Across the Globe, Racing Much the Same

View from atop a camel. (All photos by Amanda Duckworth)

Sitting on top a camel, overlooking a field of youngsters destined to be racehorses for Al Shahania Stud, I was reminded racing is a sport that transcends countries, languages, religions and most of the other labels that are part and parcel of civilization. But I am getting ahead of myself.

When a filly by the name of Flotilla took the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, there is a good chance many in the crowd had never heard of her owner. But for fans of the Arabian world, the silks were quite famous.

Al Shahania, based in Qatar, belongs to Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Thani. He has been breeding Arabians for more than 30 years, and Al Shahania has won most of the most prestigious races as well as show titles in the breed’s repertoire.

He recently turned his eye toward Thoroughbred racing, and Flotilla was the first of her breed that he raced in the United States. She skipped away to a 1 1/4-length victory and a $540,000 payday in the Grade 1 race at Santa Anita. Not a bad first effort.

It also is a lovely nod to what makes the Breeders’ Cup so great. It gives American racing fans a chance to see and learn about horses and connections they might otherwise never know.

So how did I end up on a camel surveying his breeding and training operation? In late February, the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club hosts the HH The Emir International Equestrian Sword Festival. The 23rd renewal of the festival recently concluded, after awarding almost $7 million in prize money during five days of international Arabian horse shows and three days of high-quality racing for both Thoroughbreds and Arabians.

As an added bonus, Al Shahania opened its gates to our group during the week-long festival. Although it is tucked away in the desert, the farm itself could rival any of the top farms in Lexington —immaculate barns, a training track on site, and, perhaps most surprisingly, grass paddocks.

The racehorses get to go swimming and get regular turnout even while in active training. Instead of remaining in their stalls, even the outfit’s biggest runners get to go outside and stretch their legs in sand paddocks that come equipped with giant umbrellas to provide shade from the heat of the day.

For the record, and in the interest of honesty, the camel I got to ride is not normally part of the operation. Rather, they had camels and falcons on hand as examples of other native animals in an effort to educate and please the international contingent descending on the farm. It was effective.

During our tour we also got to visit with two of their runners, Assy and Rathowan, who were enjoying some turn-out time. A few days later, we would watch those two finish first and third, respectively, in the Group 1 H.H. The Emir’s Sword for Purebred Arabians. Stunningly, their stablemate Al Anga finished second, meaning Al Shahania swept the prestigious race.

Watching the connections, including trainer Julian Smart, celebrate this incredible achievement was something to behold. The joy of victory is the same, no matter where in the world you are and no matter what breed of horse you race.

But given my Thoroughbred background I was also captivated one race before as I watched Frankie Dettori do his famed flying dismount off Dubday after winning the Group 1 Emir’s Trophy. The pair might now head to Dubai to run on the undercard of the $10 million Dubai World Cup.

Dubday is owned by Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, the same man who won last year’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomph with the unbeaten filly Treve and who dropped $2.7 million for two-time Breeders’ Cup champion Mizdirection last fall at the Fasig-Tipton November sale.

Sheikh Joaan is also the nephew of Al Shahania’s Sheikh Mohammed.

Racing. It’s a small world after all.

Of course, it was a festival, so there were other sights to behold. Wimbledon ladies tennis champion Marion Bartoli was on hand to help with trophy presentations and equestrian expert Mario Luraschi — who has trained horses for 200 films, including three James Bond movies — provided some between-race entertainment.

Seeing major racing done in the Middle East served as a good reminder that horse racing brings the world together. For all that was different — namely, no drinking or gambling at the track — there was so much that was similar to what is familiar back home in the Bluegrass: the love of the horse, the fancy dress, the celebration of great racing.

It doesn’t matter what language you speak or where you come from, a horse race is a horse race. For a sport that gets knocked for being complicated, it is really quite simple. The winner is the one who crosses the finish line first.

The languages might be different, but this visit served as a good reminder that the passion, excitement, and end game are all the same.