He is a New York-bred from the family of A P Indian, though the bottom half of his pedigree page is probably better known in Venezuela and Puerto Rico. He was purchased for $180,000 at the Ocala Spring Sale last June - a modest price tag at an auction where the sales topper was knocked down for $1,350,000.
His name is Panadol, his racing experience amounts to no more than 215 seconds. Yet it has proved to be enough to make him one of the favourites for the UAE Derby on the Dubai World Cup card a week on Saturday (March 27).
Bred by Chester Broman and Mary Broman, Panadol, is one of the most talented 3-year-olds seen in action at Meydan this winter. The Salem bin Ghadayer trainee has run just twice, and he won both times.
After an absolute stroll in a 1600-metre maiden in February, he stepped up in class and distance on March 6, when he went off favourite for the listed Al Bastakiya over the same 1900-metre trip (about 9½ furlongs) as the G2 UAE Derby.
Panadol was sent into an early lead on his racecourse debut. He cleared off to outclass the favourite Endifaa by almost eight lengths that day, and jockey Mickael Barzalona employed the same tactics in the Al Bastakiya. Panadol had to work much harder though, as the Doug Watson-trained Speight’spercome cut into his lead at the business end of the contest. Panadol held on gamely by three parts of a length (see video above).
To say that the son of Flatter was saved by the wire would not be fair, however. Yes, he had to respond to pressure, but he was always in control, and he gained valuable experience in the process.
His runner-up was coming off a second-place finish to Uruguay’s El Patriota in the Al Bastakiya Trial, when he was a short head in front of Endifaa – who Panadol trounced two weeks later. El Patriota also ran in the Al Bastakiya, finishing third, 2½ lengths behind Speight’spercome.
These results suggest that Panadol, the most likely improver in this group, will be Dubai’s strongest card when they face accomplished invaders like Pink Kamehameha and Cowan, the first two home in the Saudi Derby, at Meydan.
Panadol’s dam, Arradoul, a daughter of Dixieland Band, showed talent in her brief career for trainer Patrick Byrne in the U.S. Unraced at 2, she ran three times at 3 and three times at 4, winning once in each of her campaigns.
She broke her maiden over 5½ furlongs on dirt at Churchill Downs, while her second win came over 6 furlongs in allowance company over the old Polytrack at Keeneland. Arradoul was subsequently stepped up in class in the G3 Winning Colors Stakes back at Churchill Downs. She finished last and never ran again.
Arradoul’s half-sister, Ender’s Sister, enjoyed a better career. She captured the listed Florida Oaks, over 8½ furlongs on dirt at Tampa Bay Downs, and she was placed five times in Graded stakes, most notably when runner-up to Ashado in the G2 Cotillion Handicap at Philadelphia Park.
Ender’s Sister’s main claim to fame is as the dam of high-class sprinter A P Indian, winner of the G1 Forego Stakes and G1 Alfred Vanderbilt Stakes before running third to Drefong in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
Now it’s Arradoul’s turn to get attention as a producer of a stakes winner on a big stage.
That she would one day ‘get a good one’ is not that big a surprise. She had enjoyed success as a broodmare before Panadol came along, being the dam of Permanent Vacation, a useful daughter of Elusive Quality. Permanent Vacation won seven races in North America and Venezuela, where she was also runner-up in the listed Clasico Derby Guayanes at Rancho Alegre over 2000 metres on dirt.
Furthermore, Oil Empress, another winning daughter of Arradoul, is the dam of Celandine, a winner of five of his eight races, including the Clasico 4 de Julio Stakes over 8½ furlongs on dirt at Camarero in Puerto Rico.
Celandine, by Street Sense, visited Gulfstream Park in 2019, and managed third in the Copa Invitacional del Caribe Stakes to the smart Letruska, who was beaten just a head by Shedaresthedevil in the G2 Azeri Stakes at Oaklawn last Saturday.
Celandine is one of three black-type performers out of Oil Empress, who is also the dam of J S Choice, a winning Congrats colt who showed smart form on turf as a juvenile. His best result was a runner-up effort against subsequent Breeders’ Cup winner Oscar Performance in the G3 Pilgrim Stakes at Belmont Park.
Related to winners on different surfaces over a variation of distances, Panadol is a good example of how a smart performer can emerge from all corners of the racing and breeding world. The chances are that he will be capable of upgrading his family's pedigree page further – and the way he saw the trip out in the Al Bastakiya suggests that Panadol will not be wanting for stamina in the UAE Derby.