Dubai World Cup on the minds of Breeders' Cup connections

The form of Dubai World Cup night was strong on Saturday at the Breeders’ Cup, with a number of connections already looking forward to another of the world's richest races.

Each of the second through fourth-place runners in the Breeders' Cup Classic will be considered for the March 30 Dubai World Cup, as trainer Antonio Sano said runner-up Gunnevera will point to the Pegasus World Cup before a possible return trip to Dubai.

Thunder Snow, third in the Classic, will return to Dubai on a Thursday flight to prepare for a 5-year-old season and defense of his Dubai World Cup victor. He will commence his winter campaign in either the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1 (G2) on Jan. 10 or Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 (G2) on Feb. 7.  Yoshida, who ran a fast-closing fourth for trainer and 1996 Dubai World Cup winner Bill Mott, is possible to point for the 2019 edition, but no solid plans have been made just yet.

"(Thunder Snow) ran a huge race,” trainer Saeed bin Suroor reported after the Classic. “I’m happy with him. It’s the big stage and the big race with the best horses in the world and it was a good run from him. Now we take him back to Dubai to Sheikh Mohammed to prepare for the Dubai World Cup. It was no problem with the draw. I wasn’t really worried about that. He jumped well and was in a nice position. It was too fast early, but he still ran a huge race. I’m happy with that.” 

Owner Charles Fipke and trainer Dallas Stewart, whose partnership resulted in champion Forever Unbridled’s fifth-place finish in the 2018 Dubai World Cup, may be back for more in March. Their Seeking the Soul was second on Saturday in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile to City of Light.

"We just got outrun today and that’s horse racing. We’ll point toward the Pegasus from here," Stewart said Saturday. He added the day after: “Hopefully we can get an invite for Dubai.”

With excitement already beginning to build for the centerpiece of Meydan’s racing calendar, it is worthwhile to keep an eye on Bob Baffert-trained McKinzie (12th  as the Classic’s second choice), who fits the mould of the three-time winner’s prototypical DWC horses, as well as Axelrod (ninth), who was recently purchased in part by Dubai-based Phoenix Thoroughbreds.