Mandaloun (horse)

Mandaloun (foaled March 18, 2018) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2021 Risen Star Stakes, Pegasus Stakes and Grade I Haskell Stakes and came second in the 2021 Kentucky Derby.

Background[]

Mandaloun is a bay colt who was foaled in Kentucky.^[2] He is ridden by jockey Florent Geroux and trained by Brad H. Cox.^[3][4] The horse is named for a mandaloun, "a type of mullioned (or decorative partition) window from traditional Lebanese architecture".^[5]

Racing career[]

2020: Two-year-old season[]

Mandaloun made his first start in a maiden race on October 24th in Keeneland over 6 furlongs. He won this race with +1⁄2 lengths in a time of 1:11.76. His second start was in an Allowance Optional Claiming, in Churchill Downs over 7 furlongs, on November 28, 2020. He won in a time of 1:23.15 with 1+1⁄4 lengths.^{[citation needed]}

2021: Three-year-old season[]

Mandaloun made his first start as a three year old and his stakes debut in the Lecomte Stakes on January 16, 2021 in Fair Grounds over a distance of 1+1⁄16 miles. He finished third. Midnight Bourbon won by 1 length, Proxy was second by a head, the fourth place was 8+3⁄4 lengths behind the top three. On February 13, 2021, Mandaloun started again against Midnight Bourbon and Proxy in the Risen Star Stakes, over a distance of 1+1⁄8 miles. This time Mandaloun turned the tables and defeated Proxy by 1+1⁄4 lengths and Midnight Bourbon by 1+3⁄4 lengths. The other horses were 5+3⁄4 lengths again behind the top three. The final time was 1:50.30. His last prep race for the 2021 Kentucky Derby was the Louisiana Derby, again he started against Midnight Bourbon and Proxy, but this time another rival, Hot Rod Charlie, started. Immediately after the start, Hot Rod Charlie took the lead and won wire to wire in track record time. Midnight Bourbon held on to finish second by a head while Mandaloun finished in a disappointing seventh place. Since neither Brad Cox nor Mandaloun's jockey Florent Geroux knew why he ran so badly, they brought him to Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby.^{[citation needed]}

Kentucky Derby[]

On May 1, 2021, he was a long shot in the Kentucky Derby. The favorites were Essential Quality, his stablemate (winner of the Blue Grass Stakes), Rock Your World (winner of the Santa Anita Derby), and Hot Rod Charlie (winner of the Louisiana Derby). Other good horses in the running were Known Agenda (winner of the Florida Derby), (runner-up in the Blue Grass Stakes), Medina Spirit (runner-up in the Santa Anita Derby), and his old rival Midnight Bourbon (runner-up in the Louisiana Derby). Mandaloun started well and was fourth. He slowly moved up and challenged the leader Medina Spirit. Behind him, Hot Rod Charlie and his stablemate Essential Quality began to move up. There were four horses in the stretch. Medina Spirit won with +1⁄2 length, Mandaloun was second with +1⁄2 length, third was Hot Rod Charlie with a head to stablemate Essential Quality. 5th placed O Besos was 4+1⁄2 lengths behind them.^{[citation needed]}.

An investigation is ongoing because of doping issues with Medina Spirit, who died on December 6, 2021, along with his trainer Bob Baffert. Should the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission rule in favour of Cox, Mandaloun would be awarded the Kentucky Derby win.

Later three-year-old Season[]

Mandaloun skipped the next two legs of the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes won by Rombauer and Belmont Stakes won by Essential Quality.^{[citation needed]}

Mandaloun made his next start in the 1+1⁄16 mile Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park on June 13, a local prep for the Haskell Stakes. He held on to win by a neck over a closing in a final time of 1:44.63.^{[citation needed]}

He then ran in the Grade 1 Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park on July 17. He crossed the finish line second in a photo finish with Belmont runner up Hot Rod Charlie. However, Hot Rod Charlie was quickly disqualified for having impeded the path of Midnight Bourbon which caused him to throw his rider Paco Lopez, so Mandaloun was declared the official winner.^[6]

The following month, Garrett O’Rourke, the racing manager at Juddmonte, announced that Mandaloun would be taken out of training for about six weeks due to a foot sore, likely missing the remainder of the 2021 racing season. He added the horse would be aimed toward a potential start in the 2022 Saudi Cup.^[7]

Racing statistics[]

Pedigree[]

References[]