetime Record: SW-Fr, SP-US, 9-4-2-1, $550,251.
2–Bangkok (Ire), 128, c, 3, Australia (GB)–Tanaghum (GB), by Darshaan. (500,000gns Ylg ’17 TATOCT). O-King Power Racing Co Ltd. $110,000.
3–Al Gazi (Ire), 128, c, 3, Havana Gold (Ire)–Rock Lily (GB), by Rock of Gibraltar (Ire). O-Sheikh Faisal Bin Hamad Bin Jassim Al Thani. $55,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, 1 1/4, NO.
Also Ran: Venedegar (Ire), Alwaab (Fr), Seeyoubyme (Fr), Markhor (Ire), Admiral Rous (Ire), Arabic Channel, Zamharer (GB), Dunkirk Harbour, Ernest Aldrich (GB), Say Good Buy (Ger), Old Glory (Ire), Oklahoma Dancer, Noble Ancestry (GB).

 

WATCH: Pedro Cara overcomes a wide trip to take the Qatar Derby

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