'Chrome Tops U.S. Nominees for World Cup Card
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Horse of the Year California Chrome, dual champion Main Sequence, and Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) winner Bayern are among U.S. runners nominated for races on the Dubai World Cup (UAE-I) card March 28 at Meydan.
Of the current 20 highest-rated Thoroughbreds in the world that remain in training, 13 are among the 2,142 nominations from 19 countries for the World Cup program, including the highest-rated horses from Japan, Hong Kong, Great Britain, and the U.S.
The top seven finishers in the 2014 Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) are considering the $10-million Emirates Airline Dubai World Cup, which attracted 24 horses based in the U.S. and 296 nominations overall. In addition to Classic winner Bayern is Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands and Preakness (both gr. I) winner California Chrome, who was third in that race; United Arab Emirates Derby (UAE-II) winner Toast of New York, who was second; 2013 champion juvenile male Shared Belief, fourth; Belmont Stakes (gr. I) winner Tonalist, fifth; Candy Boy, sixth; and Cigar Street, seventh.
Bayern's trainer, Bob Baffert, has twice previously won the Dubai World Cup, with Silver Charm in 1998 and Captain Steve in 2001.
The World Cup will be run on dirt at 2,000 meters (about 1 1/4 miles).
Main Sequence, named the U.S. champion older male and champion turf male, is nominated for the $6 million Longines Dubai Sheema Classic (UAE-I) at 2,410 meters (about 1 1/2 miles) on turf. He is trained by Graham Motion, who prepared Animal Kingdom to win the 2013 Dubai World Cup.
Japanese runners also dominate, with many holding multiple nominations for the three richest races on the big day, Dubai Sheema Classic; the newly named $6 million Dubai Turf sponsored by DP World, previously run as the Dubai Duty Free; and the Dubai World Cup.
The Katsuhiko Sumii-trained Epiphaneia, the highest-rated horse in training, holds a Dubai World Cup nomination. It was Sumii who was responsible for the 2011 Dubai World Cup victory of Victoire Pisa and he is preparing his Japan Cup (Jpn-I) winner for another tilt at the race, although the horse also holds nominations for the Dubai Sheema Classic and the Dubai Turf. Gold Ship, the Takarazuka Kinen (Jpn-I) winner, is also on the list from Japan, as is Japan Derby (Jpn-I) winner One and Only and Japan One Thousand Guineas (Jpn-I) winner Harp Star.
Hong Kong was responsible for the two sprint winners on Dubai World Cup day last season, and trainer John Moore, who won the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen (UAE-I) with Sterling City looks to hold a strong hand with the world's best miler, 2014 Hong Kong Mile (HK-I) victor Able Friend on the list for the Dubai Turf, as well as Hong Kong Cup winner Designs On Rome. Second in that race, Military Attack, has also been nominated. Peniaphobia, winner of the 2014 Jockey Club Sprint as well as the recent Hong Kong group I Centenary Sprint has also been nominated for the Dubai Golden Shaheen sponsored by Gulf News. Hong Kong Sprint (HK-I) winner Aerovelocity has also been nominated for both the Dubai Golden Shaheen and the $1 million Al Quoz Sprint empowered by IPIC.
Godolphin is well represented across the board by both Charlie Appleby and the 2014 Dubai World Cup winning trainer Saeed Bin Suroor, as is Dubai World Cup Carnival regular, Mike de Kock. Sir Fever represents an interesting new recruit for Appleby. The multiple Uruguayan group I winner has been nominated for the Dubai World Cup as well as the Dubai Sheema Classic, Dubai Turf, and the UAE Derby.
Meanwhile, bin Suroor, a six-time Dubai World Cup-winning trainer, has nominated his 2014 winner, African Story.
"I believe this is the strongest group of entries we have had for the Dubai World Cup meeting in its 20 year history," said Martin Talty, Dubai Racing Club's international manager. "The strength of the USA challenge is evident with the first seven over the line in the Breeders' Cup Classic as well as Main Sequence. Match that with the best from Asia, a region that has shown to be among the leaders, if not the leader, in international racing in recent years and with Epiphaneia, Harp Star, Gold Ship, and One And Only from Japan and Able Friend from Hong Kong proves how strong the depth is this year.
"As we approach the big day on March 28, so the fields will come more firmly into focus and we hope that most of these very accomplished horses that have been aimed at the 20th renewal of the race day will remain in the final fields. There is a lot of competition from racing jurisdictions to attract the best and to have nominations from so many of the world's top-rated horses is a great achievement for the Dubai World Cup, Dubai Racing Club, and Meydan Group and proves that it is at the pinnacle of international racing."
For the listing of nominees, by race, for the Dubai World Cup program, click here.
For a breakdown of the World Cup program by nation, click here.