No matter what way you look at it, the American contingent forms an imposing presence in the $10 million G1 Dubai World Cup, the world's richest horse race that will celebrate its 21st renewal under the lights at Meydan Racecourse Saturday.
The 2014 GI Kentucky Derby and GI Preakness S. winner and American Horse of the Year California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit) suffered an agonizing defeat on this night 12 months ago when run down late by longshot Prince Bishop (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the World Cup, but the strapping chestnut will be chasing more than just redemption here. Should he win the $6,000,000 lion's share of the purse, California Chrome would surpass the 2008 World Cup winner Curlin (Smart Strike) as the richest-ever North American-based Thoroughbred.
By all reports from connections, California Chrome is training as good, if not better than ever, and he rewarded the decision to prepare him in Dubai with a facile two-length win in a World Cup track-and-trip handicap Feb. 25. Alan Sherman, son of and assistant to trainer Art Sherman, has been stationed in Dubai with the 5-year-old since late January, and he explained this week, “We just felt he would have longer to acclimatise and it would be to his benefit. He won his comeback at home [the GII San Pasqual S. Jan. 10] and again on his return here. The idea was to have the Dubai World Cup as his third run of 2016 as we really think, after a break, the third run back is the time a horse will peak. Hopefully, that will be the case on Saturday.”
Sherman added, “He missed a lot of last year but he returned to training a far bigger, stronger, horse. We could not be more happy with him.”
California Chrome drew gate 11 of 12 at Wednesday's draw and Art Sherman, having arrived in Dubai Monday night, was philosophical about the position after choosing second from last. “A wide draw should not matter if you have the right horse and we think we do,” he said. “He has plenty of tactical speed so stall 11 should not be an inconvenience.”
While the Shermans are chasing their first World Cup win with the favourite, they will have to contend with a pair of compatriots who have not only won the world's richest race, but who bring Grade I-winning 3-year-olds from last year.
Kiaran McLaughlin, formerly based in the UAE and the winner of the 2007 World Cup with Sheikh Hamdan's Invasor (Arg) (Candy Stripes), has not started a horse on the World Cup card since 2009, the final renewal at Nad Al Sheba, and he brings a small but select team to Saturday's card, headed by last year's GI Wood Memorial S. winner Frosted (Tapit), who was second to American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) in the GI Belmont S. and third behind Keen Ice (Curlin) and the Triple Crown winner in the GI Travers S. Like California Chrome, Frosted has made his preparations at Meydan; he won the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge R2 by five lengths Feb. 4, breaking the 9 1/2 furlong track record in the process.
“He was a very good 3-year-old who kept running into American Pharoah, which was tough,” trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said. “I'm very happy he stayed in training. The year has started out great. We thought he needed the race, but instead he broke the track record. He was more fit than we thought. He's trained outstanding since.”
Frosted was ridden in Round 2 by Godolphin retained rider William Buick, who will also be aboard Saturday when they exit from gate nine. Buick rode Prince Bishop to victory last year, and he will be once again looking to run down California Chrome in the stretch. “He's a very nice ride to have in the race,” Buick said of Frosted. “It's an open race, I think. California Chrome and Frosted are the two standouts, but you have to respect all of the other runners.”
“I couldn't have been more pleased [with the prep race],” Buick added. “He had an easy race, a good trip, and came out of the race very well. After all that he still broke the track record, which was quite impressive. He'll have to up his game [Saturday], but he can do it.”
Godolphin will be looking for its seventh win in the world's richest race, having last tasted victory with African Story (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) in 2014.
Trainer Dale Romans took the 2005 renewal of the World Cup with Roses In May (Devil His Due), and he saddles Donegal Racing's Keen Ice Saturday. The bay wrote his name in the history books last year as the only horse to defeat American Pharoah during the Triple Crown winner's Classic campaign, but he will have to bounce back from a flat seventh-place finish behind Special Fighter (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) in the G1 Al Maktoum Challenge R3 on Super Saturday Mar. 5, when he was beaten 12 lengths. Keen Ice was that day coming off a sixth-place effort behind Mshawish (Medaglia d'Oro) in the Feb. 6 GI Donn H., and therefore has something to prove, but the 4-year-old reportedly pleased connections in his final pre-race work last Saturday and has been a picture of health on-track in the mornings this week.
Reflecting on the significance of the event, Romans said, “Ten million brings out the best of everything, and it should. It's been the richest race in the world since its inception, but now it's become the most prestigious older-horse race in the world. You can't buy prestige, but if you look at the history of the horses who have won it, it's consistently been the best in the division worldwide.”
Romans noted that some things, including the venue, had changed since his victory 11 years ago.
“This is a little different to Roses In May, but it's still a horse race. Winning it was a life-changing moment for me. I was very proud to win it and for anyone who is fortunate to do so, it will change their life a lot more than just money would.”
Al Shaqab Racing is a rapidly growing force in racing worldwide, and Sheikh Joaan's stable relies on Mshawish to take the World Cup trophy back across the Persian Gulf to Qatar. While he represents Qatari ownership, Mshawish is in fact trained in the U.S. by perennial leading trainer Todd Pletcher, and the bay has consistently displayed top form on both dirt and turf over the past year. He won the GI Gulfstream Park Turf H. before finishing a highly respectable third in last year's G1 Dubai Turf on this card. After 19 straight starts on the grass he tried dirt for the first time in last year's GI Cigar Mile, finishing a close-up fourth, and has this year won the GIII Hal's Hope S. and the Donn. Pletcher gave Mshawish's trackwork this week two thumbs up, saying, “It seems like he is in good form. He moves over this track effortlessly. He just sort of floats over it, and hopefully that continues.”
The American contingent is completed by Hoppertunity (Any Given Saturday), who looks to provide trainer Bob Baffert with a third World Cup trophy to add to his wins in 1998 with Silver Charm and 2001 with Captain Steve.
It was Jimmy Barnes who became a household name last year while traveling the U.S. with American Pharoah, and this time Barnes's wife, Dana Barnes, takes the reins, having spent the week in Dubai with Hoppertunity. Barnes also oversaw the preparations of the Baffert-trained Secret Circle (Eddington) prior to his G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen win last year, and she said, “It's going to be really hard to top last year but that would definitely be up there.”
“He's doing perfectly,” Barnes said of Hoppertunity, who was third behind California Chrome in the San Pasqual before winning the 1 1/8 mile GII San Antonio S. Feb. 6. “Everything has gone smoothly. He's as happy as can be.”
Mubtaahij (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) was one of the more visually impressive winners on last year's World Cup card when he won the G2 UAE Derby by eight lengths, and he was given a prolonged break after traveling to America to run eighth in the Kentucky Derby and fourth in the GI Belmont S. Things haven't exactly gone to plan for the 4-year-old this season, however; he was a dull fifth on return in the G3 Firebreak S. Feb. 4, and failed to make up ground when fourth, beaten 7 1/2 lengths, in Round 3 Mar. 5. “First time, in the Firebreak S., we kept telling everybody he was 80% fit and tackling a 1600 metre trip too sharp for him,” trainer Mike de Kock explained. “Super Saturday was, on the face of it, disappointing, but the more you look at the race, all the dirt races on that day even, there seemed a definite bias towards those on the pace. I can say he is spot on for Saturday and we expect him to run a big race.”
Gun Pit (Aus) (Dubawi {Ire}) carries the hopes of Hong Kong, having put in a big effort on local debut to be second in Round 3, and Group 2 winner Vadamos (Fr) (Monsun {Ger}) brings further international appeal, flying the flag of France off a second-place finish to champion Solow (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}) in a Chantilly conditions race Mar. 3.
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