Dubai World Cup: Post 12 ups difficulty factor for Thunder Snow

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – If lightning is to strike twice for Thunder Snow, he will have to bolt home from post 12 Saturday night in the $12 million Dubai World Cup.

On a rainy but thunder-and-lightning-free afternoon in Dubai, Thunder Snow, first in the 2018 World Cup, was the second-to-last name called when post positions were drawn for Saturday night’s headliner as well as the four other Group 1 races on the card. With post 13 the only other choice remaining, trainer Saeed bin Suroor did the obvious and selected post 12.

“We were hoping for something in the middle, 5 or 6,” said bin Suroor, the longtime Godolphin trainer who won his first World Cup in 1999 with Almutawakel and his eighth last year with Thunder Snow.

The Group 2 races on the card were drawn Monday, while the Al Quoz Sprint, the Golden Shaheen, the Dubai Turf, and the Sheema Classic – all Group 1 races – were drawn blindly Wednesday afternoon. For the Group 1 World Cup, entrants’ names were randomly selected, but connections then chose a post.

North America, one of the favorites Saturday, was the first name called, with trainer Satish Seemar selecting post 3. North America is a pure front-runner whose chances in the 2018 World Cup were ruined by a poor start, and it was surprising when his main pace rival, Capezzano, was placed in post 2 by trainer Salem bin Ghadayer. Horsemen typically prefer to break from a post outside the other speed, and now North America may be able to use Capezzano as a target.

North America won the first two rounds of the Al Maktoum Challenge this winter and sat out Round 3 on March 9 to remain fresh for the big race. In his absence, Capezanno, running the race of his life, shot to the front and ran out an easy winner, with Thunder Snow tiring late to finish a distant second in his first start since a third-place showing in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Bin Suroor expects considerable improvement Saturday – and will need it.

Connections avoided the rail draw until posts 2 through 9 had been filled, at which point Gunnevera’s camp selected post 1 over post 10. That left Yoshida, the next horse up, in post 10, though assistant trainer Riley Mott said Yoshida’s people had been hoping to secure the rail. Seeking the Soul, third last out in the Pegasus World Cup, is well drawn in post 5, while Pavel, the second horse to draw a post, breaks from 6, and Audible, the other American in the race, from post 4.

In the other races drawn Wednesday, trainer Peter Miller took the worst of things. First, Roy H drew post 1 for the Golden Shaheen, a tough spot in this 1,200-meter (about six furlongs) dirt sprint, and moments later Stormy Liberal drew the rail in the Al Quoz Sprint. That race is run over 1,200 meters down a straight turf course, and everyone inevitably angles toward the outside fence to get above the crown of the track, making post 1 quite unfavorable. Stormy Liberal was second in the 2018 Al Quoz. Roy H, who did not train as originally scheduled Wednesday morning, was third in the Golden Shaheen.

Immediately outside Roy H in the Shaheen are the principal front-runners, Imperial Hint and X Y Jet, with another American, Promises Fulfilled, in post 4.

Blue Point, who will be heavily favored in the Al Quoz, drew well in post 8, while Miller’s second entrant in that race, Belvoir Bay, landed post 7.

The Japanese filly Almond Eye, who has emerged as the star horse of the week, breaks from post 7 and will have a dozen opponents in the $6 million Dubai Turf. The $6 million Sheema Classic has the card’s shortest field, just eight entrants, and post position should be of no great consequence with that number of runners in a turf race over about 1 ½ miles.