Tamarkuz

Tamarkuz (foaled February 26, 2010) is a retired racehorse who won the 2016 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.
Background.
Tamarkuz is a chestnut horse bought for $325,000 in Kentucky at the Keenland September Sale by 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.
European career.
In Europe Tamarkuz only ran 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.
He began running at Meydan Racecourse in 2014 with a fifth-place finish. Just a start later he even failed to finish the race. The injury caused by the race forced him to take ten months off. He returned the following year to win four of five with wins in the Firebreak stakes and the Burj Nahaar, But the highlight was his nose victory over Sloane Avenue in the Godolphin Mile.
American career.
After success in Dubai, Tamarkuz went to America in 2015. He began with a fourth-place finish in the Met Mile, then he was sixth in the Forego Stakes, and another fourth in the Kelso Handicap. He returned to run in America in 2016 and ran in the same 3 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. He went off at odds of 11-1 running against Champions such as, Breeders cup Spring winner Runhappy, and Santa Anita Derby winner Dortmund. At the start Tamarkuz was last. Quickly he moved up to seventh and than at three quarters of a mile Gun Runner took the lead and Tamarkuz was third. Then Tamarkuz then flew on by Dortmund and Gun Runner to get an 11-1 upset win in the race. Afterwards, he was retired to stand at stud as a sire at Shadwell Farm.