Dubai No Longer Golden

There was a time, not so long ago, that the Dubai World Cup was the early season goal for America’s top dirt horses. The untold glory and riches that were at that time an attainable possibility, made the long, hard, rigorous trip, worthwhile for American connections. However, that was when the Dubai World Cup was run over a conventional dirt surface. For the past three years it has been run over a synthetic surface called Tapeta. I have a message for all current and future connections of top American dirt runners…..TAPETA IS NOT DIRT, STOP PRETENDING THAT IT IS!!!

 

I get it, I really do. For years we dominated the World Cup while it was run over Nad Al Sheba, which was the dirt course at that time. In 14 runnings over that track we won eight. We won the initial running of the race, and then won the third. After that, two years later we won again. The UAE took the next two years before we came back with a rapid fire, winning six consecutive years, five of those being won by a horse that was bred, owned, and race in America. Our final winner, Well Armed , was considered a reliable horse, but not by any means a “Curlin” type, and yet he won the race by a record 14 lengths.

 

After this domination, the sheik decided to create Meydan. This race place did not have a dirt main track, but a synthetic track, one that plays more towards turf runners instead of dirt, and it has shown. Ever since the unveiling of Meydan and its synthetic, main track, surface, not one American horse has come close to taking the prize. In 2010, not one horse of ours was a true dirt horse, and yet we still failed to win. Gio Ponti, our nation’s leading turf start could only muster a fourth place finish. 2011 we sent Fly Down, proven over dirt and Gio Ponti once again, and again we failed to finish in the money. This year, 2012 we sent our Champion three year old female, Royal Delta, and Game On Dude, one our top Classic runners. Again, we were completely humiliated.

 

It would seem apparent that America should keep our horses stateside. Wasn’t it the strong possibility of a large payday and limitless prestige behind your name the factor that made the trip worthwhile? This trip drains a horse, it can take half a season out of our top horses and more often than not they come back at only a percentage of what they were when they left. So, why I ask, do we send our horses all that way, spending all that money, when the likelihood of the risk is so much higher than that of the reward? If the likelihood of taking home the prize was just as good or better than that of coming home empty handed with a horse that may never return to form, then I could see why owners would take a chance….but as of 2010, it is not.

 

We do not breed top class turf/synthetic runners. That is made apparent whenever Europe sends over their second stringers and dominate our turf champions. That was made apparent when Gio Ponti couldn’t even come close to winning the World Cup, a race now dominated by turf/synthetic runners. Keep our champions here. Stop with the greed and campaign our horses here. I understand there are not many grade ones for handicap males, however, stay stateside and start sending our handicap stars to races like the Oaklawn Handicap, New Orleans Handicap, and Pimlico Special. Racing our starts there will only help to get the prestige of those races back up where they belong.

 

Owners, trainers…..I know it is tempting, a 10 million dollar purse that presents a 6 million dollar payday should you win, is beyond tempting. But please, think of what is best for the horse. Sending a horse that is overmatched or untested over a surface, thousands of miles across the sea, is not in their best interest. Please, keep our stars here, so that we may enjoy a full season of the top horses running the entire season at the top of their game.