Saturday, August 28, 2010

HORSE RACING / Comeback trail leads Moudez to Del Mar Mile

HORSE RACING / Comeback trail leads Moudez to Del Mar Mile

HORSE RACING / Comeback trail leads Moudez to Del Mar Mile

Posted: 28 Aug 2010 05:47 AM PDT

Zayat Stables LLC, the racing operation of Ahmed Zayat, has ranked in the top four among the nation's owners in earnings over the past four years, even leading in 2008.

With horses such as Eskendereya, Pioneer of the Nile, Zensational, Thorn Song, Riley Tucker and Kays and Jays winning important races all over the nation, Zayat employs some of the sport's top trainers: Bob Baffert and Mike Mitchell in the West and Todd Pletcher, Steve Asmussen, Bill Mott and Nick Zito in the East.

Some of the horses at the bottom of the stable's barrel are sent to Steve Miyadi at Golden Gate Fields. So it was something of a surprise when Miyadi was chosen 14 months ago to resurrect the career of Moudez, a 6-year-old horse that hadn't raced since winning the $112,100 Forerunner Stakes on April 19, 2007, at Keeneland in Kentucky.

Such a layoff suggests a major injury, but Miyadi said he didn't know about that.

"I don't ask questions. I just take the horses," he said. "They told me he was a very good horse at one time and to try to get him back to there. Hopefully we got him back to there."

Miyadi will find out today at Del Mar when Moudez (pronounced MOO-dez) runs in the Grade 2, $300,000 Del Mar Mile on the undercard of the track's Pacific Classic program.

The race comes just 20 days after Moudez's impressive comeback victory in the $58,600 Joseph T. Grace Handicap at the Sonoma County Fair, where he surged from last place at the top of the stretch to win by 1 1/4 lengths.

"I wish I had more time between races because time-wise it's a bounce zone," Miyadi said, referring to the regression that often occurs when a horse runs too soon after a big comeback or a first start. "On the other hand, he is well-rested. He came out of the race better than he went in; that's why we're going for a half-court hook shot now."

Moudez, who began his career in England in 2006, has won four of six starts.

"The horse looked pretty good to me when I got him, but he got sick a little bit, so it's taken a while," Miyadi said. "Whatever happened to him before, the main thing is he was given enough time and he's doing fine right now."

With few races for him at Golden Gate Fields, Moudez would be a candidate to move to Southern California full time if he performs well today.

"Someone might need to block out Baffert and Mitchell," Miyadi said. "But I have no illusions about where I stand in the pecking order."

This article appeared on page B - 9 of the San Francisco Chronicle

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