Earlier this week, DeKock indicated that Bold Silvano would be shipped to Dubai after this race and was, in his words, “a classic [Dubai] World Cup horse,” and that he is “very comfortable up to ten furlongs.”  The win in the Vodacom Durban July was over a 2,200 meters trip.  Anthony Delpech had the ride.

Click HERE for more from South Africa.

“Lizard’s Desire and indeed Lucky Find flew the flag again for South African-breds.  They are generally sounds, value buys as opposed to the horses in training from Argentina, where sellers have become unrealistic, way over the top.  International buyers should be flocking to South Africa and I hope our breeders and owners stay realistic.  That will keep our market lively and open.”

South African-breds have had enormous success at the Carnival, mostly due to the training exploits of De Kock and countrymate Herman Brown.  Yet, some of De Kock’s biggest wins came with Argentine-bred horses, including Honour Devil and Asiatic Boy, both UAE Derby winners.  Still, the disappointing Argentina-bred private purchases seem to outnumber the successful ones.  Rocks Off, Blues And Rock, Boss Professor, and Jodi are some more recent De Kock Argentine imports who have failed to succeed in Dubai. 

Click HERE for the full story from De Kock’s website.

Asiatic Boy romped him in the 2000 Guineas prep before taking the main trial, the Al Bastakiya, and then dominating the UAE Derby (G2).  His last win was in the third round of last year’s Maktoum Challenge (G2) where he defeated Happy Boy and stable companion Art of War.  Six of his seven lifetime wins came over the Nad Al Sheba strip. 

After some decent efforts in the US, including a second in the 2009 Stephen Foster (G1) at Churchill Downs, the Argentine-bred was sent to his native land where he will stand the 2010 season privately.

Click HERE for more from Thoroughbred Times.

#10 – Ajtebi scores a homegrown double
The 2009 Dubai Duty Free and Dubai Sheema Classic could not have been more different races.  In the end, the same jockey rode both winners as former camel jockey Ahmed Ajtebi became the first native Emirati to ride a winner on World Cup night.  Just minutes after making all the running in a Duty Free blowout aboard Gladiatorus, Ajtebi flew home over the outside of the Sheema Classic field with Eastern Anthem to land consecutive $5 million races, this one, by a nose.

#9 – Asiatic Boy becomes first winner of the UAE Triple Crown
He arrived from Argentina with a win and a placing from two lifetime starts, when he left the Emirates, Asiatic Boy had his name in the record books.  A Mike de Kock trainee, Asiatic Boy’s 2007 campaign included a conditions event win before landing the triumphant trio of sophomore events, the UAE 2000 Guineas, the Al Bastakiya, and the UAE Derby (video posted below).

#8 – Paolini and Right Approach provide a Duty Free deadheat
The judged stewed over the photograph of the 2004 Dubai Duty Free finish  for what seemed like an eternity, but in the end, could not separate Paolini and Right Approach in a ding-dong stretch duel that saw both horses fly home over the field from the rear.  While they exchanged bumps, no action was taken and the race stands as the only heater in the history of the World Cup meeting.

#7 – Curlin wins at the Dubai International Racing Carnival
This decade saw the growth of the DIRC into a top class race meeting where Dubai World Cup meeting contenders prepped.  Prior to Curlin’s demolition of the 2008 Dubai World Cup, trainer Steve Asmussen sent the son of Smart Strike to get a feel for the local conditions, knowing that his performances tended to improve when making a second trip over a course.  His win in an otherwise ordinary race gave the Carnival an added level of credibility on the global stage as an American Horse of the Year made his first start of a multiple graded stakes winning campaign amidst the dunes of Dubai.

#6 – Madjani makes it three-in-a-row
The purebred Arabian won three consecutive Dubai Kahayla Classics beginning in 2005, wholeheartedly dominating the breed for the decade.  His dominance over his competition, a fiercely contested group, especially in the UAE, was respected by the Nad Al Sheba crowd when, in 2008, the 8-year-old failed to completed an unprecedented fourth win in the race.  Mizzna, a mare, took a two length win but when Madjani returned to the walking ring to be unsaddled, the crowd obliged with an applause deserving a champion.

