Dr. Schivel, Drain the Clock bring U.S. speed to Dubai Golden Shaheen
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – American sprinters have dominated the Dubai Golden Shaheen since it became an important race on the Dubai World Cup card in 2000. But outside Jackie’s Warrior, still gearing up for his 2022 campaign, there’s nothing close to a dominant American sprinter in training.
Four U.S.-based runners are among 14 entered in the Group 1, $2 million Golden Shaheen, where Dr. Schivel, the first Dubai starter for trainer Mark Glatt, figures to be favored. Dr. Schivel came close to winning the Breeders’ Cup Sprint in November, and gets back his regular rider, Flavien Prat, who didn’t ride Dr. Schivel in his most recent start. He’s well drawn in post 9 for a stalking or pressing trip, and Dr. Schivel breezed sharply in his lone workout since arriving here.
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“He will be able to see the majority of the field in the early stages” Glatt said. “Our horse has gone wire to wire in the past and also come from four or five lengths out of it. We trust Flavien.”
That’s all the good news. On the other side of the ledger, Dr. Schivel finished seventh, beaten 19 lengths, in his most recent race, the Malibu Stakes on Dec. 26. And the horse who nailed him on the wire in the BC Sprint, Aloha West, hardly was a vintage winner of the race.
Drain the Clock is another U.S. sprinter in the Golden Shaheen. He won the Grade 1 Woody Stephens last June at Belmont only because Jackie’s Warrior started very poorly. That race was contested over seven furlongs, likely a better trip for Drain the Clock than the Golden Shaheen’s six furlongs.
Wondrwherecraigis, a pure speed horse, has won five in a row, loves six furlongs, and has a favorable outside draw, post 11, with Luis Saez riding. Trained by Brittany Russell, Wondrwherecraigis hasn’t raced above the Grade 3 level and meets stronger competition Saturday than he’s beaten. He also might not be any quicker than the local horse Meraas, who is 2 for 2 since switching to dirt this winter.
“He’s very fast,” said jockey Antonio Fresu, who won the 2020 Shaheen on Zenden. “You can’t really take a hold of him or he won’t run.”
The fourth U.S. horse in the race is Strongconstitution, who has raced twice in Dubai since being sent over during winter by trainer Doug O’Neill. Strongconstitution, 15-1 on the morning line, hasn’t won since November 2020.
A strong, contested pace could facilitate an upset from the Japanese horse Red le Zele. A closing second in the 2021 Shaheen, Red le Zele can be forgiven his sixth-place finish Feb. 20 in the February Stakes at Tokyo. The race’s one-mile trip was longer than Red le Zele prefers, and he appeared to struggle with a muddy surface.
Al Quoz Sprint
Here’s the inside scoop on six-furlong, straight-course turf sprints at Meydan: You want to be outside.
Getting up over the crown of the track is all but essential in these 1,200-meter turf dashes, and the easiest way to get to the outside is to start on the outside. Drawn 16 of 16 in the Group 1, $1.5 million Al Quoz Sprint is A Case of You – a good post for a good horse.
A Group 1-winning 4-year-old sprinter based in Ireland with trainer Ado McGuinness, A Case of You struggled somewhat with the sharpest turn he’d ever encountered while finishing a creditable fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. A Case of You won a pure prep race Feb. 11 over the all-weather surface at Dundalk in Ireland, and suffered some sort of mouth injury, McGuinness said, after shipping to Dubai for the Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint on March 25. The colt’s preparation since missing a couple days shortly after arriving here has gone smoothly, and McGuinness, who hopes to send his horse back to America for the 2022 BC Turf Sprint at Keeneland, expects improvement Saturday.
He’ll need it. A Case of You ran second of 16 in the Nad Al Sheba Sprint, beaten nearly five lengths by Man of Promise, who is back in the Al Quoz Sprint. Five-year-old Man of Promise, drawn in post 12, had been a useful horse but massively raised his performance level in two starts this winter.
“The key thing with him was getting him freshened up after his last run,” said Charlie Appleby, who trains Man of Promise for Godolphin. “He does go into these races better fresh, and we’ve been quiet with him since his last race.”
William Buick, Godolphin’s No. 1 rider, lands on Man of Promise.
James Doyle rides Creative Force, who shipped here from England a couple weeks ago. Creative Force is a Group 1 winner over six furlongs and has stronger overall credentials than Man of Promise – which does not mean he’s the better chance for Godolphin, which also sends out longshot Naval Crown
Creative Force “probably is the class horse in the race, but the other little horse does have home advantage,” Appleby said. “He’s been here for the winter and is proven on the track.”
The American horse Extravagant Kid won the 2021 Al Quoz, and two U.S. horses shipped this year. Casa Creed, drawn well in post 15, finished strongly for a close second last month in the 1351 Sprint in Saudi Arabia. Get Smokin’, who drew inside, cuts back from route races.
UAE Derby
Pinehurst was a good 3-year-old in America and might be better in the Middle East.
Winner of the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity last year at 2 and second in the San Vicente on Jan. 29, Pinehurst won the $1.5 million Saudi Derby on Feb. 26 and should be favored Saturday in the $1 million UAE Derby. A one-turn mile, the Saudi Derby fell within Pinehurst’s comfort zone. His chances of staying about 1 3/16 miles in the UAE Derby have increased since Pinehurst shifted his base thousands of miles from California.
“He’s changed since going to Saudi,” said Jimmy Barnes, assistant to trainer Bob Baffert. “He’s more relaxed. He’s gotten better since he went on the road.”
The UAE Derby offers 170 Kentucky Derby qualifying points, distributed 100-40-20-10 to the first four finishers. Baffert-trained horses aren’t eligible to earn points or start in the Derby. Neither are the three UAE Derby runners, headed by Grade 1 winner Irwin, bred in the Southern Hemisphere.
Sekifu, a closing second in the Saudi Derby, is one of four Japan-based horses entered, and his connections are keen to go to the Kentucky Derby if Sekifu qualifies. Combustion, a Japan-based Godolphin homebred, has good form over shorter distances and outworked Dubai World Cup runner Chuwa Wizard here Wednesday.
Azure Coast, winner of the one-mile UAE 2000 Guineas, won’t mind the added distance and can win at a fair price.
Godolphin Mile
Great Scot’s second-place finish in the King Faisal Cup on Jan. 15 in Saudi Arabia took on added luster when the race’s winner, Emblem Road, returned to capture the $20 million Saudi Cup. Great Scot finished third in the 2021 Saudi Cup and might be a good fit Saturday for the $1 million Godolphin Mile.
The one-turn Godolphin Mile drew 16 entrants including two from the Steve Asmussen barn, Bankit and Snapper Sinclair. Bankit, Asmussen said, is a better horse around one turn than two. Snapper Sinclair finished fourth in this race a year ago despite a very challenging trip.
The Japanese horse Soliste Thunder also could have a say in the outcome.
Gold Cup
Staying horses often take years to come around. Not Manobo, the Appleby-trained Godolphin homebred 4-year-old who has started his career with five wins. The last of those was a Meydan romp in the 1 7/8-mile Nad Al Sheba Trophy on March 5, and Manobo will be a short-priced favorite under William Buick to win the $1 million Gold Cup over two miles on grass. Stay Foolish and Baron Samedi could prove his main rivals.
