Dubai World Cup: Seeking the Soul, Stewart Set Sail
Doubt Dallas Stewart’s chances at your own risk.
Too many times has the equal parts charismatic-and-capable conditioner brought a horse into a big race who seemed a cut below the best and proceeded to take home a considerable chunk of the purse. The names have been written about ad nauseam—Lemons Forever (47-1, 1st, Kentucky Oaks), Unbridled Elaine (13-1, 1st, Breeders’ Cup Distaff), Golden Soul (34-1, 2nd, Kentucky Derby), Commanding Curve (37-1, 2nd, Kentucky Derby), Macho Again (40-1, 2nd, Preakness Stakes), Tale of Verve (30-1, 2nd, Preakness Stakes), etc.—horses who outran their odds in America’s most prestigious races. Now Stewart is after the ultimate bite of the biggest pie around—the $12 million Dubai World Cup sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1).
Last year, he had his first taste when Charles Fipke-owned champion Forever Unbridled—arguably Stewart’s best horse to date. The great mare suffered a wide trip and an unfavourable pace scenario against the boys in the 2000m race, ultimately checking in fifth in what was her first start in nearly five months and final of her career. This year, he comes in with a horse who appears in top form and primed to run to his optimum in Fipke’s Seeking the Soul—also a homebred—who exits a fine second in the $9 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at—you guessed it—long odds (34-1).
“I had a great time last year in Dubai and we are coming into the race in great shape,” Stewart said. “He’s a horse who got hurt last year in the (2018) Pegasus, so it took us a while to get him back to his best. He started to really show his best when he won the (Grade 3) Ack Ack (Stakes) at Churchill Downs and then came back and was second in the (Grade 1) Breeders’ Cup (Dirt Mile). He ran a good third in the (Grade 1) Clarke Handicap and then ran huge in the Pegasus.”
A Grade 1 winner when winning the 2017 Clark Handicap, the grandson of Sadler’s Wells turned in a sparkling work over the weekend at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans, breezing 1000m (five furlongs) in 1:00.40 and galloping out 1200m (six furlongs) in 1:13 flat, according to Stewart.
“It was great,” Stewart said. “He worked really well and was fast at the wire, right where you want him to be. He had a really great work two weeks ago, so I gave him a little time out of that and then worked again. He galloped really nice this morning and we’re seeing what we want to see.
“The bottom line is he’s a really nice horse who’s training extremely well,” Stewart concluded. “We’re ready.”
Stewart confirmed that the six-time winner and earner of $2,951,042 ships on Monday, Mar. 18, to Florida, where he will fly to Dubai. If all goes to plan, he is expected to clear quarantine and train on the Meydan dirt track by Saturday or Sunday.
In other Dubai World Cup news, principal Amer Abdulaziz of Phoenix Thoroughbreds confirmed that both Belmont Stakes (G1) runner-up Gronkowski and Pennsylvania Derby (G1) runner-up Axelrod are being pointed to the Dubai World Cup. Trainer Satish Seemar also confirmed that current market favourite for the big race, North America, will breeze twice before the race. At this time, it also appears that Muntazah will stay in the Godolphin Mile (G2), much to the joy of many in the DWC field, as he absolutely dismantled his foes in the Burj Nahaar (G3) to the tune of a new 1600m track record.
The following list is ultimately pure guess-work until official invitations are announced and a field of probables takes shape, but it is good to keep a ‘watch’ on those who have announced that they are possible for the race.
Quality Hong Kong-based miler Southern Legend will be pointed west in search of an inaugural Dubai World Cup card victory for trainer Caspar Fownes. Ever-consistent, the 6-year-old gelding ran second to dual Group 1 winner Exultant in the Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (G1) over 2000m on his most recent outing in mid-February and is taking dead-aim on the $6 million Dubai Turf sponsored by DP World (G1).
“He flies to Dubai on the 19th,” Fownes said. “He’s galloped since his last run. We’ll just keep ticking over towards the race. He is very well and obviously that effort last time out in the Gold Cup against our best middle-distance horses was huge.”
Owned by Boniface Ho Ka Kui, the Australian-bred son of Not a Single Doubt has consistently laid his claim as a top-class competitor. During the 2017-2018 racing season, the gelding put his nose in front when it mattered, most notably winning the Group 1 Kranji Mile in Singapore, as well as beating Longines Hong Kong Mile victor Beauty Only and dual Group 1 winner Pakistan Star in the Rapper Dragon Handicap over a mile in March 2018. He proceeded by placing third to reigning Hong Kong Horse of the Year Beauty Generation in the Steward’s Cup (G1), as well as hitting the board behind that same foe in the 2018 Longines Hong Kong Mile (G1) in December.
From his five career wins, two have come at the tight Happy Valley racetrack and two at the roomier Sha Tin racecourse, with both of these local tracks racing right-handed. The change in direction to Meydan’s one sweeping left-handed turn (for 1800m races) should be of little worry, as his aforementioned Singapore victory came over Kranji’s course of the same direction.
“The Dubai Turf is going to be a strong race, no doubt, but he has shown he can travel and perform,” Fownes concluded. “Perhaps his best performance of all was in the Kranji Mile, when he had to travel and also go left-handed. I’d be hoping for a big run.”
