Gio Ponti keeping more weight in Dubai this time

Three-time Eclipse Award winner GIO PONTI (Tale of the Cat), fourth in last

year's Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1), toured the Meydan paddock Tuesday before having

a jog and a gallop. The six-year-old is acclimating to his surroundings,

according to Christophe Lorieul, assistant to trainer Christophe Clement.

"We took a couple of turns with the pony and he was very good in the

paddock," said Lorieul, who rode the Kentucky-bred bay. "He was happy today --

he didn't sweat as much.

"He has traveled better this year and has kept his condition. Last year, he

lost a lot more weight (on the trip to Dubai). Every day now he seems to be

getting better and better."

Lorieul indicated that Gio Ponti may have "an easy piece of work" Wednesday.

TWICE OVER (GB) (Observatory) was a troubled 10th in the World Cup last year,

but his connections are confident he will turn in a better effort Saturday

night. Freshened up after successfully defending his title in the Champion S.

(Eng--G1) at Newmarket in October, the six-year-old was a smooth winner over

this course and distance in the Al Maktoum Challenge - Round 3 (UAE-G2) March 3.

"He is grand and is in good form," regular rider Tom Queally said. "He just

did a routine piece of work (Tuesday) morning, and quickened down the straight.

It is a case of so far, so good, and he seems happy in himself, which is the

main thing.

"He was a good winner last time out and he quickened up well. He seems to

have tightened up since then, and we just need a bit of luck now. He will have a

blow out this Friday, and that will get him to the race."

Japanese trainer Katsuhiko Sumii sent out his two runners, World Cup

contender VICTOIRE PISA (Neo Universe) and Dubai Sheema Classic (UAE-G1) hopeful

RULERSHIP (King Kamehameha) for a 1200-meter drill Tuesday morning.

Victoire

Pisa is one of three Japanese challengers for Saturday's main event, along with

BUENA VISTA (Special Week) and TRANSCEND (Wild Rush), and Sumii thinks he's

learned something from his former stable star Vodka, who came up short in three

Dubai appearances. Victoire Pisa, who defeated Buena Vista in the Arima Kinen

(Jpn-G1) December 26, tuned up for his big trip with a win in the Nakayama Kinen

(Jpn-G2) February 27.

"Vodka had a preparation to step up for the Dubai World Cup meetings, and I

thought it would be better for two of my horses to have a preparation race

before the big race," Sumii said. "Victoire Pisa may go to Hong Kong after Dubai

this year, and also Rulership and Buena Vista have same owners, and also because

of the traveling expenses, we decided to trip to Dubai all together.

"Rulership and Victoire Pisa had good step-up races at home, which is good.

All of the members from Japan feel that we must work together for the victory,

and give all of the victims of earthquake-triggered tsunami hope.

"Since Victoire Pisa got in Dubai, he already had three steady gallops at

Meydan, so he has become more muscular physically. Rulership always shows

flexible strides and runs very lightly, and I think he satisfied with the

surface of all-weather. Both two of them run in the different races, so I

decided to give them galloping together."

Champ Pegasus and Bourbon Bay turned in a thrilling stretch duel in the San Luis Obispo (Benoit Photos) CHAMP PEGASUS (Fusaichi Pegasus) will get another crack at his Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) conqueror DANGEROUS MIDGE (Lion Heart) in the Dubai Sheema Classic. The bay will likely employ different tactics this weekend, having attempted to make all the running at Churchill Downs. "I thought if I take him back behind this pace, they are going to be walking, and he'll never have a chance to give it a go, so we put him on the lead, and he ran great," trainer Richard Mandella explained. "(Jockey Frankie) Dettori (on Dangerous Midge) rode a great race that day. He'd pressure us a little bit, then him alone. Then he'd pressure us, just so he wouldn't relax. Then he came the last time, and my horse said, 'That's enough.'" Champ Pegasus opened 2011 with a second to fellow Sheema challenger BOURBON BAY (Sligo Bay [Ire]) in the San Marcos S. (G2) January 18, but turned the tables on that rival in the San Luis Obispo S. (G2) February 19.

"I think his race the other day shows that he really does want to be taken

hold of," Mandella added.

Dettori will ride Godolphin's REWILDING (Tiger Hill) -- a half-brother to

last year's Sheema Classic heroine Dar Re Mi (GB) (Singspiel [Ire]) -- in

Saturday's $5 million event, so Martin Dwyer will take over on Dangerous Midge.

In other Dubai news:

Trainer John Moore, so successful at his Sha Tin base, is still looking for

his first international Group 1 victory, and will saddle DIM SUM (Kyllachy) and

SUNNY KING (Desert Sun [GB]) in Saturday's Dubai Golden Shaheen (UAE-G1) in an

attempt to correct that oversight. Moore previously sent Viva Pataca out to a

runner-up finish in the 2008 Dubai Sheema Classic, while his One World (Danehill

Dancer) was third in last year's Golden Shaheen.

"It's a monkey that I really need to get off my back," Moore acknowledged.

"I've had several runners run very well overseas without winning, and it's

something that I feel I am going to achieve sooner or later. I would love if it

was in Dubai this weekend."

Dim Sum, a seven-year-old, captured the Chairman's Sprint Prize in February

for the second time, while Sunny King, aged eight, has given top Hong Kong

runner Beauty Flash (Golan [Ire]) a run for his money in his last two starts.

"I can't really explain how or why they have reached such a level of form at

their age," Moore offered. "Dim Sum seemed out of sorts last season, and the

only thing I did was to move him to a different stable in the barn. He is now

beside Viva Pataca, so maybe some of the champ's old magic has rubbed off on

him!

