By Alan Carasso
Keen Ice (Curlin) continues to impress railbirds and connections alike as last year's GI Travers S. upsetter approaches a start in Round 3 of the G1 Al Maktoum Challenge at Meydan Racecourse. The centerpiece of the 'Super Saturday' program Mar. 5, the $400,000 Maktoum Challenge is contested over the same course and distance as the G1 Dubai World Cup three weeks further down the line.
“I've talked with [assistant trainer] Tammy Fox who's riding him over there and she says he feels terrific under her,” commented Jerry Crawford, president of the Donegal Racing partnership.
Keen Ice, whose sire won the 2008 World Cup–also with a prep beforehand–was never dangerous when a distant fourth to Horse of the Year American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic Oct. 31, but bounced back to be a fast-finishing fourth, beaten a length, behind Effinex (Mineshaft) in the GI Clark H. at Churchill Downs Nov. 27. Freshened with an eye on a preparation geared towards the World Cup, the strapping bay resumed as the 23-10 favorite in the GI Donn H. at Gulfstream Park Feb. 8, checking in an even sixth. Crawford was far from dissatisfied with the effort.
The Donn result was “not greatly different from what we expected,” Crawford acknowledged. “That track is as biased against his running style as a track could be. You've got the short run to the first turn and the short stretch on a speed-favoring surface and there was no pace in that race at all. Whenever that's the case, he's going to struggle to be successful, but none of those conditions should be present in Dubai, so we're looking for pretty exciting things.”
Like the connections of California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit) and Frosted (Tapit), who have chosen to get a race into their horses over the track prior to World Cup night, Crawford believes such a strategy is in the best interest of their runner.
“He is a horse that needs a lot of work and he does his best with more racing rather than less racing,” he said. “Coming off the break, I think this is exactly the right thing for him. He's very much on the muscle, he's aggressive and he's a pretty arrogant horse to be around, which can lead to some challenges, but not in any sort of way that causes a problem.”
In Dale Romans, Crawford has trainer that has been there, done that, having saddled Roses in May (Devil His Due) to a romping success in the world's richest horse race in 2005.
“Dale knows the routine, so I think that's very helpful, and Tammy has been there multiple times and she likes it over there very much. Dale has so much confidence in this horse that it tends to permeate the whole organization.”
While Eclipse Award-winning jockey Javier Castellano has the call on Keen Ice for the World Cup, Crawford indicated they have yet to firm up a commitment for the Maktoum Challenge.
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