Switzerland represents Asmussen at Meydan in Al Shindagha

During 2018 the nearly omnipresent stable of trainer Steve Asmussen started horses at 34 racetracks in the United States and Canada. But here is something different even by Asmussen’s far-flung standards: Thursday at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai, Asmussen sends out a horse named Switzerland in the Group 3, $200,000 Al Shindagha Sprint Stakes.

Asmussen ran one other horse in Dubai who raced outside Dubai World Cup night. That was Curlin, who captured a handicap race in late February before crushing the World Cup a month later at the old Nad al Sheba track.

Switzerland, one of two horses Asmussen has stabled in Dubai this winter, is no Curlin (though who is, really) but at 109 is the co-highest-rated horse in the Al Shindagha, a 1,200-meter (about six furlongs) dirt race. Switzerland won a pair of Grade 3 sprints last year in America and most recently was third in the $75,000 Thanksgiving Handicap at Fair Grounds. Switzerland, owned by Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid al Nuaimi has speed, often an asset on the Meydan dirt track.

Also rated 109 is another horse making his Dubai debut, a South American import named Tato Key, one of three horses in Dubai this winter for the Irish trainer David Marnane. Tato Key won 12 of 14 starts in Argentina, including twice at the Grade 2 level, and comfortably handles 1,200 meters. He has speed but is comfortable tracking the pace as well, and is an interesting horse both for this race and going forward through the World Cup Carnival.

The Al Shindagha Sprint goes as race 4 (post time 11:15 a.m. Eastern) on a seven-race card that starts at 9:30 a.m. Eastern with Round 2 of the Al Maktoum Challenge for purebred Arabians. Race 2 is the $250,000 UAE 1000 Guineas over a mile on dirt, and the most accomplished dirt horse in the 15-horse field, Al Hayette, drew post 15.

Even with a long run to the race’s one turn, that is a poor post, though Al Hayette might be able to overcome it. Al Hayette, an American-bred by Union Rags owned and trained by Ismail Mohammed, made three starts in England last year, finished sixth in her dirt and Dubai debut this winter, but since has captured a one-mile Meydan maiden dirt race by four lengths and the seven-furlong UAE 1000 Guineas Trial by two lengths. In the latter victory, Al Hayette bucked the Meydan dirt track’s speed-favoring profile, coming from the rear of a 15-horse field to win going away.

If opposing the favorite, settling on a Dubai newcomer might be a better choice than backing an also-ran exiting the Guineas trial. Two such horses are worth considering. Divine Image, one of four entrants for Godolphin, is by the late American sire Scat Daddy and in her lone previous start captured an all-weather maiden race in England by an eye-catching six lengths.

Charlie Appleby trains Divine Image, while former Godolphin racing manager Simon Crisford sends out Starry Eyes. By Animal Kingdom and out of an Elusive Quality mare, American-bred Starry Eyes carries more of a dirt-leaning pedigree than many in Dubai, and in her most recent start won an all-weather race in England.

World Cup nominations out

More than two dozen American-trained horses are among the list of nominations released Jan. 28 for the $12 million Dubai World Cup on March 30.

There are 27 American-trained horses on the list, though one of them, Senior Investment, already is in Dubai as part of trainer Ken McPeek’s World Cup Carnival string there. Two horses who have campaigned in America, Axelrod and Gronkowski, have been shipped to Dubai and turned over to trainer Sandeep Jadhav.

Prominent U.S. horses under consideration to make the trip include McKinzie, Pavel, Seeking the Soul, and Yoshida. The nominations list is headed by the race’s 2018 winner, Thunder Snow.