Divine Image leads strong Appleby team

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby’s breakout 2018 began with a breakout Dubai World Cup night. Appleby, previously shut out in World Cup races, captured the Al Quoz Sprint despite his leading hope Blue Point being scratched behind the starting gate after cutting himself. Jungle Cat stepped up and won in his stead, and later on the program Appleby won the Sheema Classic with Hawkbill.

It will be surprising if Appleby, who has put together an excellent Dubai season, doesn’t win at least one World Cup race Saturday. He has Blue Point favored in the Al Quoz, two live chances in the Dubai Gold Cup with Cross Counter and Ispolini, and Old Persian with a strong chance in the Sheema Classic. Wootton will need luck and improvement to hit the board in a strong edition of the Dubai Turf, but the 3-year-old filly Divine Image could be favored in the $2.5 million UAE Derby.

The UAE Derby is a major qualifying race for the Kentucky Derby, but it was the Kentucky Oaks for which Divine Image had been mentioned following her 7 1/4-length win over males March 9 in the Al Bastakiya Stakes. Divine Image would have to be supplemented to the Kentucky Oaks, and after the post position draw Wednesday, Appleby all but ruled out a trip to Churchill Downs, regardless of Divine Image’s showing Saturday.

“Even if we’re lucky enough to win or go and run a place there Saturday, I’ve spoke to his highness Sheikh Mohammed and already sort of stated I’d like to give her a break,” Appleby said. “We’ve seen with her over this winter she’s [psychologically] fragile, but she’s learning on the job. She’s been a bit fractious behind the gate, and to chuck her into Louisville on the weekend, that could send her one way or another.”

Because Divine Image has performed well on dirt here, Appleby said the plan remains to race the filly in America this summer, with the Acorn, Alabama, and Coaching Club American Oaks in New York under consideration.

Yoshida in with a chance for Mott

Bill Mott, lest you forget, won the first Dubai World Cup with Cigar. He has a reasonable chance to win the 24th on Saturday with Yoshida.

Mott has deputized his son and assistant, Riley, to handle Yoshida’s start in the $12 million World Cup because he’s staying home to saddle super-talented Hidden Scroll in the $1 million Florida Derby.

“I’m flying home right after the World Cup and I’ll be scrambling around the airport trying to watch the Florida Derby on my phone, I’m sure,” Riley Mott said Wednesday.

The younger Mott has seen Yoshida blossom here in Dubai. A Grade 1 winner on turf and dirt, Yoshida finished a close fifth last June in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot. Riley Mott made that trip, too, and saw Yoshida undergo a similar transformation to what he’s witnessed the last 10 days.

“He looked good when he left Florida, but his coat looks even better now, same as when he went to England. I don’t know what it is about traveling, but he really seems to thrive on it,” Mott said.

◗ Trainer Chad Summers came to Dubai with the crack sprinter Mind Your Biscuits in 2017 and 2018 and left with wins in the Group 1 Golden Shaheen. Summers has no horse for the Dubai World Cup program this year, but he’s in town doing some local television work and, he said Wednesday morning, laying the groundwork for running a 10- to 12-horse Dubai-based stable during the 2019-20 racing season.

“I want to do it right from start to finish,” he said. “I think it’s a great opportunity.”