Dubai Preview

Dubai World Cup Night is only just two days away! I thought that I would do a preview of the race with my picks in them. I'm not posting the fields, but you can find them easily at either Racing Post or DRF's websites. Here are the previews!

Godolphin Mile

Alpha has not done well since his Travers co win with Golden Ticket running up track in all three of his races. Soft Falling Rain is undefeated his career, but faces horses older then him for the first time. Barbecue Eddie started out the meet with three straight wins, but has finished 3^rd and 13^th in his last two. I like Moonwalk in Paris to win this. He was third to African Story in his prep for this race, finishing ahead of Dullahan who at that point was undefeated on a synthetic surface. He also has a win over the surface and has only been worse then third once in his career. Of course his post isn't that great.

Dubai Gold Cup

The first turf race of the night! Imperial Monarch was 6^th in his North American debut late last year in the Canadian International. Jutland has started four times this year with 3 top three finishes including winning in his last start. I like Ahzeemah to win this race.

UAE Derby

Even though this is a Derby points race, there are only two horses who are most likely to go to the First Saturday in May. Dice Flavor won at Golden Gate (which has Tapeta) in his last start, while He's Had Enough is trying to reverse a losing streak and trying to right what is turning into a bad BC Juvenile from last year. The filly in the race Sharuq could be the horse to beat as she has won the UAE Oaks. Secret Number is undefeated in two starts. I'm going with my heart here and going with Now Spun. Although, I think he's better on grass then he is on a synthetic surface.

Al Quoz Sprint

Varsity is repping the Red, White and Blue for this race, but unfortunately I don't know much about him. Since returning from stud duty Starspangledbanner has not done well including a poor finish in the BC Turf Sprint. Shea Shea won the final prep for this race, but had finished 7^th before that. The 10 year old Joy and Fun was third in this race last year. I like Sole Power to move up one spot from last year to first in this year's edition.

Golden Shaheen

The lone American to win since the move to Tapeta was Kinsale King. He did in this race. If the US returns to the winners circle in Dubai, this could be the race to do so. BC Sprint winner Trinniberg and Panamanian import Private Zone are the two Americans in the race. They very well could be the class of the field, but I'm going with Reynaldothewizard. He beat the defending champ of this race Krypton Factor in the prep and has run pretty well at Meydan in the past. However, he did faulter as a 2yo in a G1 at Keeneland, but that was in 2008.

Duty Free

Who knew that a Beverly D winner, Arlington Million winner and a Secretariat runner up would meet up not at Arlington Park, but in Dubai? That's what it is with I'm a Dreamer, Little Mike and Wigmore Hall. The big news is that Little Mike gets a key jockey chang to the Hall of Famer Gary Stevens who is in a middle of a comeback. South African superstar Igugu hasn't really shown that same spark she has had at home, but maybe this might be the race to do it in. Sajjaa has won her last three including beating Igugu. I really like Little Mike in this race, the change from Tapeta to turf is a good change and we should see the really Mike in this race.

Sheema

Outside of the World Cup, this is the race of the night. You have a BC Turf winner vs a Melbourne Cup winner vs a Japan Cup winner. PLUS Shareta and Trailblazer? Sign me up! I really would love to see St. Nicholas Abbey win this race, but the fact that Gentildonna won the Triple Tiara in Japan last season plus ran down Triple Crown winner Oferve in the Japan Cup is impressive. She is my pick for this race.

World Cup

Three Americans will take on an International field. Animal Kingdom will run for possibly the last time (although he might run at Royal Ascot). Treasure Beach did not run well in his first race for his new connections, but he was switching from turf to Tapeta. Royal Delta will go for Zenyatta's earnings record for a filly who raced in North America. Since the jockey change from Jose Lezcano to Mike Smith, she has only lost once. Monterusso is the defending champ of this race, but has only run twice and both times he was off the board. Dullahan had a poor start in his prep at Meydan and like his Duty Free stablemate, gets Gary Stevens on board. As for my pick, I went with Royal Delta last year and honestly with her new running style, that might just be enough to get it done. Going with my runner up last year Capponi for second and Animal Kingdom for third.