Ten American Horses Versus Globe’s Best on World Cup Day
03/21/2013
By Michele MacDonald
A total of 108 horses from 13 countries have been deemed likely to compete on the world’s richest day of racing, with ten American-based runners trying to win some of the big purses on the $27 million Dubai World Cup (G1) program of eight Thoroughbred events. First post will be at 9:10 a.m. EDT on March 30.
An average of 13 horses will run in each race, with the big fields of world-class competitors offering outstanding wagering opportunities. Ten Group 1 winners are poised to start in the potential field of 13 for the $10 million Dubai World Cup over 2000 meters (about 1 ¼ miles) on Meydan Racecourse’s all-weather track.
American champions Royal Delta and Animal Kingdom will join Dullahan in the World Cup, where they will tangle with 2012 World Cup winner Monterosso and four other Godolphin runners including likely favorite Hunter’s Light, a multiple Group 1 winner and victor in the main Cup prep, the Al Maktoum Challenge Round III (G1) on March 9.
The World Cup also has drawn French-based three-time Group 1 winner Meandre, last year’s Godolphin Mile (G2) winner African Story (one of three horses in the Cup trained by Saeed bin Suroor), and 2011 Irish Derby (G1) and Secretariat Stakes (G1) winner Treasure Beach.
In the $5 million Dubai Sheema Classic (G1), 2012 Japanese Filly Triple Crown and Japan Cup (G1) winner Gentildonna will take on 2011 Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) winner St Nicholas Abbey, ’11 Melbourne Cup (G1) winner Dunaden and multiple Group 1 winner Shareta in a field of 11.
Last year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Little Mike heads the $5 million Dubai Duty Free (G1), contested over 1800 meters (about 1 1/8 miles) on grass. In the likely field of 14 are four Group 1-winning mares, including South Africa’s reigning Horse of the Year Igugu and 2012 Beverly D. Stakes (G1) winner I’m a Dreamer, as well as such talented males as five-time Australian and New Zealand Group 1 winner Ocean Park.
Godolphin will send out several horses familiar to American fans, with last year’s Forego Stakes (G1) winner Emcee making his 2013 debut in the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1), which has drawn a field of 14 including American champion sprinter Trinniberg and defending title holder Krypton Factor.
Last year’s Travers Stakes (G1) winner Alpha will take on 15 tough rivals in a very competitive edition of the $1 million Godolphin Mile (G2). Grade 1-placed Fortify will run in the $2-million UAE Derby (G2), which has drawn two other American-raced colts: Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) runner-up He’s Had Enough and El Camino Real Derby (G3) winner Dice Flavor.
The complete Dubai World Cup program likely fields, with trainers and jockeys when known, are:
$10 Million Dubai World Cup (G1), 2000 meters (about 1 ¼ miles), all-weather
|
1
|
MONTEROSSO (GB)
|
UAE
|
Al Zarooni Mahmoud
|
|
|
2
|
ROYAL DELTA (USA)
|
USA
|
Mott William
|
Mike Smith
|
|
3
|
ANIMAL KINGDOM (USA)
|
USA
|
Motion Graham H
|
Joel Rosario
|
|
4
|
DULLAHAN (USA)
|
USA
|
Romans Dale
|
Gary Stevens
|
|
5
|
MEANDRE (FR)
|
FR
|
Fabre Andre
