Wilshire Handicap Win for Dubawi Heights
The Hollywood Park Racetrack in California has been the home of the Wilshire Handicap since 1953. It is a Grade III flat horse racing event that is held for three-year-old fillies and older, and is run over a distance of one mile on a turf track. The purse amount for the race is $100 000. This year the race was hosted on Saturday, 30 April 2011, with the event being dominated by a British horse by the name of Dubawi Heights.
Dubawi Heights is trained by Simon Callenghan, and made her debut in the United States last year September. This talented four-year-old has now enjoyed three consecutive victories. But it has not been an easy road for Dubawi Heights since her arrival from Britian. Callenghan commented that she suffered from colic as she stepped off the plane, and to add to it, she had to undergo knee surgery to repair a tibia injury. Through all these trials and tests, Dubawi Heights proved that she was tough and came back to show the horse racing industry just how tenacious she really is. Jockey Joel Rosario has been her jockey since her victorious debut, and commented after the race at Hollywood Park that she seems to be improving with every event.
Horse and rider did make two moves for the lead position, but Rosario decided to keep to Miss Pleasant and the pace was not being set too fast. At the quarter pole, Dubawi Heights made her move and quickly settled into her stride down the stretch. Even though Lilly Fa Pootz never really challenged Dubawi Heights, she managed to get second place a nose short from the winner, with third place being taken by Miss Pleasant, and Well Monied finishing in fourth place.
As Dubawi Heights seems to be settling into her own racing style now, and is getting comfortable with her events, her trainer has indicated that they could be looking at her making her first Grade I debut as early as 30 May 2011. Hollywood Park will be hosting the Gamely Stakes, an event with a $250 000 purse, and it could be the perfect opportunity to put Dubawi Heights to the ultimate test.
