Top Colt Has a New Home Base: Dubai

After two weeks of intrigue, the buyer of Worldly Manner, the Del Mar Futurity winner, has been identified as Sheik Mohammed of the Dubai-based Godolphin Racing organization.

Although Worldly Manner was sold in late September and left trainer Bob Baffert’s Santa Anita barn for Kentucky more than a week ago, neither John and Betty Mabee, who bred and raced the horse, nor Baffert knew who’d paid what is believed to be $5 million for the colt. Simon Crisford, who manages the Godolphin outfit, confirmed in England that it was the sheik who bought the horse.

Worldly Manner, winner of three of four starts, all in California, will not run in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. The two-year-old colt will be sent to Dubai for the winter before being prepared for a Kentucky Derby campaign that will start early next year. Worldly Manner is likely to begin the year under the care of Saeed Bin Suroor, Sheik Mohammed’s trainer in Newmarket, England.

Baffert has questioned whether the price was $5 million, but when asked about that figure, Rick Taylor, who manages the Golden Eagle racing operation for the Mabees, indicated that the price was in that range.

The departure of Worldly Manner leaves Baffert without a starter in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile for the first time in three years. Baffert will saddle Excellent Meeting and Silverbulletday, leading contenders, in the Juvenile Fillies, which will also be run on Breeders’ Cup day, Nov. 7, at Churchill Downs.

Baffert said Monday that there is a good chance that Silver Charm could be supplemented, at a cost of $480,000, for the $4-million Breeders’ Cup Classic.

“We have to get by Free House--and even Score Quick--first,” Baffert said, referring to Saturday’s $500,000 Goodwood Breeders’ Cup Handicap at Santa Anita. “If we get to the Breeders’ Cup, I hope Skip Away runs, too. I’d like one crack at him and I think we can beat him.”

Silver Charm, ridden by exercise rider Dana Barnes, worked six furlongs Monday in 1:10 2/5, the fastest of 19 horses training at that distance.

With Gary Stevens aboard Saturday, Silver Charm will carry 124 pounds, the same as Free House, who’ll be ridden by Chris McCarron.

Among other horses weighted for the Goodwood are Score Quick, 115 pounds, and Sovereign M.D., 112. Musical Gambler, weighted at 112 pounds, may run Friday night in New Jersey in the $500,000 Meadowlands Cup.

Horse Racing Notes

Laffit Pincay has become the leading rider of the Oak Tree meeting the hard way, winning 10 races with only 36 mounts through the first 11 days. Despite his success, Pincay is not getting much business and doesn’t have a mount Wednesday or Thursday. Pincay, who will be 52 on Dec. 29, is methodically trying to break Bill Shoemaker’s record of 8,833 wins. Pincay’s total is 8,647.. . . Sonja’s Faith, winless in her last five starts, got a front-running ride from Emile Ramsammy and held off favored See You Soon to win the $150,000 Las Palmas Handicap. Trainer Ian Jory’s filly gave Ramsammy, 35, his first stakes win at Santa Anita. The Las Palmas was also Ramsammy’s biggest win in the U.S.