DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, March 31 (UPI) -- Krypton Factor took advantage of a speed duel in front of him to turn in a super performance in winning Saturday's $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen.
Defending champion Rocket Man, based in Singapore, hooked up with American starter Giant Ryan to set a brutal early pace in the 1,200-meter sprint. As Giant Ryan faded in mid-stretch, Krypton Factor rallied alongside the wearying Rocket Man and shot by to win by 2 1/4 lengths.
Rocket Man held second, 2 lengths ahead of Hong Kong-trained Lucky Nine.
Krypton Factor, a 4-year-old British-bred gelding, is owned by Bahrain connections. He finished in 1:10.79 with Kieren Fallon up for trainer Fawzi Nass.
The other American starter, The Factor, was never in the mix and finished sixth. The Factor is trained by Bob Baffert, who suffered a heart attack Monday shortly after arriving in Dubai but recovered quickly enough to attend Saturday's races at the Meydan Race Course.
