A Game of Thrones will be played out in Sunday’s overnight allowance between Americans INCREDIBLE JO and DOTHRAKI, yes, DOTHRAKI, a former Bob Baffert runner named after the fictional, nomadic horse-riding people in HBO’s wildly successful Game of Thrones, the most pirated television series from 2012 to 2019.
Skid marks could be left on the track at the end of the five-and-a-half furlong clash between two of the most exciting horses at exercise in the mornings.
INCREDIBLE JO, purchased by O & S Racers from Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited, has been nothing short of a monster, slaughtering rivals in three consecutive wins from four starts.
SVREL doled out US$13,000 for the Improbable-Titanium Jo colt at the June 2024 Ocala Two-Year-Old in Training and Horses of Racing Age Sale.
Worth every dollar, INCREDIBLE JO blew away fellow importee, SUPERNATURAL POWER, in her last two starts. After suffering a disdainful 15-length loss to INCREDIBLE JO, SUPERNATURAL POWER ran up a hat-trick of wins, all the way to grade one, finishing fourth behind Mouttet Mile winner, LEGACY ISLE, in the Gold Cup two weeks ago.
Though she returns off a near five-month lay-up, unraced since putting SUPERNATURAL POWER in his place, clocking an eye-popping 1:23.4 or seven furlongs on May 25, INCREDIBLE JO isn’t your average horse next door.
Zipping at exercise Sunday morning, INCREDIBLE JO clocked 1:07.0 for five and a half furlongs, the last five in 1:00.4. However, it could be that INCREDIBLE JO has met her match, DOTHRAKI, similar to how she had cooled SUPERNATURAL POWER.
DOTHRAKI won on debut at Los Alamitos for Baffert, clocking 1:17.4 for six and half furlongs in a maiden special weight on dirt in June of 2024. The four-year-old Into Mischief-Vanquished colt shipped to Del Mar in November where he was flogged by heavy-hitters, finishing sixth behind 1:15.3 for six and a half furlongs.
In his lone start this season, DOTHRAKI was shipped to Santa Anita for an allowance optional claiming in which he again placed sixth at five and a half furlongs behind the winner’s 1:16.0.
However, DOTHRAKI’s speed rating twice increased, up from 92 at Los Alamitos, to 98 at Del Mar and 126 at Santa Anita.
DOTHRAKI has been showing off his speed at exercise, clocking an easy 59.0 from the gate last week Wednesday, followed by 1:06.1 for five and a half on Tuesday, the last five in 1:00.2, swallowing INCREDIBLE JO’s 1:07.0.
On sheer speed at exercise and having won overseas, DOTHRAKI gets the nod over INCREDIBLE JO, who will be no pushover.
Robert Halledeen is aboard DOTHRAKI for Champion trainer Jason DaCosta. Leading and champion rider, Raddesh Roman, partners INCREDIBLE JO for Adrian Prince.
