Mike de Kock, who trains in South Africa, Dubai, and England, is sending two of his best dirt horses, the 4-year-old Mubtaahij and Vale Dori, a 4-year-old filly on Northern Hemisphere time, to U.S. trainers for summer campaigns. Mubtaahij goes to Kiaran McLaughlin and Vale Dori to Bob Baffert.
California Chrome had a quiet Sunday at Meydan Racecourse a day after his dramatic win in the $10 million Dubai World Cup. Alan Sherman, assistant trainer to his father, trainer Art Sherman, said in an email that California Chrome “came out of his race great.”
There is something about the Al Quoz Sprint that loves a graybeard. Sole Power won the straight-course turf dash at age 8 last year, and on Saturday, Buffering scored a three-quarter-length win over Ertijaal at age, say, 8 1/2.
It was not the breathtaking performance of countryman Just a Way in 2014, but a Japanese horse, Real Steel, won the $6 million Dubai Turf for the second time in three years.
Jockey Andrea Atzeni was on the right horse Saturday night in the $6 million Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan Racecourse, and he gave Postponed a perfect ride.
Hoppertunity finished third behind California Chrome in Saturday’s $10 million Dubai World Cup at Meydan Racecourse in the United Arab Emirates. Being behind California Chrome is a familiar position for Hoppertunity.
Jockey Victor Espinoza the last 23 months has done things scarcely to be believed – winning two Kentucky Derbies, two Preaknesses, one Triple Crown, a Breeders’ Cup Classic – and now a Dubai World Cup. And the horse that took Espinoza to the top of this mountain Saturday night at Meydan Racecourse, California Chrome, added another chapter to his fairy-tale career.
Muarrab, a fixture at Dubai tracks in recent years, scored a mild upset to edge the star Florida sprinter X Y Jet in Saturday’s $2 million Golden Shaheen Sprint at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai.
Lani became the first Japanese horse to win the Group 2, $2 million UAE Derby and for his next trick will try to become the first Japanese horse to win the Kentucky Derby.
Marathon races come naturally for Vazirabad. On Saturday in the $1 million Dubai Gold Cup at Meydan Racecourse, Vazirabad extended his winning streak to six races with a hard-fought win in the Group 2 race at two miles. The Dubai Gold Cup was Vazirabad’s first start outside of France and the longest race of his career.
