Dubai World Cup: Hot Rod Charlie following winning formula

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – The strike rate, established from a tiny sample, stands at perfection.

Twice in the 25-year history of the Dubai World Cup has an American horse shipped early to Dubai and started in a February prep before running in the World Cup itself.

Curlin arrived Feb. 17, 2008, won the 2,000-meter Jaguar XF Trophy Handicap on Feb. 28 by 2 3/4 lengths while giving his rivals 15 pounds, then came back March 29 to win the World Cup by nearly eight lengths at the old Nad Al Sheba Racecourse.

California Chrome landed in Dubai on Jan. 22, 2016, trained for more than one month, and on Feb. 25 won the 2,000-meter Trans Gulf Mechanical Trophy Handicap by two lengths while giving his rivals 15 pounds. California Chrome ran back March 26, winning the World Cup by nearly four lengths.

Now it’s Hot Rod Charlie’s turn.

Trainer Doug O’Neill sent several horses to Dubai to race in the World Cup Carnival, with the group touching down on Jan. 18. Hot Rod Charlie raced much earlier than his two predecessors, winning the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2, contested over 1,900 meters, by more than five lengths on Feb. 4. Hot Rod Charlie overmatched the opposition in his World Cup prep but had to work just enough at less than full fitness to get something out of the start while leaving room for improvement Saturday in the $12 million World Cup.

O’Neill’s plan, from all appearances – especially that of Hot Rod Charlie himself – has been working as well as those laid for Curlin and California Chrome. Local onlookers raved about Hot Rod Charlie’s final World Cup workout this past weekend at Meydan, and the colt has come back from the breeze this week to present a fine appearance during easy morning gallops. His coat looks good, he carries a healthy amount of weight, and Hot Rod Charlie is on his toes, full of energy, ready to race.

“We’ll know more Saturday evening,” said trainer Doug O’Nell, “but I think everything is unfolding the way we’d dreamt, to get him over there, get him settled in, get a win over the track.”

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One stark difference exists between Hot Rod Charlie and the two previous early arrivals: Curlin and California Chrome clearly were form standouts in their World Cup wins. Hot Rod Charlie will be no better than second choice behind brilliant Life Is Good, who might, in a vacuum, just be a faster horse.

Life Is Good has cut a striking figure during his morning gallops this week, but his shipping schedule hewed to more standard practices, with the colt arriving here 10 days before the World Cup. Hot Rod Charlie, if nothing else, has an edge in acclimatization and familiarity with local surroundings and the Meydan racing surface. Perhaps that’s an equalizer between the two. Maybe Hot Rod Charlie is Life Is Good’s equal anyway, at least racing about 1 1/4 miles, a distance Life Is Good never has tried.

“Life Is Good, we don’t know about him at 1 1/4 miles,” O’Neill said. “He’s obviously a brilliant racehorse. He checks all the boxes for being the heavy favorite. We have a blue-collar, hard-knocking horse that shows up every time. We’re very optimistic we can run a big race Saturday.”

California-based Hot Rod Charlie already had done plenty of travelling before his 8,300-mile journey to the Arabian Peninsula. He went to Kentucky at the end of his 2-year-old season, shipped to win the Louisiana Derby last March, then was back in Kentucky to finish third in the Derby. Hot Rod Charlie went to New York for a strong second in the Belmont Stakes in June, flew back east for the Haskell Invitational in July, and took one final trip, to Parx Racing, winning the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby last September.

“He absolutely loves to travel,” said O’Neill “His appetite, if anything, gets better on the road. He’s a horse that’s very much a high-profile horse in our barn, and at home he’s constantly met with family, friends, and visitors. That’s all good, but on the road, he doesn’t get that much attention. He eats, exercises, and relaxes.”

Hot Rod Charlie spends far more time out of his stall here than at home. The walk from the international quarantine facility to the Meydan track is more than a mile and Hot Rod Charlie likes to mosey along.

“He can be a little bit of a slow walker, and that 20-minute walk can turn into a 30-minute walk,” O’Neill said. “But he’s really enjoyed the experience of going to and from the track, and once you get there to train, it’s just you and four or five other horses.”

O’Neill on Wednesday was set to make the roughly 16-hour flight from Los Angeles to Dubai, his third such journey since early February. O’Neill said he’s learned the tricks of the trip, but the trainer might not thrive on the travel like horse.

“For some of us it’s a little bit of a chore,” he said. “For others, it’s enjoyable.”