Mshawish Possible for Dubai World Cup

by Alan Carasso

Al Shaqab Racing’s Mshawish (Medaglia d’Oro), who overcame traffic in the stretch and knifed through between horses to win the GI Gulfstream Park Turf H. last Saturday, has come out of the race nicely and is being targeted for a start on Dubai World Cup night, according to Al Shaqab’s USA Racing Advisor Bradley Weisbord. In addition to the G1 Dubai Turf, a race in which he was a respectable fourth last March, the 5-year-old is also a candidate for the G2 Godolphin Mile or even the G1 Dubai World Cup. 

“Dirt is a definite option in Dubai [for Mshawish], whether it’s the Mile or the World Cup,” Weisbord confirmed. “We’re going to leave the decision up to Sheikh Joann on which race he’d like to run in. He ran well in Dubai last year, which is a bonus. He won the [G2] Zabeel Mile and we have no reason to believe that being a year older and probably better, that he wouldn’t run well this year.” 

Al Shaqab could also be represented in the feature race by their recent purchase Toast of New York (Thewayyouare).

Weisbord said that the Al Shaqab team and trainer Todd Pletcher have been especially impressed with the way the two-time Keeneland sales graduate and €170,000 Arqana May breezer has trained over the main track at Palm Beach Downs this winter. 

“I’ve been around Animal Kingdom training and Bodemeister–some of the top horses on dirt,” said Weisbord, who has previously worked for both Team Valor and Zayat Stables. “I have never seen a horse train as he has in the mornings. If you look at his workout pattern, it’s almost bullets every week. What you can’t see is that he’s going by himself. He’s going so good, Todd doesn’t even want to pair him up with anything. He’s breezing :47 and galloping out strong all by himself, all on the dirt. Unlike the summer, he’s turned into a different workhorse on dirt down here in Florida.” 

He continued, “Had the Grade I option on turf not been available, We probably would have run him in the [GI] Donn [H]. But because we were looking to win a Grade I with him and enhance his value as a stallion, we wanted to go the easier route, which was to run where we did.” 

While Mshawish is the star of the older horses owned by Al Shaqab Racing, connections have the highest hopes for their TDN Rising Star Khozan (Distorted Humor). A $350,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling, the half-brother to multiple champion Royal Delta (Empire Maker) cost $1 million as a Fasig-Tipton Florida juvenile and successfully overcame the 14 hole to register a 3 3/4-length debut success at Gulfstream Jan. 24. 

“Khozan breezed a half-mile Sunday in :49 and we’re targeting a one-mile allowance race Feb. 21, a race we believe will lead us to the [GI] Florida Derby [Mar. 28],” Weisbord reported. “Right now, as long as he breezes well this weekend, he will run in the allowance race on the Fountain of Youth undercard.”

Weisbord anticipates that the reach of Al Shaqab in the U.S. will broaden in 2015. He expects some horses in training overseas to make their way to the States and he expects the team will be active at the 2-year-old sales beginning in March. He will accompany Pletcher on the conditioner’s first trip to Qatar for the Emir’s Trophy Feb. 26. Al Shaqab’s Dubday (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) will be favored to successfully defend his title in that 2400-meter turf test and a positive result could lead to a start in the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic Mar. 28.