Monday, March 21 – We will bring you some of the inside scoop from Meydan this week.
Group 1 US$10m Dubai World Cup sponsored by Emirates Airlines – 2000m (Dirt)
California Chrome (USA) – The fan favorite trotted for 15 minutes on the Quarantine Centre training track under exercise rider Dihigy Gladny.
The 2014 Eclipse Award winner for Horse of the Year walked the shed row yesterday, following his 1000m workout on Saturday morning on the Meydan main track in 59 and 2/5 seconds.
“He came out of the work great,” said assistant trainer, Alan Sherman. “He is very happy this morning.”
Commenting on the five year-old’s development since winning the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes in 2014 Sherman continued, “He’s gotten bigger and stronger. He looks fantastic.”
Photo: Andrew Watkins
Mshawish (USA) – Al Shaqab Racing’s versatile Mshawish, a multiple Grade 1 winner, galloped powerfully through approximately about 2200m on Meydan’s dirt track with exercise rider Nick Bush in the saddle.
Ginny DePasquale, assistant to trainer Todd Pletcher, reported that the six-year-old has gradually been extended in his gallops since arriving in Dubai but will not be sent for any speed work prior to his start in the Dubai World Cup.
“We’ve kind of increased his distance; the first day it was maybe a mile, then a mile and a sixteenth, then a mile and three-eighths and then a mile and three-eighths again (on Monday),” DePasquale said. “He gets a lot out of his gallops.”
Mshawish is no stranger to Meydan, having run in the Dubai Turf Sponsored by DP World for the past two years. He finished fourth in the 2014 edition and was third last year.
“He seemed to know where he was when he got here, and he’s enjoying it,” DePasquale said of Mshawish. “When he walks to the track, he passes everybody else—he just troops right along with his ears pricked.”
Frosted (USA) – Jogged a leisurely 2400m at Marmoom on Monday morning.
“He breezed 1000m in 1:01 on Wednesday and now it’s just a matter of keeping him fresh and happy,” said assistant trainer Neil McLaughlin.
An impressive winner of the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 on February 4, the son of Tapit will enter Saturday’s race as a fresh horse.
“Our original plan was to run him in the third leg (of the Al Maktoum Challenge), but we love how he ran here off the long layoff,” McLaughlin explained. “It was the first time he had really run off an extended break and he set the track record in the process. He answered all the questions and he obviously runs well fresh.”
William Buick, who rode Frosted for the first time in his recent Carnival start, will be back aboard.
“We use the Godolphin jockeys for their horses,” McLaughlin said. “We were familiar with William from the times he rode for Todd (Pletcher) in the States. He rode him beautifully at Meydan and we like the way horse and jockey compliment each other.”
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