Frankel Adds Feather to Cap

Trainer Bobby Frankel on Saturday added to his collection of victories the only graded grass stakes race at Santa Anita that had previously eluded him.

King’s Drama, part of a heavily favored entry, gave the Hall of Fame trainer his first win in the $200,000 San Luis Rey, beating T.H. Approval and five others in the Grade II race.

Owned by Gary Tanaka, who also finished third with Atlando, King’s Drama, a 6-year-old King’s Theatre gelding, won for the ninth time in 28 starts. He was ridden by Jon Court, a replacement for Patrick Valenzuela, who was off his mounts again Saturday because of a sore neck. King’s Drama ran the 1 1/2 miles in 2:26.50, winning by one length.

Court, who won several races for Frankel on the now retired Leroidesanimaux, was available only because Capitano, whom he had been scheduled to ride in the $150,000 Golden Gate Fields Handicap, had been scratched earlier in the day.

Frankel said King’s Drama, who went over $1 million in career earnings with his win Saturday, will skip the San Juan Capistrano on April 23 but could surface in the $300,000 Jim Murray Memorial Handicap on May 13 at Hollywood Park.

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Electrocutionist, the 5-2 favorite, ended a two-year winning streak by American-based horses when he won the $6 million Dubai World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.

Winning for the eighth time in 10 starts, the 5-year-old Red Ransom horse overcame a very slow start under jockey Frankie Dettori to rally past Brass Hat and Wilko in the final eighth of a mile to win the biggest event of a six-race program with $21 million in purses.

In winning by 1 1/2 lengths for Godolphin, which purchased him privately last November, and trainer Saeed bin Suroor, Electrocutionist ran the about 1 1/4 miles in 2:01.32.

This was the second win in as many main track starts for Electrocutionist, who had begun his career by winning six of eight on the grass in Italy, England and Canada.

Godolphin, Dettori and Suroor also won with Discreet Cat, who remained unbeaten with a six-length victory in the $2 million U.A.E. Derby. The 3-year-old Forestry colt is perfect in three starts and could be headed to the U.S. for the Kentucky Derby on May 6.

Jockey David Cohen scored the richest win of his young career by riding 5-1 shot Proud Tower Too to a wire-to-wire victory in the $2 million Golden Shaheen.

Owned by breeder Tricar Stable Inc. and trained by Sal Gonzalez, Proud Tower Too triggered a 1-2-3 finish by California breds in the six-furlong race. Thor’s Echo finished second under jockey Corey Nakatani and Jet West and Garrett Gomez were third. Captain Squire, a Florida bred, but also based locally, was fourth.

A pair of Japanese breds scored impressive wins. Utopia, a 6-year-old son of Forty Niner, won the $1 million Godolphin Mile and favored Heart’s Cry, a son of Sunday Silence, led virtually throughout to take the $5 million Dubai Sheema Classic.

In the night’s other $5 million event, favored David Junior easily ran by pacesetter The Tin Man to win the Dubai Duty Free. It was the sixth win in 10 starts for the 4-year-old Pleasant Tap colt, who is owned by Gold Group International and Roldvale Ltd. and trained by Brian Meehan. He was ridden by Jamie Spencer.

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With a City, a 48-1 shot, won the $500,000 Lane’s End, a Grade II stakes race, on a snowy day at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky.

Ridden by Brice Blanc, the 3-year-old son of City Zip won for the fourth time in 12 starts while using blinkers for the first time. Trained by Michael Maker for Equirace.com LLC, With a City, who had earned two of his three earlier wins in $40,000 claimers at Calder, completed the 1 1/4 miles over the Polytrack in 1:51.11. Seaside Retreat, an 11-1 shot, was second and 15-1 outsider Malameeze was third.

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In other races around the country, Oonagh Maccool won the $200,000 Rampart Handicap at Gulfstream Park, heavily favored Smokey Glacken won her third in a row in the $150,000 Distaff Breeders’ Cup Handicap at Aqueduct and Cosmonaut scored a 5-1 upset in the Golden Gate Fields Handicap.