This Saturday, horses from the six inhabitable continents will converge on Nad al Sheba for the world's richest day of horse racing, the Dubai World Cup. Seven races will offer a combined $21.25 million in purse money with 14 American-based horses vying for supremacy against 68 other entrants from all corners of the world.
Nad al Sheba is very different from the typical racetrack. Seven miles from downtown Dubai, the roads leading to the track are littered with signs warning drivers to stay alert for the occasional camel crossing.
Saturday's feature race, the $6 million Dubai World Cup, is led by Invasor, the reigning American Horse of the Year, and the undefeated colt, Discreet Cat. Invasor is owned by Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum while his brother, the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum owns Discreet Cat. Five other contenders will take their chance to knock off the two top choices. The field of seven will be the smallest in the 12-year history of the race.
Invasor's conditioner, American trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, noted Wednesday at the post position draw that a win in the Dubai World Cup would be the biggest victory of his career.
Discreet Cat has just six lifetime starts, but one of them was a seven-length triumph one year ago in the United Arab Emirates Derby, where he handed Invasor his only lifetime defeat.
Premium Tap, viewed as the third-choice in the Dubai World Cup, spent the majority of his career in America before being purchased by King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia and shipped to Riyadh. King Abdullah retained Premium Tap's American trainer and jockey, John Kimmel and Kent Desormeaux, to keep a familiar training regimen in place leading up to the single most lucrative race in the world.
Horses based in America will compete in five of the seven races, representing the largest contingent to make the long journey to Dubai.
Fan favorite Lava Man will make his second start outside of the United States when he goes in the $5 million Dubai Duty Free on the turf.
Americans filled the first five positions at the finish of the 2006 Dubai Golden Shaheen, the six-furlong dirt sprint race on the World Cup card, and five more will attempt to do it again in the 2007 version.
Kelly's Landing, owner of the six-furlong track record at Churchill Downs, has drawn favorably in the third stall in the gate. Trainer Todd Pletcher, whose horses earned over $26 million in 2006, has two entrants in the Golden Shaheen in the form of Bishop Court Hill and Friendly Island.
Trainer Doug O'Neill has Harvard Avenue poised to run a big one in the Golden Shaheen. The son of You And I has trained exceptionally well in the mornings at Nad al Sheba and couldn't be coming into the race looking any better. Nightmare Affair, a Florida-based Golden Shaheen contender, has raced his entire career without the bleeder medication Lasix, and his connections feel that will be an added advantage as Lasix is not permitted in Dubai.
Pletcher has two longshots going in the $5 million Dubai Sheema Classic, a 1 1/2-mile turf race with 15 entries bred in 10 different countries. A spectacular cast has been assembled, which includes 2006 Breeders' Cup Turf champion Red Rocks, making his first start since the big American victory, along with England's Vodafone Derby winner Sir Percy and Collier Hill, the well-traveled winner of the 2006 Canadian International at Woodbine.
California-based Dixie Meister and Spring At Last will represent the stars and stripes in the $1 million Godolphin Mile. Dixie Meister's trainer, Julio Canani, has had success in this race in the past taking the 2000 version with Ladies Din.
