McLaughlin Pointing True Timber to Godolphin Mile

The search for a breakthrough stakes win for grade 1-placed True Timber will include a trip to Dubai.

Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said Calumet Farm's True Timber, who finished second in last year's Cigar Mile Handicap Presented by NYRA Bets (G1), will be pointed to the $1.5 million Godolphin Mile sponsored by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum City—District One (G2) on the Dubai World Cup card March 30 at Meydan.

Last week it was confirmed that Calumet's D. Wayne Lukas-conditioned Bravazo would be lining up in the $12 million Dubai World Cup sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1). Both will ship to Dubai off a start in the Jan. 26 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) at Gulfstream Park, in which Bravazo finished fourth and True Timber ran seventh.

"We are planning to run him in the Godolphin Mile and he's doing really well," McLaughlin said of True Timber, a 5-year-old son of Mineshaft  who has three additional graded placings to his credit. "He's training great and we will breeze him weekly before we ship in. He'll be based at Meydan with the rest of the American horses.

"He came out of the Pegasus in good shape," he continued. "He's probably better at a mile and I'm happy to try him back at one there. He's a very nice horse and other than the Pegasus, he has been running really well. He was very wide ... and that really hurt his chances."

McLaughlin, a former champion trainer in Dubai who has won five races on Dubai World Cup night including the featured race with Invasor in 2007, said True Timber is a good fit for the Godolphin Mile.

"(True Timber) is the right kind," McLaughlin said. "We're excited about coming with him. I came back a couple years ago and I'm excited about it myself, as well. I spent 10 years there so Dubai is like a second home."