Rachel Alexandra, a 3-year-old filly, is likely to take on older males in Saturday’s Woodward Stakes over nine furlongs at Saratoga.  UAE Triple Crown winner Asiatic Boy is one of the expected starters.

Click HERE for the full story.

Unbeaten in 2009, Rachel Alexandra has won the Kentucky Oaks (G1), Preakness (G1), Mother Goose (G1), and Haskell (G1) – and is now being pointed to a start in the Woodward, her first foray against older males. 

Will those older males show up?  McLaughlin seems keen to duck what he calls “a great horse.”  Under the conditions of the Woodward, Rachel Alexandra gets a favorable impost of 118 pounds as a 3-year-old filly while her older male competitors tote 126.  Asiatic Boy, second in the 2008 Dubai World Cup (G1) behind Curlin, could now head to southern California for the first synthetic race of his career over Del Mar’s Polytrack.  Owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, Asiatic Boy was second in both the Stephen Foster (G1) and Suburban (G1), his only American starts.

Click HERE for McLaughlin’s full comments from Bloodhorse.  Click HERE for Asiatic Boy on HorseRacingNation.  Click HERE for Rachel Alexandra on HorseRacingNation.

Now, the son of Mineshaft out of the Zilzal mare, Joop, is in training with Kiaran McLaughlin and is entered in Sunday’s third race at Saratoga over seven furlongs.  His morning trackwork has been quite impressive and he will be medicated with Lasix for his American debut; Rajiv Maragh rides.

ASIATIC BOY SCRATCHED

Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum’s Asiatic Boy was scratched from Saturday’s Whitney at Saratoga due to spiking a temperature the morning of the race.  18-1 shot Bullsbay was an upset winner in the race and trainer Kiaran McLaughlin reported that otherwise, the 2007 UAE Triple Crown winner was in fine fettle. 

GLORIA DE CAMPEAO UNPLACED IN ARLINGTON MILLION

Second home in the Dubai World Cup (G1) and the narrow winner of the Singapore International Cup (G1) was a dull seventh in the Arlington Million (G1) on Saturday afternoon.  Ridden once again by T.J. Pereira, Gloria De Campeao settled second, well behind the runaway pacesetter Presious Passion, and faded turning for home over a tiring course rated yielding.

BRAVE TIN SOLDIER WINS

Kiaran McLaughlin is in the news once again as Brave Tin Soldier landed his first American victory on Saturday at Monmouth Park in a one mile turf contest.  The race was run under incredibly fast conditions with Brave Tin Soldier running from well off the pace to win at 4-1, marking his first turf victory since his maiden win at Naas in 2006.  Saturday’s victory was the second for Brave Tin Soldier in 2009, having landed a win on New Year’s Day at Nad Al Sheba during the Winter Racing Challenge.  Carlos Marquez Jr. had the winning ride over a course rated firm.  The final time was one second off the course record.

Impeccably bred, a son of the crack Aussie sire Redoute’s Choice out of the Encosta De Lago mare Dizzy De Lago, Musir is being exported to Dubai, and is likely to be joined by the Durban July second, Zirconeum – so says The National’s Sarah Tregoning. 

Click HERE to read more from Tregoning’s article.

Sheikh Mohammed also owns former Carnival runners including Diana’s Choice, Hunting Tower, Archipenko, Imbongi, amongst many others.

Winner of the 2009 Godolphin Mile (G2), Two Step Salsa will be back at that same distance in Saturday’s Salvatore Mile (G3) at Monmouth Park.  The race is the first American “Win & You’re In” qualifier for the 2009 Breeders’ Cup, with the winner of the Salvatore Mile earning a guaranteed spot in the starting gate for the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.  Eight are entered for the Salvatore Mile, including likely favorite Smooth Air, second in the Met Mile (G1) at Belmont in late May.  Two Step Salsa was beaten more than sixth lengths in his first start since the Godolphin Mile victory when fourth in the Tom Fool Handicap (G2) at Belmont Park.