Owner Kaleem Shah admitted to feeling pressure in watching his 2-year-old racehorse Arman debut in the fifth race at Churchill Downs June 23, with the Bolt d'Oro colt named after his son, Arman.
The Simon Callaghan-trained juvenile delivered, settling in fourth early before advancing to take command and draw off for a 2 1/2-length victory with five furlongs in :58.14. Arman ($5.20) earned 89 Equibase Speed Figure in taking the $120,952 maiden race.
#12 Arman (8/5) takes Race 5 from @ChurchillDowns on debut for @simon_callaghan to pay $5.20.
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) June 23, 2022
Catch the #TwinSpiresReplay 🎥 pic.twitter.com/AEMjp0njAZ
Bred in Florida by Loren Nichols, Arman is the first foal of two of racing age to compete out of the unraced Uncle Mo mare Beautissimo. He became the seventh winner for Spendthrift stallion Bolt d'Oro, who leads all first-crop stallions by winners and earnings ($396,666).
Shah, on site for the victory, credited horsemen Carlos Santamaria and Jack Sisterson for helping prepare the colt, who has breezed in Kentucky since being acquired by Shah for $600,000 from the Ocala Breeders' Sales' March 2-Year-Olds In Training Sale from the Top Line Sales consignment.
Aboard Thursday was Martin Garcia, who rode a number of horses for Shah when the jockey was previously based in California.
"He's won many graded races for me—from the Breeders' Cup to the Haskell (G1) to the Pennsylvania Derby (G1)," Shah said. "When I look at the pictures around my house he's mostly who I see."
Arman is likely to head to California, where Callaghan and Shah run the majority of their horses.
