U.S. horses well represented among Dubai World Cup Day starters

The Dubai Racing Club’s list of likely starters released Tuesday for the March 30 Dubai World Cup program includes 96 horses in eight Thoroughbred races, among them a record number of American-based runners.

Eighteen horses based in America were expected to be shipped to Dubai on Tuesday, while Switzerland, who runs in the Dubai Golden Shaheen for trainer Steve Asmussen, and Grecko, an expected starter in the UAE Derby for trainer Ken McPeek, have already been racing in Dubai.

Fifteen American-based horses started in World Cup races last year, 14 in 2017, and just nine in 2016.

Fifteen purebred Arabians were entered in the $1 million Kahayla Classic, the first race on the World Cup program, which begins at 7:45 a.m. Eastern.

Entry fees were due Monday for the World Cup races, which will be drawn next week, and while those fees can be refunded if a horse gets hurt of becomes sick, their payment essentially means connections intend to run.

The $12 million Dubai World Cup has lured star Americans like California Chrome, Arrogate, and Gun Runner in recent years, but no such established older-male dirt-route standouts are even in training right now. Five American-based horses – Audible, Gunnevera, Pavel, Seeking the Soul, and Yoshida -- are among the pre-entrants in the World Cup, contested over 2,000 meters, or about 1 ¼ miles, around two turns on dirt. Pavel finished fourth in the 2018 World Cup, Gunnevera eighth.

Thunder Snow, who won the World Cup las year, tops the list of likely runners, though he was soundly beaten March 9 in the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 by Capezzano, who also is expected to run in the World Cup. North America skipped Round 3 of the Al Maktoum Challenge after scoring sharp wins in the first two rounds and is set to start in the World Cup for Dubai-based trainer Sateesh Seemar. The other likely runners are Axelrod, Dolkong, Gronkowski, K T Brave, and New Trails.

American participation is strong this year in the Group 1 Golden Shaheen, the 1,200-meter (about six furlong) dirt sprint that got a purse boost to $2.5 million. Champion Roy H, beaten as the favorite by Mind Your Biscuits and X Y Jet in the 2018 Golden Shaheen, is the best of a group that includes Imperial Hint, Promises Fulfilled, and X Y Jet. X Y Jet finished second by a head in the 2018 Shaheen and second by a neck in 2016.

Peter Miller, who trains Roy H, has Gray Magician as a likely runner in the $2.5 million UAE Derby, as well as champion older-male turf horse Stormy Liberal and Belvoir Bay in the $2 million Al Quoz Sprint. The Tom Proctor-trained Caribou Club is expected for the Al Quoz, a 1,200-meter straight-course dash which will have locally based Blue Point as a heavy favorite.

The only other American turf starter is Platinum Warrior in the two-mile, $1.5 million Dubai Gold Cup, a race won three years in a row by Vazirabad, who, unfortunately, will miss this year’s edition.

The Todd Pletcher-trained Coal Front could figure prominently in the $1.5 million Godolphin Mile, which also draws U.S.-based True Timber.

Ten Japan-based horses are likely runners, none more prominent than the international superstar Almond Eye, the undefeated 4-year-old filly who won Japan’s fillies Triple Crown before capturing the Japan Cup. Almond Eye’s connections initially listed the $6 million Sheema Clasic over 2,400 meters as her likely target, but she is a likely runner instead in the $6 million Dubai Turf over 1,800 meters.

Three other Japanese horses – Rey de Oro, Suave Richard, and Cheval Grand – are among the nine likely runners in the Sheema Classic, which also is expected to draw the Aidan O’Brien-trained filly Magic Wand.