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Seabiscuit Handicap Results Kennedy Road Stales Betty Grable Stakes Breeders Cup Wrap up BC Saturday Results |
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 Spanish Mission and Berkshire Rocco on Wednesday morning at Meydan |
On Wednesday morning in Dubai, entrants for the $12 million Dubai World Cup (G1) and its rich undercard were at Meydan Racecourse on the main track, turf course, and training tracks. Conditions were typical for late March in the Emirates, with partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the low 70's during training hours before climbing to the low 90's during the day. The races will be run Saturday evening (Saturday morning in North America), with the World Cup going to post at 9:40pm local time (1:40pm ET). In North America the full card will be broadcast live on TVG in the U.S. and HPI-TV in Canada. In addition, NBC Sports Network's show will start at 12:30pm.
Here are photos and comments for 16 horses that were out Wednesday morning. Please click the smaller photos to see a larger version.
 Sleepy Eyes Todd (Dubai World Cup) schooled in the starting gate then galloped twice around under exercise rider Jose Sandoval. Trainer Miguel Angel Silva said, "They told me the gates are different than the ones in America. We just wanted to make sure he’s OK in there, because they said they are smaller. He was a gentleman like always, he was perfect. Today he just galloped around to stretch his legs. The job is done. We just keep him happy. We will continue with the easy canters, easy gallops over the next few days. I have been saying this a lot, we just need racing luck. We had a few issues with other horses in Saudi Arabia, they cut us off. All of a sudden, we were 15 lengths behind. Ideally, I would like to see him four or five lengths off the speed. And in front at the wire!" |
 Jesus' Team (Dubai World Cup) schooled in the paddock on Tuesday evening under the lights, and then on Wednesday galloped twice around and schooled in the starting gate. Trainer Jose D'Angelo said, "He looked a little sharp, a little nervous because all of it is new for him. It’s a long walk and the transportation from the barn is in a truck. So that is new for him. He will be more focussed and more professional for the race because Jesus is always better the second time around. Today he improved on the track, every day he is going better. He did two laps, slow to a bit faster. Similar to how we are going to run [in the race]. He’s doing perfectly. We went to the starting gate today with him and he looked very professional, very focussed, not nervous. I like what I see." |
 Magny Cours (Dubai World Cup) made his first appearance on the dirt track at Meydan on Wednesday morning where he cantered on the back stretch before going a bit quicker in front of the grandstand. Richard Lambert, the travelling head lad who looks after the son of Medaglia d’Oro, said: "His rider was very happy with him this morning. Everything went well and he looks in good form. He will not come back to the dirt track but will remain on the training track." |
 Great Scot (Dubai World Cup) arrived in Dubai last Friday after travelling from France via Belgium and the UK. However, despite the long travel, the 6-year-old was in fine form, as confirmed Richard Lambert, the travelling head lad of the French handler. "He travelled really well and took the trip in his stride," he said. |
  Title Ready (Dubai World Cup) came to the dirt track at 7am and had an easy hack around with his owner in town to watch. Trainer Dallas Stewart was also on hand for the first time this week. "The horse looked great," Stewart said. "He’s doing well. The horse came in good and we’re excited to see what he can do on Saturday. He looks like he’s getting over the track good. Like any of them, he’s going to have to step his game up. It’s a good race. He’s a very nice horse who’s six now and he’s training well and coming off his best race. His best races might be ahead. Hopefully he’ll step up to this level. I think the competition is solid. Mystic Guide is a wonderful horse coming off a win and you have to worry about him. The other American horses are really solid, as well."
