NEWS
Group 3 winner Muakaad dead in Ireland
Posted: Wednesday, November 07, 2001
Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum's multiple stakes winner Muakaad (GB), who finished sixth in this year's Arlington Million Stakes (G1), was euthanized in October after an injury. The four-year-old homebred son of Muhtarram out of Forest Lair, by Habitat, broke one of his legs during morning gallops at trainer Dermot Weld's Irish training base, the English Press Association reports.
"He fractured his leg very badly and they couldn't do anything to save him," said Angus Gold, Sheikh Hamdan's racing manager. "Very sad, he was a decent horse."
Muakaad won six of 12 career starts with one second and two thirds and earned $193,898 while racing against some of the best horses in Europe. He won four stakes events during his career, including the Meld Stakes (Ire-G3) at the Curragh, and placed in three other group events, including the 2000 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial Stakes (Ire-G3) won by dual European classic winner Sinndar.
Muakaad began this year with a victory in the Mooresbridge Stakes at the Curragh over Bach (Ire), who recently finished third in the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1). In his next start, he finished sixth in the Tattersalls Gold Cup (Ire-G1) won by eventual Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) victor Fantastic Light over Group 1 winner Golden Snake and last year's Turf winner Kalanisi (Ire).
Muakaad earned his trip to the Arlington Million after a runner-up effort to Distant Music in the Goffs International Stakes (Ire-G2) at the Curragh and a 1 ½-length win over Bonnard in the Meld. He finished 16 ½ lengths behind Silvano (Ger) in the 1 ¼-mile Arlington Million on August 18 over yielding turf.
Returned to Ireland, Muakaad registered a 2 ½-length win in the Kilternan Stakes on September 8 at Leopardstown in his final career start.
