Pinatubo, who has drawn comparisons to the great Frankel as an unbeaten 2-year-old, gave the handicappers more to consider Saturday (Oct 12) when improving his record to 6-for-6 in the Dewhurst Stakes (G1).
While not quite as eye-popping as a nine-length victory last time at the Curragh, where Pinatubo won the Vincent O’Brien National Stakes (G1) by nine lengths, he had a measure of his competition the whole way at Newmarket.
Under jockey William Buick, the Charlie Appleby trainee tucked in mid-pack early in the seven-furlong feature before tipping out with a couple of furlongs to go. He chased down the pace-setting Arizona while under a ride, never looking like anything but the winner.
"Thankfully we can keep the dream alive," Appleby said.
Soft course conditions may have dulled Pinatubo’s greatness late in the going. The Godolphin homebred son of Shamardal will still head into 2020 as the favorite to capture Europe’s classics.
"That ground is testing out there, but it's a testament to the horse," Appleby said.
Behind him, trainer Aidan O’Brien’s runners ran second through fifth in the Dewhurst field of nine: Arizona, Wichita, Year of the Tiger and Monarch of Egypt.
Pinatubo was away at 1-5 on the U.S. tote.
These same connections -- Godolphin, Appleby and Buick -- teamed up to win the 2018 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf with Line of Duty. But Pinatubo's expected to make the Dewhurst his final start of the season, ready to rest up for a 3-year-old season.