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 Ajuste Fiscal (Dubai World Cup) had an easy workout on the Meydan dirt track at 5am on Wednesday. "He is fit and well and really just having a leg stretcher before the big day," said trainer Antonio Cintra. |
 Military Law (Dubai World Cup) drew post 5 for the World Cup. Trainer Musabbeh Al Mheiri said, "I am very happy with the draw. This is perfect and I just couldn’t have asked for a better position for him to start. If he jumps out well and Antonio Fresu can get him into a good position just off the pace then we have every reason to believe he will be in a good position to contest the finish. He will work for the last time on Thursday and we will have him ready for race day." |
 Channel Maker (Sheema Classic) returned to the dirt track on Wednesday morning to gallop 1 1/2 miles under rider and assistant trainer, Neil Poznansky. "He’s got to run 1 1/2, so you can’t go too easy with him. But he’s not a sprinter so we don’t want him too sharp, either. I’ve been galloping him 1 1/2 every two or three days and then giving him light exercise for a day. That’s been our routine. He was full of himself today when we galloped over the track. He looks good, he feels good and he has plenty of energy. Now we just have to get him to Saturday," said Poznansky. |
 Wildman Jack (Golden Shaheen) had an easy circuit of the Meydan dirt on Wednesday morning at 5am. "He’s doing great right now- I can’t say that enough," said Leandro Mora, assistant to trainer Doug O'Neill. "He’s the kind of horse who gives you confidence." |
 El Patriota (UAE Derby) drew post 2 for trainer Antonio Cintra Pereira. The Al Bastakiya Stakes third place finisher gets regular rider Vagner Leal in the irons. |
 Fire Group (UAE Derby) galloped once around. Trainer Musabbeh Al Mheiri felt a better draw would have suited. "All his preparations have gone well and we are happy with the way he’s been handling the surface and the training," he said. "He is a brilliant horse, whose just not had his day so far but we will rest him after tomorrow’s blow out, which we hope he will handle well. After that he’s over to raceday. We would have preferred a better draw, but as things stand a lot will depend on how he breaks - if he can break well he should be able to get himself in the mix." |
 True Valour (Al Quoz Sprint) was one of four who got the chance to experience the Meydan pre-parade ring Tuesday evening, with Graham Motion’s assistant trainer Cat McGee by his side. McGee said: "He did wonderful, he was perfect. He’s been doing great. He settled really nicely, he’s very happy here. He kind of likes to look around at everything." The turf specialist went 1 mile on the dirt track, having breezed on the turf two days ago. "He’s definitely more settled out here (main track). It’s nice to put him out here, without having the intensity of being on the turf," McGee continued. |
 Urban Icon (Godolphin Mile) galloped twice around under jockey Oisin Murphy. Trainer Saud Alkahtani said, "We did slightly change the training plan for the horse by working him last Friday to fit in with shipping. He has had a couple of easy days since and seems to be enjoying his surroundings here in Dubai." |
 Parsimony (Godolphin Mile) had a strong canter over the Meydan dirt course at 5am on Wednesday. "He’s a better horse now," said Leandro Mora, assistant trainer. "He had a really good prep for this at Santa Anita, running in a very good allowance race over six furlongs (1200m) with some Graded Stakes horses. He’s the type of horse who looks for the leader to tell him what to do, so it’s good that he’s drawn well and outside. He’ll jump running and get right up there, but he’s the type who waits sometimes. With him, lately, we have started only working him by himself so that he can feel more comfortably than going in groups. Sometimes when you work them in groups or pairs, they have a tendency to stay with the other horses and sometimes not pass them, so we started doing everything by himself, so that he knows ‘it’s just me, I have to do what I have to do’ and it’s helped." |
 Mutwakel Al Khalediah (Kahayla Classic) galloped once around. Trainer Mutlaq Bin Mishriff said: "They both ran super races in the Obaiya Arabian Classic last month, they have settled in here well and hacked nicely around the training track this morning. We’re happy with where they’ve been drawn. Looking forward to another good run from both on Saturday." |
 Mashhur Al Khalediah (Kahayla Classic) galloped once around. "He travelled well and came out onto the dirt track on Monday morning, where he just had a very light canter," explained his trainer Phil Collington. "He came out with some of the other British horses like Mekong and came out again this morning and did a nice canter and yeah, he feels well. They said they are very pleased with him." |
 Lord Glitters (Dubai Turf) walks to the training track with the Myedan grandstand and the Burj Khalifa behind him. |
  Today was carrot feeding day! |
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