Tarabi is an interesting contender for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies on Friday. Like Vequist and Caledonia Road, who both turned prep race form around when winning this race, she could well do the same by getting the better of the speedy Echo Zulu, who beat her apparently comprehensively at Saratoga last time.
Tarabi nevertheless caught the eye when chasing Echo Zulu home in that race, the G1 Spinaway. Whether progressing past the filly who is now hot favorite for the Juvenile Fillies will mean winning the championship race at Del Mar is another matter, but Steve Asmussen’s charge is bringing the best form into the contest, so taking a close look at young trainer Cherie DeVaux’s first Breeders’ Cup starter makes sense.
She was impressive in defeat at the Spa and, win, lose or draw on Friday, this daughter of First Samurai is an exciting prospect.
The Spinaway took place two months ago. While Echo Zulu, fast and precocious as she is, was favored by having won a sprint over the track on her debut, Tarabi was coming off a winning debut off Broadway, having strolled home in a 6-furlong maiden at Ellis Park a month earlier.
That was a perfect beginning to her career, and she took a big step forward in the Spinaway, where she was a clear runner-up at 19/1. Things went wrong for this big, scopey and attractive daughter of First Samurai at the start that day.
Breaking from stall one, she smashed into the gate and veered left, edging toward the rail. That the horse directly to her outside, Girl With A Dream, veered even more did not help matters. They were both trailing after a few strides.
Yet Tarabi was going forward with interest, and she was soon travelling well in fourth, just a couple of lengths off the pace. Echo Zulu had a perfect trip in second spot.
Tarabi’s inexperience told as the field negotiated the turn, and she came off the bridle at that stage – looking like a young horse about to dislike the heat. But then something really positive happened. She responded to Javier Castellano’s urgings and came back on the bridle, moving up to second coming into the lane. From there on, Tarabi ran on gamely despite not being as professional as the winner (see video above).
She did not cut into Echo Zulu’s lead, but she ran almost as fast through the final furlong, and passed the winning post four lengths adrift.
Echo Zulu went on to win the G1 Frizette at Belmont in impressive style from Gerrymander next time. Tarabi was given a bit of time off. Trainer DeVaux (left), a former assistant to Chad Brown, said Tarabi came back “with a few scrapes” after the Spinaway, making it necessary to abort a plan to go for the Frizette herself.
The Spinaway form was given the most obvious boost when Echo Zulu captured the Frizette, and it is also interesting to note that Saucy Lady T, who was 3¾ lengths behind Tarabi when third in the Spinaway, finished fifth in the Frizette, and that Sequist, who was fourth in the Spinaway (8½ lengths behind Tarabi), went on to take third in the G1 Alcibiades Stakes at Keeneland, beaten 4½ lengths by Juju’s Map.
DeVaux has enjoyed an excellent start to her training career, and she can be trusted to do right by the horse. Last Friday, she told Breakfast at The Breeders’ Cup that Tarabi has done well in recent weeks, making her connections decide to go for the Juvenile Fillies, where going around two turns may suit her. She looks like a two-turn horse.
That said, her sister Shivaji is a smart sprinter in Japan, where she ran third to Pixie Knight in the G1 Sprinters Stakes in Tokyo on October 3. Shivaji has six wins on dirt and turf to date, being successful at up to a mile. She won the G3 Silk Road Stakes over 6 furlongs at Chukyo back in February.
Bred by Hinkle Farm in Kentucky, Tarabi was bought for $240,000 at the Keeneland September Sales. Her dam, the Indian Charlie mare Indian Bay, was unraced. Tarabi’s second dam, Buy The Barrel (E Dubai), was a useful runner who won seven races for Larry Jones, most notably the G2 Allaire du Pont Distaff Stakes over 8½ furlongs at Pimlico as a 4-year-old.
One of her two winning daughters, Mise En Rose (War Front), won three times (over 7 and 8 furlongs) in England and also proved good enough to be runner-up both in the G3 Oak Tree Stakes over 7 furlongs at Goodwood and G3 Sceptre Stakes over the same distance at Doncaster.