Curlin Faces Hard Test in Dubai
2007 Horse of the Year, Jockey Albarado Challenged by UAE World Cup
2007 HOY, Curlin, and rider Robby Albarado face a stiff challenge in Dubai's Classic, the world's richest Thoroughbred race. They will compete with the best on March 29.
Curlin overcame a raceless two-year-old season to become 2007's Horse of the Year and Male Champion Three-Year-Old. Curlin and jockey Robby Albarado take their hearts and their courage and their learned skills to the United Arab Emirates' World Cup races next month. The richest Thoroughbred festival in the world awaits the duo in Dubai on March 29. They will compete in the $6 million Dubai Classic for three-year-olds and up.
A short list of well-pedigreed, successful Thoroughbreds of the world have prevailed in the 12-year history of the Classic, and a similar field will challenge America's best of 2007. In particular, the trainees of Godolphin Racing, owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, have met with success at Dubai's Nad Al Sheba Racecourse
Pedigrees Trace to Seattle Slew, Affirmed, Many Other Champs
The pedigrees of a famed American twosome, Triple Crown champions Affirmed and Seattle Slew, show up in the ancestry of past Dubai winners. The bloodlines of the likes of Nasrullah, Nearctic, Northern Dancer, Sword Dancer, Nashua, Hail to Reason, Damascus, and many other greats are present in the grandsires and great grandsires of the 12 Dubai Classic champions.
The immediate pedigrees of the 12 champions are as follows:
- 1996 - Cigar - Palace Music---Solar Slew by Seattle Slew
- 1997 - Singspiel (IRE) - In The Wings (GB)---Glorious Song (CAN) by Halo (USA)
- 1998 - Silver Charm - Silver Buck---Bonnie's Poker by Poker
- 1999 - Almutawakel (GB) - Machiavellian (USA)---Elfaslah (IRE) by Green Desert (USA)
- 2000 - Dubai Millennium (GB) - Seeking the Gold (USA)---Colorado Dancer (IRE) by Shareef Dancer (USA)
- 2001 - Captain Steve - Fly So Free---Sparkling Delite by Vice Regent (CAN)
- 2002 - Street Cry (IRE) - Machiavellian---Helen Street (GB) by Troy (GB)
- 2003 - Moon Ballad (IRE) - Singspiel (IRE)---Velvet Moon (IRE) by Shaadi (USA)
- 2004 - Pleasantly Perfect - Pleasant Coloney---Regal State by Affirmed
- 2005 - Roses in May - Devil His Due---Tell A Secret by Speak John
- 2006 - Electrocutionist - Red Ramson---Elbaaha by Roberto
- 2007 - Invasor - Candy Stripes---Quendom (ARG) by Interprete (ARG)
The American champion Candy Stripes was sent to Argentina at the age of six for breeding interests, while Invasor was Urugray's Triple Crown champion before he became based in the United States. A closer look at bloodlines will reveal many crossovers since the English stallion Eclipse beget the American Darley line, which is still strong today. Only Singspiel has won the Dubai Classic as well as sired a Classic champion (Moon Ballad).
Can Curlin, the brawny chestnut son of Smart Strike and Sherriff's Deputy by Deputy Minister, and jockey Albarardo leave their own imprints at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse on March 29th?