|
Maxime Guyon
|
|
6
|
CAPPONI (IRE)
|
UAE
|
Al Zarooni Mahmoud
|
|
|
7
|
PLANTEUR (IRE)
|
GB
|
Botti Marco
|
Ryan Moore
|
|
8
|
AFRICAN STORY (GB)
|
UAE
|
Suroor Saeed bin
|
|
|
9
|
HUNTER'S LIGHT (IRE)
|
UAE
|
Suroor Saeed bin
|
|
|
10
|
RED CADEAUX (GB)
|
GB
|
Dunlop Edward
|
|
|
11
|
TREASURE BEACH (GB)
|
SAF
|
de Kock Mike
|
Christophe Soumillon
|
|
12
|
SIDE GLANCE (GB)
|
GB
|
Balding Andrew
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|
|
13
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KASSIANO (GER)
|
UAE
|
Suroor Saeed bin
|
|
$5 Million Dubai Sheema Classic (G1), 2410 meters (about 1 ½ miles), turf
|
1
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GENTILDONNA (JPN)
|
JPN
|
Ishizaka Sei
|
Yasunari Iwata
|
|
2
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ST NICHOLAS ABBEY (IRE)
|
IRE
|
O'Brien Aidan
|
Joseph O'Brien
|
|
3
|
SHARETA (IRE)
|
FR
|
De Royer Dupre Alain
|
Christophe Lemaire
|
|
4
|
DUNADEN (FR)
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FR
|
Delzangles Mikel
|
Jamie Spencer
|
|
5
|
AWAIT THE DAWN (USA)
|
SAF
|
de Kock Mike
|
Pat Cosgrave
|
|
6
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TRAILBLAZER (JPN)
|
JPN
|
Ikee Yasutoshi
|
Yutake Take
|
|
7
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GIROLAMO (GER)
|
GER
|
Schiergen Peter
|
Andrasch Starke
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|
8
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VERY NICE NAME (FR)
|
QAT
|
de Mieulle Alban
|
Olivier Peslier
|
|
9
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MASTERSTROKE (USA)
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UAE
|
Al Zarooni Mahmoud
|
|
|
10
|
PRINCE BISHOP (IRE)
|
UAE
|
Suroor Saeed bin
|
|
|
11
|
SHARESTAN (IRE)
|
UAE
|
Suroor Saeed bin
|
|
$5 Million Dubai Duty Free (G1), 1800 meters (about 1 1/8 miles), turf
|
1
|
LITTLE MIKE (USA)
|
USA
|
Romans Dale
|
Gary Stevens
|
|
2
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OCEAN PARK (NZ)
|
NZ
|
Hennessy Gary
|
Johnny Murtagh
|
|
3
|
GIOFRA (GB)
|
FR
|
De Royer Dupre Alain
|
|
|
4
|
I'M A DREAMER (IRE)
|
GB
|
Simcock David
|
Hayley Turner
|
|
5
|
SAJJHAA (GB)
|
UAE
|
Suroor Saeed bin
|
|
|
6
|
IGUGU (AUS)
|
SAF
|
de Kock Mike
|
Anthony Delpech
|
|
7
|
FRENCH FIFTEEN (FR)
|
FR
|
Clement Nicolas
|
|
|
8
|
THE APACHE (SAF)
|
SAF
|
de Kock Mike
|
Christophe Soumillon
|
|
9
|
MUSHREQ (AUS)
|
SAF
|
de Kock Mike
|
|
|
10
|
TRADE STORM (GB)
|
GB
|
Simcock David
|
|
|
11
|
WIGMORE HALL (IRE)
|
GB
|
Bell Michael
|
|
|
12
|
AESOP'S FABLES (USA)
|
UAE
|
Suroor Saeed bin
|
|
|
13
|
CITY STYLE (USA)
|
UAE
|
Al Zarooni Mahmoud
|
|
|
14
|
FULBRIGHT (GB)
|
UAE
|
Al Zarooni Mahmoud
|
|
$2 Million Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1), 1200 meters (about six furlongs), all-weather
|
1
|
MENTAL (AUS)
|
UAE
|
Al Zarooni Mahmoud
|
|
|
2
|
GORDON LORD BYRON (IRE)
|
IRE
|
Hogan Tom
|
William Buick
|
|
3
|
TRINNIBERG (USA)
|
USA
|
Parbhoo Shivananda
|
Willie Martinez
|
|
4
|
REYNALDO THE WIZARD (USA)
|
UAE
|
Seemar Satish
|
Richard Mullen
|
|
5
|
KRYPTON FACTOR (GB)
|
BAH
|
Nass Fawzi
|
Kieren Fallon
|
|
6
|
KAVANAGH (SAF)
|
SAF
|
de Kock Mike
|
Christophe Soumillon
|
|
7
|
EMCEE (USA)
|
UAE
|
Al Zarooni Mahmoud
