Budding star Shahama looks to stay perfect in UAE Oaks

Shahama is by Munnings, also the sire of current Triple Crown nominees Jack Christopher and Dash Attack who have captured scoring races on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. The blaze-faced bay was purchased by trainer Fawzi Nass for $425,000 as a two-year-old in training at OBS last April.

Making her debut in an about seven-furlong maiden Dec. 9, Shahama galloped by nine lengths. She followed up in a Jan. 1 conditions race over the same distance, on an uncharacteristically sloppy track. Shahama had to thread her way through traffic, but still burst clear to a decisive 2 1/2-length victory. Up to a metric mile for the Jan. 28 UAE 1000 Guineas, Shahama was again a class apart as she rolled by 3 3/4 lengths. 

The UAE Oaks is a furlong and a half longer, at about 1 3/16 miles, and her rivals have to hope that the added ground changes the equation. Otherwise, the 50 Kentucky Oaks points appear to be hers for the taking. If Shahama turns in another devastating performance, the Mar. 26 UAE Derby (G2) on Dubai World Cup night could be next. Regular rider Adrie de Vries will guide the exciting filly from post 5 in a seven-horse field.

Guineas runner-up Minwah has been beaten by Shahama three times. Still a maiden, the filly by Tapit stallion Cupid represents champion trainer Doug Watson. 

Shadzadi, third to Shahama on New Year’s Day, came back to wire a Meydan maiden for Bhupat Seemar. Third in that maiden was Remas, who was previously unplaced behind Shahama in the same conditions race. Fourth in the maiden was debutante Arabian Gazelles, a well-bred daughter of Mastery, also from the Seemar yard. 

Rounding out the field are the respective fourth and fifth from the Guineas, Hot Pink and Uchchaihshravas. Hot Pink won three of seven starts on the French turf prior to arriving in Dubai, while Uchchaihshravas had romped in her lone outing on the dirt at Sweden’s Bro Park.

Worth points on the 50-20-10-5 scale to the top four finishers, the UAE Oaks is the third race on Friday’s Dubai Carnival card at Meydan. Post time is 10:10 a.m. (ET), and you can watch and wager at TwinSpires.com.