Tamarkuz (foaled February 26, 2010) is a retired Thoroughbred racehorse best known for his 2016 win in the $1,000,000 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile hosted that year by California's Santa Anita Park.
Background
Tamarkuz is a chestnut Thoroughbred horse bred in Kentucky and purchased for $325,000 at the
Keeneland September Sale in Lexington, Kentucky by the Shadwell Estate. He was sired by Speightstown, who also sired
Hollywood Derby winner
Seek Again and
Belmont Derby winner Force the Pass, Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap, and
Vosburgh Stakes winner Rock Fall, and Jockey Club Gold Cup Winner
Haynesfield. His dam Without You Babe is by Lemon Drop Kid, winner of the
Belmont Stakes and the
Woodward Stakes, and who sired upset
Kentucky Oaks winner
Lemons Forever.
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European career
In Europe Tamarkuz was trained by Saeed bin Suroor where he ran only in Weight-for-Age and handicap races. During this time he was raced irregularly. In three years he only ran six times with a total of three wins.
Dubai career
Tamarkuz made his racing debut under trainer Musabah Al Muhairi in 2014 at Meydan Racecourse in
Dubai with a fifth-place finish. In his next start he failed to finish the race due to an injury that would take ten months to fully heal. He returned to racing in 2015 and won four of five starts including wins in the
Firebreak Stakes and the
Burj Nahaar. However, the highlight would be his nose victory over Sloane Avenue in the
Godolphin Mile.
American career
After success in Dubai, Tamarkuz went to America in 2015 where his race conditioning was handled by Kiaran McLaughlin. Tamarkuz began with a fourth-place finish in the Met Mile, then ran sixth in the
Forego Handicap, and was fourth again in the
Kelso Handicap.
[ He returned to compete in America in 2016 and ran in the same three races as before. It started with a ninth in the Met Mile. In his next two races in the Forego and the Kelso, he was second.][ After that he entered the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.]
Following his Breeders' Cup win Tamarkuz was retired to stand at stud at his owner's Shadwell Racing near Lexington, Kentucky.
