Curlin nominated to Dubai World Cup

CURLIN (Smart Strike), the 2007 Horse of the Year in North America and

officially the world's highest-rated horse still in training, tops of list of

169 horses nominated to the $6 million Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1) on March 29. Trained by Steve Asmussen, Curlin won the

Preakness S. (G1), Jockey Club Gold Cup S. (G1) and Breeders' Cup Classic (G1)

last year. In nine starts, the chestnut recorded six wins, one second and two

thirds while earning $5,102,800.

In addition to Curlin, other top runners nominated to the world's

richest race include multiple Grade 1 winner PREMIUM TAP (Pleasant Tap), UAE

Derby (UAE-G2) hero ASIATIC BOY (Not for Sale), Maktoum Challenge Round 1

(UAE-G3) victor HAPPY BOY (Ski Champ), Champion S. (Eng-G1) winner LITERATO

(Kendor), Cigar Mile H. (G1) king DAAHER (Awesome Again), Japanese classic

heroine DAIWA SCARLET (Agnes Tachyon), Japan Cup Dirt (Jpn-G1) winner VERMILION

(El Condor Pasa), Argentine champion LATENCY (Slew Gin Fizz), Pacific Classic

(G1) winner STUDENT COUNCIL (Kingmambo) and Grade 2 conqueror AWESOME GEM (Awesome

Again).

The nominees hail from 11 countries: United Arab Emirates (78), United States

(38), Japan (18), United Kingdom (11), Brazil (6), France (6), Argentina (3),

Turkey (3), Saudi Arabia (3), Macau (2), and Bahrain (1).

Other stakes races on the program at Nad al Sheba have attracted many of the

top horses in the world at the first closing stage for nominations.

The $5 million Dubai Duty Free (UAE-G1) is headed by Godolphin's flagbearer

of last season, multiple Group 1 winner RAMONTI (Martino Alonso), as well as the

triple Group 1-winning French filly DARJINA (Zamindar) and New Zealand's latest

superstar, SEACHANGE (Cape Cross [Ire]).

The $5 million Dubai Sheema Classic (UAE-G1) has attracted six of the first

seven home in last year's race, including VENGEANCE OF RAIN (Zabeel), ORACLE

WEST (SAf) (Western Winter) and YOUMZAIN (Sinndar), as well as Japanese

champion MEISHO SAMSON (Opera House [GB]).

Americans dominate the nominees for the first Group 1 race on the card, the $2 million Dubai

Golden Shaheen. Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) champion MIDNIGHT LUTE (Real Quiet),

last year's Dubai Golden Shaheen winner KELLY'S LANDING (Patton) and Grade 1

winner IDIOT PROOF (Benchmark) all represent the United States, while Australia is

represented by the Group 1-winning filly MISS ANDRETTI (Ihtiram).

The $1 million Godolphin Mile (UAE-G2) could see SPRING AT LAST (Silver

Deputy) trying to defend his crown from 12 months ago, while the $2 million UAE

Derby (UAE-G2) has attracted the top British colt, STRIKE THE DEAL (Van

Nistelrooy), and the unbeaten American raider EL GATO MALO (El Corredor).

"The nominations for the 13th Dubai World Cup meeting are extremely

satisfying," Dubai Racing Club CEO Frank Gabriel Jr. said. "Most people agreed

that last year's meeting was the best yet and that the fixture can now lay claim

to being the most competitive and international day's racing anywhere in the

world. What is particularly rewarding is that a number of horses who competed

last year are set to return and it shows that many horsemen are keen to keep

their horses in training now, and target international meetings such as this

one. We are likely to see a lot of horses who ran in the Breeders' Cup, Japan

Cup and Hong Kong International meetings at the end of last year, then competing

here, and it shows how strong and thriving the international racing scene is."