Mubtaahij to McLaughlin for U.S. Campaign

Dubai World Cup (UAE) runner-up Mubtaahij, who already made one trip to the U.S. to run a credible fourth in the 2015 Belmont Stakes presented by Draftkings (gr. I), will be moved to the care of trainer Kiaran McLaughlin for a stateside campaign for the remainder of 2016.

Trainer Mike de Kock told South Africa's Sporting Post that 4-year-old Mubtaahij will head to New York, while 3-year-old Vale Dori, fourth in the March 26 UAE Derby (UAE-II) on the World Cup undercard, will be sent to Bob Baffert in California. Both are owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum.

"I was asked to take Mubtaahij to the U.S., but as it is I am stretched between the Southern and Northern Hemispheres and I don't want to put my assistants under too much pressure, as U.S. racing and training is highly scrutinized by the media," de Kock told Sporting Post. "It would be unfair to subject them to that pressure."

Mubtaahij, who finished second to 2014 Horse of the Year California Chrome   by 3 3/4 lengths in the Dubai World Cup last Saturday, will return to de Kock in Dubai for the 2017 Carnival of Racing. He also ran eighth in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) last year, after earning his trip to America with a victory in the 2015 UAE Derby.

Vale Dori will remain in the U.S. to be bred to Tapit   following her campaign, de Kock told Sporting Post.

"Both Mubtaahij and Vale Dori have big races in them, but I am not able to comment on the exact feature contests their new trainers will be looking at," the South African horseman said.