Best of Both Worlds

It would be awfully difficult to script a better homecoming than this.

Kiaran McLaughlin–a three-time leading conditioner in Dubai and trainer of 2007 G1 World Cup hero Invasor (Arg)–returns to the desert with a four-pronged challenge Saturday, headed by Frosted (Tapit) in the world's richest race. He will also be extremely well-represented on the World Cup's blockbuster undercard with Confrontation (War Pass) (G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen) as well as 'TDN Rising Stars' Lady Shipman (Midshipman) (G1 Al Quoz Sprint) and Marking (Bernardini) (G2 Godolphin Mile).

After calling Dubai home for the better part of a decade as trainer for the Maktoum family while splitting his time in New York, McLaughlin relocated permanently back to the U.S. in 2003. How important is it to him to be able to compete on an evening like this again?

“It means a lot,” McLaughlin replied. “It's really great to have a chance to win with something on the night again this year, whether it's Lady Shipman, Marking, Confrontation or Frosted. We are very privileged as 'Team McLaughlin' to be involved with one of the greatest teams in racing and one of the best teams in professional sports, Godolphin. We're blessed to be with them and happy to be over there running at Meydan.”

The native of Lexington, Kentucky, hasn't started a horse on the Dubai World Cup program since Albertus Maximus's sixth-place run in the main event in 2009, the final renewal held at Nad Al Sheba.

“I have great memories of Nad Al Sheba–we had a lot of fun there,” McLaughlin reflected. “But Meydan is unbelievable, it's a wow. It's really incredible. The size of it and the quality of everything–the track, seating, viewing and building–is amazing. It was great to go see it [in February] because it was just under construction when we left in 2009 after Albertus Maximus ran. It's really an unbelievable facility.”

A former assistant to the legendary Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas, the 55-year-old's high-powered operation has grossed seven figures in North American earnings for each of the past 14 seasons, topped by $9.6 million in purses in 2015, good for eighth overall in the nation. While Closing Argument came within a half-length of causing a 71-1 stunner in the 2005 GI Kentucky Derby–could this be his year?–McLaughlin won his first American Classic with Jazil in the following term's GI Belmont S. He has also trained a pair of Breeders' Cup winners, including a Classic tally by the aforementioned 2006 Horse of the Year. In addition to his invaluable time spent with the 'Coach,' McLaughlin–diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1998–also came up under trainers James Burchell, John Hennig, David Kassen and Tim Muckler as well as briefly serving as a jockey's agent for the late Chris Antley.

“Growing up, the Kentucky Derby was my dream because there wasn't a Dubai World Cup yet in 1973 when I was watching Secretariat run,” said McLaughlin, who, of course, campaigns the East Coast's leading Derby hopeful Mohaymen (Tapit). “Winning the World Cup [with Invasor] was equally as important as a Kentucky Derby win would be–they're 1 and 1a for me. Working for the Maktoum family and to be able to go back to their country with a horse they own and win their race in their country–it's hard to top that. I would love to do it again.”

The World On a String…

While Invasor prepped for the World Cup with a dramatic win after clipping heels in the GI Donn H. at Gulfstream Park, McLaughlin has taken a different approach with his three dirt runners for the 'Boys in Blue' this time around.

“We wanted to go over there to support the Carnival–we love Dubai,” McLaughlin said when asked about having his horses prep locally this winter. “And, yes, it was important to get a race over the track with all of them as well.”

Frosted, hero of last term's GI Wood Memorial and runner-up behind the mighty American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) in the GI Belmont S., kicked off his 4-year-old campaign in style with a track-record setting performance in Meydan's G2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round Two Feb. 4. The gray, also a close fourth in last year's 'Run for the Roses' and third in the GI Travers S., concluded his sophomore campaign with a disappointing seventh in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland Oct. 31. Last term's GII Pennsylvania Derby hero, produced by a graded stakes winning half-sister to champion Midshipman (Unbridled's Song), heads to the World Cup for a highly anticipated clash with 2014 Horse of the Year California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit).

The 6-year-old Confrontation, multiple graded stakes placed in the U.S. for trainer Barclay Tagg and co-owners Eric Dattner and Harry Astarita, was a convincing winner in his first attempt for Godolphin and McLaughlin in the 1600-meter G3 Firebreak S. at Meydan Feb. 4. The dark bay was making his first appearance since a second-place finish behind subsequent GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Liam's Map (Unbridled's Song) in a salty optional claimer going a mile at Belmont last June. He cuts back in trip to 1200 meters for the Golden Shaheen.