"As for Sunny King, he has always been very consistent, but has somehow upped

his game recently. He should be well-suited to the Tapeta surface, because he

won four times on the Polytrack at Lingfield, a left-handed track like Meydan,

including a listed race over 1400 meters, before we bought him to race in Hong

Kong."

Rider Darren Beadman, who sustained an ankle injury in Hong Kong last Sunday,

will be in his usual spot aboard Dim Sum.

"Darren was pretty badly bruised, but he will be okay for Saturday night,"

Moore added. "He wants to win this race as badly as I do, and it's nice to be

going there with two decent each-way chances."

"Dim Sum sustained a cut to his knee on the flight over from Hong Kong so he

needed to do some easier work (Tuesday)," Moore pointed out. "It's nothing

serious, and has not needed suturing or anything like that, and I expect he will

be out on the all-weather track (Wednesday).

"They have both drawn well in low-to-middle gates, and there should be plenty

of speed in the race to suit them. I had One World run third in this race last

year, and I feel either of these two could match that or, with some luck, even

do better."

The Golden Shaheen will mark Euroears' debut on a synthetic surface (Benoit Photos) Trainer Bob Baffert, who won a pair of Dubai World Cups with Silver Charm and Captain Steve, is back in the Emirate for the first time since the latter's win a decade ago. A lot has changed since then, and the Hall of Fame conditioner was trying to get his bearings in Meydan. "I was wandering around the grandstand when I heard a security guard say, 'Excuse me, sir. Can I see some identification?'" Baffert related. "I said, 'You're looking at it. It's my hair,'" "This place is just awesome," he reflected. "You see pictures of the grandstand, but you can't actually appreciate it until you're here. You could fit my whole hometown of Nogales, Arizona, inside that place -- all the people of Nogales could live in there -- it's unbelievable." Baffert went up to the grandstand's fifth floor to observe his Dubai Golden Shaheen contender EUROEARS (Langfuhr) breeze 600 meters in :35.26. "I just wanted to give him a little spin out there," said the silver-haired conditioner, while pointing out his simple strategy for Saturday night. "He's one dimensional; he goes to the lead and stays there."

In his first start for Baffert, the muscular Euroears ran his rivals off

their feet in the Palos Verdes S. (G2) at Santa Anita January 22.

"I was debating on whether to come or not, but I decided I was going to go

because this is a really nice horse," Baffert said. "And it's good to be back."

Three fillies are set to take on the boys in the $2 million U.A.E. Derby

(UAE-G2) Saturday night, including trainer Mike de Kock's twosome of MAHBOOBA

(Galileo [Ire]) and REEM (Galileo [Ire]), as well as Godolphin's KHAWLAH (Cape

Cross [Ire]) from the Saeed bin Suroor shedrow. In her first start on Tapeta,

Khawlah trumped Mahbooba in the U.A.E. Oaks (UAE-G3) February 24.

"We were not surprised, because she is tough and strong," bin Suroor said. "I

am really happy with her, and she has a good chance -- maybe the best chance."

In addition to Reem and Mahbooba, de Kock will lead over ZANZAMAR (Fort

Wood), who was second to SPLASH POINT (Street Cry [Ire]) last out in the U.A.E.

Two Thousand Guineas (UAE-G3) February 10.

"I maintain the fillies are better than the colts this year, and we have two

of the best," de Kock affirmed. "Mahbooba will appreciate a good gallop, but

does have to reverse form with Khawlah. Reem has been a superstar and is tough.

She will run well, while Zanzamar is another who will be wanting a fast pace, as

stamina is his game."

Reem, like Mahbooba a homebred of Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum,

trumped the boys last out in the March 3 Al Bastakiya S. in her fourth Carnival

start.

I Want Revenge's last win occurred nearly two years ago in the Wood Memorial (Lauren Pomeroy/Horsephotos.com) I WANT REVENGE (Stephen Got Even), infamously scratched on the morning of 2009 Kentucky Derby (G1), will be looking to get back in the headlines after Saturday's Godolphin Mile (UAE-G2). Together with stablemate -- and Al Quoz Sprint (UAE-G2) hopeful -- STRADIVINSKY (Stravinsky), the five-year-old is under the watchful eye of conditioner Rick Dutrow assistant Michelle Nevin, as well as his brother and fellow trainer Chip. In 2008, Dutrow fielded Golden Shaheen hero Benny the Bull and Godolphin Mile victor Diamond Stripes. "My brother Rick's not coming, because I took his ticket," Chip Dutrow quipped. "When he asked me, I said I'm going this time. I missed my chance to come to Dubai a few years back, so I said, 'Man, now's the time, I'm gonna go check it out.' I wanted to go last time with Benny the Bull and Diamond Stripes, but I couldn't get my passport done in time, so I missed a party there." I Want Revenge made two starts as a four-year-old, finishing third in both the Suburban H. (G2) and Philip H. Iselin S. (G3) last summer. In his lone appearance since, the dark bay was part of a three-way photo when fourth in the Donn H. (G1) February 5. "He needed the run," Nevin said. "He's got no issues, and came out of it well."

South African champion J J THE JET PLANE (Jet Master) blew out down the

Meydan stretch Tuesday in advance of the Al Quoz Sprint, and will do the same

Thursday, according to trainer Michael "Lucky" Houdalakis.

Having captured the Hong Kong Sprint (HK-G1) in December, the seven-year-old

was a bit rusty when 11th in a local Tapeta handicap in February, but turned

things around with a 1200-meter victory on the turf March 10

"He needed his first run here, and I'd have been disappointed if he hadn't

won next time," Houdalakis said. "He's very well, and my only concern is the

distance --maybe 1000 meters is a little on the short side for him these days."