Prince Bishop Denies U.S. Runners in Dubai

After finishing a close second in a pair of group stakes on the dirt at Meydan, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum's Prince Bishop picked a good day to deliver his best, as he overpowered a pair of U.S.-based grade I winners to post a 2 3/4-length victory in the $10 million Dubai World Cup (UAE-I) March 28.

Prince Bishop delivered a strong stretch run in Saturday's 2,000-meter (about 1 1/4 miles) race to defeat a pair of top U.S.-based starters—dual-classic winner California Chrome, a homebred for Perry Martin and Steve Coburn who finished second, and grade I winner Lea, a Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider homebred who finished third.

An 8-year-old son of Dubawi, Prince Bishop is the oldest horse to ever win the World Cup after completing Saturday's race in 2:03.24.

In Prince Bishop's first two tries on the Meydan dirt this season, he finished second by a head to Frankyfourfingers in the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 Empowered by IPIC (UAE-II) Feb. 5 and was second by a neck to last year's World Cup winner African Story in the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 Sponsored by Emirates Airline (UAE-I) March 7.

Trained by Saeed bin Suroor, Prince Bishop was guided to victory by jockey William Buick.

"I don't go numb very often, but I can't explain what I'm feeling right now," Buick said. "Obviously the horse should have won two Maktoum Challenges. Saeed and the whole team had a lot of faith in him going into the race today."

California Chrome, the 4-5 favorite in international pari-mutuel pools, and jockey Victor Espinoza were caught four wide early, in part because of the track setup, which features an early first turn. Although wide, the son of Lucky Pulpit   looked comfortable and raced prominently throughout before settling for second, 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Lea.

"Second money is not bad at all. He ran his eyeballs out. He was right there in contention all the way. He lost a little bit of ground, but no excuses," trainer Art Sherman said. "Turning for home, he had an equal chance. (He) just was second-best today. That's what happens in this game. The horse you think is going to win doesn't always."

While California Chrome has not won in 2015, last year's Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) and Preakness Stakes (gr. I) winner delivered a second straight strong run as a 4-year-old, as last year's champion 3-year-old male continues to post top race efforts. He entered the race off a second to Shared Belief in the San Antonio Invitational Stakes (gr. II) Feb. 7 at Santa Anita Park.

"I am very proud," Coburn said. "To send our horse halfway around the world to train on a track that he's not familiar with and to run that good, I'm very pleased.

"These horses over here are tough. They get to train on this track all the time. Sheikh Mohammad invited us to come over because he loves and believes in our horse."

Last year's Donn Handicap (gr. I) winner, Lea, was sent off as the 2-1 second choice. Saddled by Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, who won the first Dubai World Cup in 1996 with Cigar, Lea raced behind a wall of four horses for much of the race. After unsuccessfully waiting for an opening in the stretch, Joel Rosario moved the 6-year-old First Samurai   horse wide, where he was able to secure third, although he didn't threaten the winner or California Chrome.

"I was on the inside. He didn't like to be there. He kept trying and going. When I turned for home, if I had a little room, I think I could have been second," Rosario said. "We weren't going to beat the horse who won. He got the jump on us and was the best. I thought the leaders would tire. He did his best."

"We didn't get the cleanest run," Mott said. "He dropped in and saved the ground, and kind of got stuck there for a while. He ran well."

In international pari-mutuel pools Prince Bishop returned $36 to win and $8.80 to place-show. California Chrome and Lea each returned $2.10 to place-show.

Last year, Prince Bishop notched his first group I win when he captured the final two rounds of the Al Maktoum Challenge on the then-synthetic main track at Meydan. He delivered his first victory on a dirt surface in Saturday's $10 million race.

"He has a very unorthodox way of racing, so I took him out of the kickback in the back and when I got onto California Chrome's tail, he picked up the bridle and listen, he ran on well in the end," Buick said. "He likes the surface now that he has the experience. He is better than he was. This is just nuts."

Prince Bishop's victory added to a monster day for his sire Dubawi, who also picked up group wins with Catkins in the Emancipation Stakes (Aus-II), Mubtaahij in the UAE Derby Sponsored by The Saeed & Mohammed Al Naboodah Group (UAE-II), and Amber Orchid in the Jacaranda Handicap (Aus-III).

Former U.S.-based runner Candy Boy finished fourth, 5 1/4 lengths behind Lea, in his debut for new owner Ramzan Kadyrov, and Japan-based Hokko Tarumae finished fifth. They were followed by African Story, Long River, Side Glance, and Epiphaneia.