We've had three very impressive winners from three very impressive horses in all three rounds of the Al Maktoum Challenge at Meydan this year. Mendip in Rd. 1, Bold Silvano in Rd. 2, and Twice Over in Rd. 3. I think you'd have to say Twice Over's round comes the closest to looking like what the DWC field will look like. But that said, it wouldn't surprise me at all if these three colt's ended up making the frame in this year's DWC. In what order? Who knows? My personal preference has leaning just slightly toward Mendip. A really impressive 4yr.old son of Harlan's Holiday. Who's been a total beast on the tapeta at the last 2 carnivals. He's raced at Meydan 5 times. He's won 4 of them, and finished 3rd in his one loss there. I think he's going to be a very tough beat in this year's DWC. JMO.
Bottom line, Twice Over is a much better colt now than the one we saw finish 3rd behind Zenyatta and Gio Ponti in the 09' Breeders Cup Classic, and he wasn't too shabby then. No lack luster effort in Dubai from Twice Over this time. Henry Cecil's big, brutish colt completely dominated Musir and Gitano Hernando in the 2011 Al Maktoum Challenge Rd. 3 today at Meydan. Twice Over was drawn out wide in p.p. #14, but it was never an issue for him. He traveled much the best horse in the race. When Musir and Gitano Hernando came calling on Twice Over in the stretch at Meydan, Thomas Queally had to ask for very little out of his star colt to get Twice Over to accelerate, and cruise away by 2 or 3 lengths from Musir, who finished 2nd in the race, just barely nosing out Gitano Hernando who was 3rd. We may have a distinctive favorite for this year's DWC now after this impressive effort from Twice Over today?