Keen Ice Set for Dubai World Cup Prep

Last year's Travers Stakes (gr. I) winner Keen Ice will become the latest U.S. raider to prep for the March 26 Dubai World Cup (UAE-I) in Dubai. The 4-year-old son of Curlin   is set for the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 (UAE-I) Saturday, March 5 (9:55 a.m. EST).

The only 3-year-old to beat Triple Crown winner American Pharoah   last year, Keen Ice will prep over the same track and distance as the March 26 Dubai World Cup. An expected field of 12 includes last year's U.A.E. Derby sponsored by Saeed & Mohammed Al Naboodah Group (UAE-II) winner Mubtaahij and 2013 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) runner-up Golden Soul.

U.S.-trained stars Frosted and California Chrome  , who also shipped early to Dubai, both won their Dubai World Cup prep races, with Frosted landing the middle round of the Al Maktoum Challenge (UAE-II) series while California Chrome claimed a 2,000-meter (about 1 1/4 miles) handicap Feb. 25.

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Donegal Racing's Keen Ice is trained by Dale Romans, who won the 2005 Dubai World Cup with Roses In May. Keen Ice, who will pick up the services of jockey Ryan Moore, will be making his second start of the season Saturday after finishing sixth in the Donn Handicap (gr. I) four weeks ago at Gulfstream Park.

Romans said Keen Ice faced a track biased toward speed horses in the 1 1/8-mile Donn. He said Keen Ice has acclimated to Dubai and has been working well toward Saturday's test.

Another runner acclimated to the Dubai weather is the Mike De Kock-trained globetrotter Mubtaahij, who finished fourth in last year's Belmont Stakes presented by DraftKings (gr. I), edged by a neck for third by Keen Ice. The pair also met in the Kentucky Derby, again behind American Pharoah, when Romans' charge was seventh, again one place ahead of Mubtaahij, who crossed the line three-parts of a length behind Keen Ice.

De Kock has a good record in this race, having claimed the Al Maktoum Challenge in both 2004 and 2009, with Victory Moon and Asiatic Boy who both went on to finish second in the Dubai World Cup.

Mubtaahij made his return to local action in the Feb. 4 Firebreak Stakes (UAE-III), but finished fifth behind Confrontation. 

"We were far from disappointed with his return," said De Kock, who also saddles Pylon and Golden Soul. "We knew he would need the run and the trip was too short for him. This is more his trip and he is far straighter having enjoyed a good preparation. He should be a big runner for us.

"Pylon needs to improve on what he has achieved in Dubai so far, while Golden Soul has some top dirt form and his owner (Charles Fipke) was keen to try him back on the surface after his excellent turf run on his debut for us."

The official prep race for the $10 million Dubai World Cup, the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 has seen three previous winners go on to claim the world's richest race, with Dubai Millennium (2000), Street Cry (2002), and Electrocutionist (2006) all achieving the notable double for Godolphin and Saeed bin Suroor, who does not saddle a runner this year.