Jalil, (foaled February 15, 2004), is an American

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...

racehorse. Jalil was purchased in 2005 as a yearling for US$9.7 million (equal to about $ million today).

Background

Jalil was foaled on February 15, 2004 at Mill Ridge Farm in Lexington, Kentucky. His sire is two-time Sire of the Year

Storm Cat Storm Cat (February 27, 1983 – April 24, 2013) was an American Thoroughbred stallion whose breeding fee during the peak of his stud career was $500,000, the highest in North America at the time. He was the leading sire in North America in 1999 ...

, grandson of

Northern Dancer Northern Dancer (May 27, 1961 – November 16, 1990) was a Thoroughbred who, in 1964, became the first Canadian-bred horse to win the Kentucky Derby. He then became one of the most successful sires of the 20th century. He is considered a Canad ...

, whom the

National Thoroughbred Racing Association The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) is a broad-based coalition of American horse racing interests consisting of leading thoroughbred racetracks, owners, breeders, trainers and affiliated horse racing associations, charged with incr ...

calls "one of the most influential sires in Thoroughbred history". Jalil joins nine other descendants of Northern Dancer who clinch the entire list of the ten most expensive colts sold at auction (current to 2014). Jalil's dam is the multiple

Grade 1 First grade (also called Grade One, called '' Year 2'' in England or Primary 2 in Scotland) is the first grade in elementary school and the first school year after kindergarten. Children are usually 6–7 years old in this grade. Examples by ...

(

Gamely Stakes The Gamely Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares age three and older over a distance of miles on the turf run in late May annually at Santa Anita Park, Arcadia, California. History The race was inaugurated ...

, Clement L. Hirsch Stakes)-winning

mare A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than fo ...

Tranquility Lake, sired by

Rahy Rahy (February 18, 1985 – September 22, 2011) was a Thoroughbred racehorse who competed in England and the United States. Background Bred by Hill 'n' Dale Farms in Lexington, Rahy was a son of the very important sire Blushing Groom and out o ...

. This makes him a full-brother to the multiple Grade 1 winning racehorse After Market. Consigned by Mill Ridge Farm on behalf of his breeders, Martin & Pamela Wygod, Jalil was purchased in 2005 as a yearling for $9.7 million by

Sheikh Mohammed Sheikh Muhammad (1560–1650) was a Muslim saint-poet who is venerated by Hindus. Sheikh Muhammad or alternatively Sheikh Muhammed, Sheikh Mohammad, Sheikh Mohammed may also refer to (in chronological birth order): * Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wah ...

, representing the

Godolphin Racing Godolphin (Arabic: جودلفين) is the Maktoum family's private Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of ...

Operation at the September Yearling Sale. Afterwards, he was sent to Europe and placed in the care of trainer

Saeed bin Suroor Saeed bin Suroor (born 16 November 1968 in Dubai) is a horse racing trainer in Great Britain. He took out his training licence in 1993 and the following year was appointed as the trainer for Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin operation. He has been ...

Racing career (2006)

Jalil made his highly anticipated racing debut as a two-year-old in October, finishing sixth in a maiden race at

Newmarket Racecourse Newmarket Racecourse is a British Thoroughbred horse racing venue in Newmarket, Suffolk, comprising two individual racecourses: the Rowley Mile and the July Course. Newmarket is often referred to as the headquarters of British horserac ...

in Suffolk, England.

Racing career (2007)

After nearly seven months of freshening, Jalil returned to the races in May, finished a strong second in a maiden race at

Newbury Racecourse Newbury Racecourse is a racecourse and events venue in the civil parish of Greenham, adjoining the town of Newbury in Berkshire, England. It has courses for flat races and over jumps. It hosts one of Great Britain's 36 annual Group 1 flat ...

in Berkshire, England. He finally broke his maiden in his third start, a maiden race at

Ripon Racecourse Ripon Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Ripon, North Yorkshire, England and is nicknamed the Garden Racecourse. History Racing on the present site on Boroughbridge Road began on 6 August 1900. but racing has taken plac ...

North Yorkshire, England North Yorkshire is the largest ceremonial county (lieutenancy area) in England, covering an area of . Around 40% of the county is covered by national parks, including most of the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors. It is one of four cou ...

. He then finished second in the Leads The Way Handicap at

Lingfield Park Lingfield Park Racecourse (commonly referred to as Lingfield) is a horse racing course at Lingfield in Surrey, United Kingdom. It is owned by the ARC Racing and Leisure Group, formerly Arena Leisure Plc. Lingfield is best known as a winter a ...

lingfield, Surrey Lingfield is a village and civil parish in the Tandridge district of Surrey, England, approximately south of London. Several buildings date from the Tudor period and the timber-frame medieval church is Grade I listed. The stone cage or old ...

in October. Afterwards, he was rested for the remainder of the year in anticipation of his four-year-old campaign.

Racing career (2008)

Jalil's first start on the dirt was a winning effort in his first start as a four-year-old in the Meydan Marina Handicap in February at

Nad Al Sheba Racecourse Nad Al Sheba Racecourse was Thoroughbred horse racing facility in Dubai, United Arab Emirates opened in 1986. It had a 2,200 m left-handed dirt race track and a left-handed turf course of the same distance. It operated from November through March ...

Dubai Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...

. He followed up this triumph with back-to-back authoritative scores in the Zawaj Handicap and the

Group 2 The term Group 2 may refer to: * Alkaline earth metal, a chemical element classification * Astronaut Group 2, also known as The New Nine, the second group of astronauts selected by NASA in 1962 * Group 2 (racing), an FIA classification for cars in ...

Maktoum Challenge Stakes, both at Nad Al Sheba. His final race at Nad Al Sheba was in the $6,000,000 GI

Dubai World Cup The Dubai World Cup (Arabic: كأس دبي العالمي) is a Thoroughbred horse race held annually since 1996 and contested at the Meydan Racecourse (Arabic: ميدان) which in Arabic suggests a place wh ...

, where he finished eighth behind, among others, 2007 Horse of the Year

Curlin Curlin (foaled March 25, 2004, in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the American Horse of the Year in both 2007 and 2008. He retired in 2008 as the highest North American money earner with over US$10.5 million accumu ...

. Jalil made his North American debut on August 30, 2008, at Suffolk Downs in East Boston, Massachusetts. Running in the $50,000 Waquoit Stakes, he finished third at 1-5 odds. It is believed that the race was an attempt to get in a prep race over the Suffolk strip in preparation for the $500,000 Massachusetts Handicap, also at Suffolk Downs, scheduled for September 20, 2008.

Stud career

Jalil was exported to China in 2011 to stand at stud to "support the emergence of the Chinese thoroughbred industry." In 2013 he passed into private local ownership.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jalil 2004 racehorse births Thoroughbred family 3-n Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United Arab Emirates Horse racing in China