Cigar began string of stallion misadventures for Dubai World Cup winners

A quarter-century ago, America’s reigning Horse of the Year, Cigar, shipped halfway around the globe for a game victory in the then-$4 million Dubai World Cup, granting instant credibility to the race inaugurated in 1996.

Cigar retired to stud at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud in Kentucky in 1997, with a second Horse of the Year title under his belt. However, he proved to be infertile, and eventually lived out his days at the Kentucky Horse Park. The great racehorse kicked off some unrelated misadventures at stud for his fellow winners of the now-$12 million Dubai World Cup, set to be contested Saturday following its cancellation in 2020 due to COVID-19.

There have been 23 individual winners of the Dubai World Cup; Thunder Snow is a two-time winner, taking the race in 2018 and 2019. Excluding the three gelded winners of the race – Well Armed, African Story, and Prince Bishop – and Thunder Snow, whose first foals are arriving now, four of the other 19 winners of the race retired to stud left behind three or fewer crops of foals. Two of those – Cigar and Electrocutionist – left behind no offspring at all.

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The aptly named but star-crossed Godolphin colorbearer Dubai Millennium won 9 of 10 career starts, with four Group 1 victories including the 2000 Dubai World Cup. He was retired to the operation’s Dalham Hall Stud in England for the 2001 breeding season, but died following a battle with grass sickness that April, midway through the breeding season. From his lone crop, he produced five stakes winners, chief among those Dubawi, a multiple Group 1 winner who has carried on his legacy as a prominent international sire.

Another Dubai World Cup winner in the Godolphin blue, 2006 victor Electrocutionist, suffered a fatal heart attack while training that September, eliminating his ability to contribute to the breed.

Arrogate rallied from behind to win the 2017 Dubai World Cup, the final in a smashing series of four Grade/Group 1 victories that made him North America’s all-time leading moneywinner. He attracted stellar books in each of his three seasons at Juddmonte Farm in Kentucky. However, he was euthanized last summer after an illness caused neurological symptoms. The first of his three crops left behind will race as juveniles this season.

Street Cry was one of the best Dubai World Cup winners at stud, siring champions Zenyatta and Street Sense; the latter, winner of the 2007 Kentucky Derby, is a successful sire with a Derby candidate this year for himself in Concert Tour. However, Street Cry died relatively prematurely, at age 16. Thoroughbreds can routinely live into their mid to late 20s. Other Dubai World Cup winners to die before reaching 20 included Singspiel at 18, Almutawakel at 12, and Captain Steve at 16.

Two-time Horse of the Year Curlin, who stands at Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm in Kentucky, is the most successful living Dubai World Cup winner currently at stud with racing-age progeny. His first crop hit the track in 2012, and he is now the sire of 12 Grade 1 winners, including Breeders’ Cup Classic winner and Eclipse Award champion Vino Rosso, champions Good Magic and Stellar Wind, Belmont Stakes winner Palace Malice, and Preakness Stakes winner Exaggerator.

As befitting their status as winners of an international showcase, other living and active winners of the Dubai World Cup stand at stud worldwide. Victors are currently standing in Japan (Animal Kingdom, Califormia Chrome, Monterosso, Roses In May, Thunder Snow, Victoire Pisa), Ireland (Moon Ballad), Sweden (Gloria de Campeao), and Uruguay (Invasor). Silver Charm stood in Japan for many years before being re-patriated to retire to Old Friends in Kentucky. Pleasantly Perfect died in 2020 at age 22 in Turkey.