Riyadh Way Dominates Hollywood Beach with Big Stretch Run

G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint Possible for Son of Karakontie

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Alwaleed Thamer Alosaimi International Stables’ Riyadh Way rated off a contested pace before kicking in through the stretch to capture Saturday’s $100,000 Hollywood Beach at Gulfstream Park, earning a possible trip to Keeneland for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1) Oct. 30 in the process.

“Maybe we’ll try the Breeders’ Cup. Why not?” winning trainer Tareq Moubarak said following Riyadh Way’s decisive 1 3/4-length victory in an evenly matched field of promising 2-year-olds assembled for the five-furlong turf stakes that was supported on Saturday’s 10-race card by the $65,000 Duke of Mischief, a mile overnight handicap for 3-year-olds and up won by Chrome Ghost.

Jockey Heriberto Figueroa settled Riyadh Way ($9.80) off the early pace contested by Expectations and Ford Roadster along the backstretch and around the far turn past fractions of 21.64 and 44.98 seconds. Caught in traffic while full of run on the far turn, the gelded son of Karakontie was swung five-wide turning into the stretch. The Kentucky-bred gelding responded with a powerful stretch kick to draw away to an impressive victory.

“He was taking me the whole way,” Figueroa said. “I was just trying to get him relaxed a little bit in the beginning, but once we hit the three-eighths [pole], he was already trying to do what he wanted to do.”

Riyadh Way ran five furlongs over a firm turf in 56.77 seconds. Ford Roadster held on to finish second, a nose ahead of third-place finisher Road to Midnight. Liberty Rings, who was seeking her third stakes victory, finished seventh as the 5-2 favorite against the boys following a wide trip. Riyadh Way debuted with a fourth-place finish on dirt June 13 before graduating by 4 1/4 lengths on turf at Gulfstream Aug. 23 while being equipped with blinkers.

“The first time I ran him on the dirt, just to get a race into him, but we always knew he was a turf horse,” Moubarak said. “When we put him on the grass with the blinkers, he really showed himself.”

Riyadh Way’s connections will consider all their options, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint among them, for his next start.

“We’ll speak to the owners and see how he comes out of it,” Moubarak said. “There are plenty of races here too. We’ll see what’s best for the horse.”