|
|
|
8
|
TAMAATHAL (GB)
|
UAE
|
Al Raihe Ali Rashid
|
|
|
9
|
PRIVATE ZONE (USA)
|
USA
|
O'Neill Doug
|
Martin Pedroza
|
|
10
|
FREDERICK ENGELS (GB)
|
HK
|
Moore John
|
Weichong Marwing
|
|
11
|
TAISEI LEGEND (JPN)
|
JPN
|
Yahagi Yoshito
|
Ryan Moore
|
|
12
|
UNITED COLOR (USA)
|
UAE
|
Selvaratnam Dhruba
|
James Doyle
|
|
13
|
BALMONT MAST (IRE)
|
IRE
|
Lynam Edward
|
Johnny Murtagh
|
|
14
|
REPLY (IRE)
|
IRE
|
O'Brien Adan
|
|
$1 Million Al Quoz Sprint (G1), 1000 meters (about five furlongs), turf
|
1
|
SHEA SHEA (SAF)
|
SAF
|
de Kock Mike
|
Christophe Soumillon
|
|
2
|
MR BIG (AUS)
|
SING
|
Freedman Michael
|
Zac Purton
|
|
3
|
DUX SCHOLAR (GB)
|
USA
|
Benzel Seth
|
Ulubaev Khamzat
|
|
4
|
EAGLE REGIMENT (AUS)
|
HK
|
Man Ka Leung
|
Olivier Doleuze
|
|
5
|
GREAT ATTACK (USA)
|
USA
|
Ward Wesley
|
Joel Rosario
|
|
6
|
SPIRIT QUARTZ (IRE)
|
GB
|
Cowell Robert
|
|
|
7
|
VARSITY (USA)
|
USA
|
Clement Christophe
|
Joe Bravo
|
|
8
|
JOY AND FUN (NZ)
|
HK
|
Cruz Derek
|
Tye Angland
|
|
9
|
SOLE POWER (GB)
|
IRE
|
Lynam Edward
|
Johnny Murtagh
|
|
10
|
MEDICEAN MAN (GB)
|
GB
|
Gask Jeremy
|
Harry Bentley
|
|
11
|
MONSIEUR JOE (IRE)
|
GB
|
Cowell Robert
|
|
|
12
|
RUSSIAN ROCK (IRE)
|
UAE
|
Al Muhairi Musabah
|
Wayne Smith
|
|
13
|
STARSPANGLEDBANNER (AUS)
|
IRE
|
O'Brien Aidan
|
|
|
14
|
RUSSIAN SOUL (IRE)
|
IRE
|
Halford Michael
|
Shane Foley
|
|
15
|
INVINCIBLE ASH (IRE)
|
IRE
|
Halford Michael
|
|
|
16
|
GANAS (IRE)
|
UAE
|
Oertel Ernst
|
|
$1 Million Godolphin Mile (G2), 1600 meters, all-weather
|
1
|
ALPHA (USA)
|
UAE
|
Suroor Saeed bin
|
|
|
2
|
PENITENT (GB)
|
GB
|
O'Meara David
|
Daniel Tudhope
|
|
3
|
REROUTED (USA)
|
SAF
|
de Kock Mike
|
|
|
4
|
CAPTIAL ATTRACTION (USA)
|
UAE
|
Oertel Ernst
|
|
|
5
|
MASTER OF HOUNDS (USA)
|
SAF
|
de Kock Mike
|
|
|
6
|
MOONWALK IN PARIS (FR)
|
UAE
|
Al Zarooni Mahmoud
|
|
|
7
|
SOFT FALLING RAIN (SAF)
|
SAF
|
de Kock Mike
|
|
|
8
|
BARBECUE EDDIE (USA)
|
UAE
|
Watson Doug
|
|
|
9
|
MUFARRH (IRE)
|
UAE
|
Al Raihe Ali Rashid
|
|
|
10
|
SARKIYLA (FR)
|
FR
|
De Royer Dupre Alain
|
Christophe Lemaire
|
|
11
|
ZAZOU (GER)
|
GER
|
Hickst Waldemar
|
|
|
12
|
SURFER (USA)
|
UAE
|
Seemar Satish
|
Richard Mullen
|
|
13
|
RED JAZZ (USA)
|
GB
|
Hills Charles
|
Ryan Moore
|
|
14
|
HAATHEQ (USA)
|
UAE
|
Al Raihe Ali Rashid
|
|
|
15
|
TIME PRISONER (USA)
|
UAE
|
Al Zarooni Mahmoud
|
|
|
16
|
SAAMIDD (GB)
|
UAE
|
Suroor Saeed bin
|
|
$1 Million Dubai Gold Cup (G3), 3200 meters (about two miles), turf
|
1
|
IMPERIAL MONARCH (IRE)
|
IRE
|
O'Brien Aidan
|
|
|
2
|
SADDLER'S ROCK (IRE)
|
IRE
|
Oxx John
|
Declan McDonogh
|
|
3
|
CAVALRYMAN (GB)
|
UAE
|
Suroor Saeed bin
|
|
|
4
|
ROYAL DIAMOND (IRE)
|
IRE
|
Carmody Tommy
|
Johnny Murtagh
|
|
5
|
AHZEEMAH (IRE)
|
UAE
|
Suroor Saeed bin
|
|
|
6
|
SEISMOS (IRE)
|
GER
|
Wohler Andreas
|
Mirco Demuro
|
|
7
|
AVERROESS (IRE)
|
UAE
|
Oertel Ernst
|
|
|
8
|
VEREMA (FR)
|
FR
|
De Royer Dupre Alain
|
Christophe Lemaire
|
|
9
|
STAR EMPIRE (SAF)
|
SAF
|
de Kock Mike
|
|
|
10
|
TENEBAUM (GB)
|
UAE
|
Al Zarooni Mahmoud
|
|
|
11
|
JUTLAND (GB)
|
UAE
|
Watson Doug
|
|
$2 Million UAE Derby (G2), 1900 meters (about 1 3/16 miles), all-weather
|
1
|
SHURUQ (USA)
|
UAE
|
Suroor Saeed bin
|
|
|
2
|
SECRET NUMBER (GB)
|
|