California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit), winner of the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Preakness S. in 2014 and a game runner-up in last year's G1 Dubai World Cup, is the marquee name among U.S.-based horses nominated to the world's richest horse race and the supporting events, to be staged Saturday, Mar. 26 at Meydan Racecourse.
The flashy chestnut, who has already settled in comfortably in the desert, is scheduled to have a single local prep for the World Cup Feb. 25, Alan Sherman, assistant trainer to his father Art, confirmed Wednesday (see related story pxx).
Trainer Bob Baffert is a two-time winner of the World Cup (Silver Charm, 1998; Captain Steve, 2001) and could be represented by the consistent Hoppertunity (Any Given Saturday), while Keen Ice–a son of 2008 World Cup hero Curlin–has been entered for the 10-furlong race by trainer Dale Romans, who sent out Roses in May to a World Cup romp in 2005. Keen Ice famously took down the colors of Horse of the Year American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) in the 2015 GI Travers S.
Frosted (Tapit), another member of last year's Classic generation, has also arrived in Dubai for the World Cup and could be joined by his stablemates and 'TDN Rising Stars' Marking (Bernardini) and Watershed (Distorted Humor), each of whom were also entered for the G1 Golden Shaheen and G2 Godolphin Mile.
The names of American horses were more difficult to spot in the night's longer turf races. Mshawish (Medaglia d'Oro), currently prepping for the GI Donn H. at Gulfstream Park, holds entries in the G1 Dubai Turf–in which he was third to Solow (Ire) (Singspiel {Ire}) in 2015–the World Cup itself and the G2 Godolphin Mile. The Pizza Man (English Channel) would represent America's best hope in the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic, while Mongolian Saturday (Any Given Saturday) and Lady Shipman (Midshipman) could fly the red-white-and-blue in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint over the straight 1000-meter course. The latter was also given an entry for the G1 Golden Shaheen, joining the aforementioned Godolphin-owned duo. Trainer David Jacobson has nominated Stallwalkin' Dude (City Place) and Salutos Amigos (Salute the Sarge). X Y Jet (Kantharos), tearaway winner in his last two starts of the GIII Mr. Prospector S. and Sunshine Millions Sprint, was not entered at the first stage, nor was any of the top three finishers from the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint. Charming Kitten (Kitten's Joy) is the lone American entrant for the G2 Dubai Gold Cup over two miles.
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