Things went much smoother the second time around in Dubai for Godolphin Mile contender Marking. Runner-up to champion Runhappy (Super Saver) in the GI Malibu S. at Santa Anita Dec. 26, the son of two-time Grade I victress Seventh Street (Street Cry {Ire}) dumped his rider when they sprung the latch in the Feb. 11 Al Shindagha Sprint at Meydan, but atoned next time despite hopping at the start to win going away beneath the lights in a Feb. 25 handicap, stopping the timer in a snappy 1:10.86 for six furlongs.

Randy Lowe homebred and GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint runner-up Lady Shipman, meanwhile, made her first attempt fitted with a McLaughlin white bridle a winning one with a facile score in Gulfstream's Ladies' Turf Sprint S. Feb. 6. The seven-time stakes winner, a $35,000 RNA at the OBSAPR 2-year-old sale, set a new course record in Saratoga's Smart N Fancy S. last summer. The 2015 Eclipse Award finalist for champion female sprinter takes on the boys in the Al Quoz.

Following an 11-hour van ride from Palm Meadows in Florida to Atlanta and an uneventful flight to the Middle East, McLaughlin's troops, bar Lady Shipman, joined Charlie Appelby's string while kept in isolation in their own barn at Godolphin's Marmoom Stables in Dubai in late January. Kiaran's brother Neal McLaughlin has been overseeing their activity since arrival. Lady Shipman touched down in Dubai in mid-March.

“We hope to do it every year,” McLaughlin said of competing in Dubai for the Carnival. “It's a long way to travel, but the horses handle it well, for the most part.”

He continued, “I think it helps [being based at Marmoom], but I wouldn't have been opposed to being stabled at Meydan. We elected to train right-handed here, too, because we're [training] by ourselves. Charlie Appelby trains here, but we're not allowed to go on the same track with his horses. We go around his sets.”

American Invasion…

Despite the obvious concerns of racing medication-free combined with a demanding overseas journey, several other top-level American-based horses–led, of course, by the aforementioned California Chrome–will be competing beneath the lights at Meydan this weekend. In addition to the 2014 dual Classic winner and last year's World Cup runner-up, Hoppertunity (Any Given Saturday) (World Cup), Keen Ice (Curlin) (World Cup), Mshawish (Medaglia d'Oro) (World Cup), Flamboyant (Fr) (Peer Gynt {Fr}) (G1 Dubai Turf), X Y Jet (Kantharos) (Shaheen) and Frank Conversation (Quality Road) (G2 UAE Derby) will all be representing the red, white and blue. Meydan's former all-weather Tapeta surface was replaced with dirt for the 2014-15 season.

“Maybe I don't want to keep promoting racing over there shipping from America,” McLaughlin said with a laugh. “Maybe it's better if people don't go and find out that it's not that difficult to do.”

Like many of McLaughlin's young horses, Frosted made the first three starts of his career at two competing without Lasix, including a runaway maiden win at Aqueduct. Lady Shipman, previously campaigned by trainer Kathleen O'Connell up to her 2015 finale in the Breeders' Cup, has never raced without the medication. Confrontation and Marking made their first career starts without Lasix in Dubai this winter.

“The medication is a whole other issue,” McLaughlin offered. “If you're a bad bleeder, you might not want to go [to Dubai]. But for the most part over the years we didn't have many bleeders there. I know that's a concern to a lot of people in American racing, but they will run without it and run the same. We're glad we found out that they were fine without any medication.”

Once multiple Grammy Award-winner Janet Jackson puts the finishing touches on the World Cup program with a post-race concert, the action may just be getting started for Team McLaughlin back in America this spring. Shadwell's Mohaymen will place his unbeaten tag on the line versus champion Nyquist (Uncle Mo) in a GI Florida Derby for the ages the following weekend at Gulfstream Park.

“It's fabulous and very exciting,” McLaughlin concluded while remaining as level-headed as ever. “It's a great spot that we're in right now, but we also realize that anything can happen in a short time. We hope that they all stay together and everything goes well and we have a great Mar. 26 World Cup night, and, hopefully, Mohaymen can keep going, too. We understand the game, but we're all very excited as a team, including the owners, and hopefully we'll be able to keep it going.”