The following list is ultimately pure guess-work until official invitations are announced and a field of probables takes shape, but it is good to keep a ‘watch’ on those who have announced that they are possible for the race.
Two things are certain about Call the Wind—you cannot doubt his connections or pedigree—but it is the uncertainty that provides the most excitement for the well-bred and lightly raced son of Frankel. A George Strawbridge homebred, he is trained by top-class conditioner Freddy Head and appears, at age five, to be on the cusp of what could be a defining season when he starts in the $1.5 million Dubai Gold Cup sponsored by Al Tayer Motors (G2) on Dubai World Cup day.
“I’m very happy with the horse,” Head said. “He had been improving all year around last year and I think he has improved again coming into this race.”
Head knows his way around a gelding with an upward trajectory—or nurturing talent over multiple seasons with any kind—having conditioned the dominant Solow to win multiple Group 1s, including the $6 million Dubai Turf (G1), while also nurturing the development of multi-season Group 1 winners Goldikovaand Moonlight Cloud (also owned by Strawbridge).
With Call the Wind, Head has a pure stayer on his hands with a marked turn-of-foot. One who possesses the rare quality of—for lack of a better term—incredible wind, complemented with potent acceleration. The winner of three of his last four could be sitting on another step forward when he takes on some of the top stayers in the world in the 3200m affair on Mar. 30.
Raced just eight times, he did not start his career until last year, going from a four-time failed maiden in the spring to Group 1 winner in the fall in absolutely scintillating fashion. Earning his top-level victory decisively in the Prix du Cadran (G1) over 4000m in October, he defeated the well-regarded pair of Holdthasigreen and Morgan Le Faye. The pair franked that form 22 days later when finishing first and third in the 3000m Prix Royal-Oak (G1) over Irish St Leger (G1) winner Flag of Honour (fifth)—also expected in the Dubai Gold Cup field—and ill-fated multiple Group 2 winner Brundtland (fourth).
Call the Wind returned a day short of five months later in a pure prep, the 1900m Prix Darshaan on Chantilly’s Polytrack. Acquitting himself well, considering the sever cutback in trip, the half-brother to Group 1 winner We Are chased home Trais Fleurs, a Group 1-placed miler who contested last year’s Dubai Turf (G1). Again, this form was flattered when third-placed Soleil Marin returned to impressively annex the Prix Exbury (G3) on Sunday.
“I think he ran a very good race for his re-entry over a distance that was much too short,” Head said. “I like the way he goes right now and how he ran in that race. He has won a Group 1 over the longer trip and I think he is coming up to the race very well, so we look forward to the race. I like coming to Dubai and he should travel well. He will ship the 22nd from France.”
The following list is ultimately pure guess-work until official invitations are announced and a field of probables takes shape, but it is good to keep a ‘watch’ on those who have announced that they are possible for the race.
Joining the likes of Almond Eye (Dubai Turf), Matera Sky (Dubai Golden Shaheen) and Rey de Oro (Longines Dubai Sheema Classic), Chizu Yoshida’s Nonkono Yume is another Japanese star travelling to the UAE to attempt to capitalise on the lucrative prize money on offer, with $1.5 million available in the Group 2 Godolphin Mile sponsored by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum City—District One for the accomplished charge.
A winner of eight races in Japan, the gelding is making his first trip to Dubai and brings no small amount of class to the field in his attempt to become only the third Japanese runner—joining Utopia (2006 Godolphin Mile) and Lani (2016 UAE Derby)—to win a dirt race on Dubai World Cup night.
Now a 7-year-old, Nonkono Yume is a regular runner in big races in his native country, with his career highlight thus far coming in the 2018 February Stakes (G1), when defeating multiple Group 1 winner Gold Dream. As a 3-year-old, Nonkono Yume stretched out to win the Japanese Dirt Derby, a local Group 1, and also finished second in a two more Group 1 races in the 2016 renewal of the February Stakes as well as the Champions Cup in the same year.
Trainer Yukihiro Kato is positive going into the race and appears quite excited to have secured ‘Magic Man’ Joao Moreira to ride.
“He is Training really well right now,” Kato said. “I couldn’t be happier with his progress. I think Dubai will fit him well. The course will be closer to Tokyo Racecourse in size and I think having a gate boy will help him start better than he often does. We also have Moreira riding him this time, so I’m looking forward to it.”
Nonkono Yume goes into the race having finished 13th behind the talented Inti in the latest renewal of the February Stakes just over one month ago. Although without a win in five starts now, the son of multiple Grade 2-winning American dirt horse Twining will add an interesting international flavour to what is an intriguing contest; a race in which the Japanese finished third last year with Adirato.
On ratings, Nonkono Yume stacks up extremely well against the current favourites for the 1600m Godolphin Mile, including Muntazah, Coal Front, Heavy Metal and True Timber—so there is ample reason to anticipate more of the same from the always-capable Japanese contingent.
The following list is ultimately pure guess-work until official invitations are announced and a field of probables takes shape, but it is good to keep a ‘watch’ on those who have announced that they are possible for the race.
