Zipse: American interest strong on Dubai World Cup night
While the Kentucky Derby trail is currently all the rage in American racing, one of the biggest cards on the international scene is just days away. Led by the $12 million Dubai World Cup, Meydan Racecourse is set to host a lavish evening of equine royalty on Saturday, and with many of the races held on dirt, the United States will be well represented at the oasis in the desert.
The nine-race card will include a steady diet of stars from both here and abroad, but of course, it is the night's finale, the Dubai World Cup, which is the headliner. Contested at 2,000 meters (about 10 furlongs) over Meydan's dirt course, the rich event has attracted a prospective field of 13, including a quartet of Americans who most recently ran on the Pegasus World Cup card.
Seeking the Soul had the most success that day, as he rallied up the rail to finish second behind City of Light in the day's headliner. Others coming directly out of the Pegasus World Cup include last year's Florida Derby winner, Audible, and last year's Breeders' Cup Classic runner-up, Gunnevera. Neither did their best running on the sloppy track at Gulfstream Park, but both are capable of doing much better than their respective fifth and sixth place finishes in America's richest race.
While any of the three are threats to win the Dubai World Cup on their best day, perhaps it is the horse coming out of the Pegasus World Cup Turf, who is most interesting of all on Saturday.
Yoshida, who also did not fire his best shot when sixth in the inaugural Pegasus Turf, is a Grade 1 winner on turf, and has only run on the dirt two times, but both were strong efforts. His dirt debut came last summer when he bested Gunnevera and Seeking the Soul in the Grade 1 Woodward. That big win directly proceeded a wide, rallying fourth-place result in the Breeders' Cup Classic.
“It sounds like there’s a lot of pace from the local horses, but we have a horse that’s pretty versatile in the way he runs,” said Riley Mott, assistant to his father and Yoshida's trainer, Bill Mott. “He’s able to adapt to the pace scenario, so we don’t have to be too concerned. It’s just a matter of how the race develops in front of him.”
Others competing in the Dubai World Cup, and well known to American race fans, include the Jockey Club Gold Cup runner-up, Thunder Snow, the Belmont Stakes runner-up, Gronkowski, Grade 1 winner, Pavel, and the Indiana Derby victor, Axelrod.
Although familiar in the United States, Thunder Snow was bred in Ireland and is very much a world traveler. His biggest victory came in this very race last year when he romped home an easy winner of the 2018 Dubai World Cup. The son of Helmet has had one prep since a game third-place finish in America's Breeders' Cup Classic. Well beaten when second to Capezzano in the local prep, the four-time winner at Meydan figures to be geared up for this one, and could well repeat.
“He did his final serious piece of work on Saturday and went very well indeed," said Thunder Snow's trainer Saeed bin Suroor. "He needed his Super Saturday outing — his first run since November — badly and has come on a lot for it. We expect him to run a big race under conditions we know suit him, but obviously it is a good race.”
Finally, other Dubai veterans, including North America and the aforementioned Capezzano, also may have a big say on the outcome on Saturday evening. The latter is a son of Bernardini who has won three straight locally, while the former is 7-of-11 lifetime at Meydan.
Meanwhile, the Dubai World Cup is far from the only race in which the Americans are poised to shine on the star-studded evening at Meydan. Chief among them is the $2.5 million Golden Shaheen.
Our two-time Eclipse Award winning sprinter, Roy H heads a field of 10 for the rich, 1,200 meters (about 6 furlongs) event. Upset in this race last year, the 7-year-old son of More Than Ready has run just once since winning his second consecutive Breeders' Cup Sprint victory last fall. A sharp score in the Palos Verdes (G2) back in January at Santa Anita promises that the champ is in excellent form this time around.
“This is a very deep race with a lot of good horses," said Peter Miller, trainer of Roy H. "If he runs his race, he’s better than these horses. He’s beaten these horses on numerous occasions and we travelled halfway around the world. We’re not competing in a home game, so there is no such thing as a cinch, but if he runs his race, he’s the best horse and there is no doubt about it — but that’s an awfully big if.”
Standing in his way of his first victory in Dubai will be a trio of standout American sprinters, all of which are familiar foes to Roy H. In last year's edition of the Golden Shaheen, X Y Jet was a stubborn challenger to Roy H, and in fact never let him by, only getting passed by a storming Mind Your Biscuits in the final strides. He shares common ownership (Rockingham Ranch) with Roy H, and has a couple of preps this year at Gulfstream Park already under his belt in hopes of improving upon his near miss in 2018.
Imperial Hint, runner-up in the 2017 Breeders' Cup Sprint, has disappointed in his last two efforts, but before that had proven to be one of the world's fastest horses on numerous occasions.
And finally, Promises Fulfilled rounds out the formidable American team in the Golden Shaheen. The youngster of the group proved to be one of America's best sprinters for trainer Dale Romans with three consecutive graded stakes scores leading up to last year's Breeders' Cup Sprint.
While American-based runners likely have a stranglehold in the Golden Shaheen, and a big shot in the Dubai World Cup, there are other opportunities to take home the hardware on Saturday evening.
Plus Que Parfait and Gray Magician will take a shot in the UAE Derby with $2.5 million and Kentucky Derby qualifying points on the line, while Stormy Liberal and Belvoir Bay are prime candidates in the $2 million Al Quoz Sprint on the turf. Rounding out American runners, in the $1.5 million Godolphin Mile look for both True Timber and Coal Front to have a say in the outcome.