At Dubai, Sakhee Is the One to Beat

Sakhee, poised to become the first horse to win the biggest races in France and the United Arab Emirates, will be even money or less in Saturday’s $6-million Dubai World Cup. But standing in the way is one of his stablemates and a speed-favoring colt from California.

Sakhee, winner of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris in October, has made one start--a nine-length victory in Dubai on Feb. 24--since his loss by a nose to Tiznow in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Belmont Park in October. Frankie Dettori, who had never lost on Sakhee until the Tiznow race, will be aboard again Saturday when the 5-year-old breaks from the No. 7 post in an 11-horse field.

Street Cry, like Sakhee, is owned by Sheik Mohammed’s Godolphin Stable and is 6-1 on the morning line. It was the sheik, who is the crown prince of Dubai, who launched the Dubai World Cup as a $4-million race in 1996. Now the 11/4-mile race is the highlight of a six-race card with purses of $15 million, richer than the Breeders’ Cups in the U.S.

Street Cry began his career in Southern California in 2000, running second to Flame Thrower in the Del Mar Futurity and the Norfolk Stakes at Santa Anita. Third in that year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs, Street Cry was sent back to Dubai to prepare for the 2001 Kentucky Derby. He missed the race because of an injury and didn’t run for seven months. Returning with a second-place finish in the Discovery Handicap at Aqueduct in October, he prepped for the World Cup with an 81/2-length victory at 11/4 miles in Dubai on Feb. 28.

Jerry Bailey, who has won three of the six World Cups--with Cigar in 1996, Singspiel in 1997 and Captain Steve last year--will ride Street Cry.

Western Pride, ridden by Pat Valenzuela for the first time, ran a gritty Santa Anita Handicap on March 2, finishing second at 11/4 miles to Milwaukee Brew after leading for the first nine furlongs. With Valenzuela riding him back, the 4-year-old colt is expected to try winning on the front end again.

Earlier this week, Western Pride’s owners, Carolyn Chapman and Theresa McArthur, sold their horse to a Saudi Arabian prince for an undisclosed price, which leaves the World Cup without an American-owned contender for the first time. No matter the price, the horse’s previous owners turned a hefty profit. They bought the colt as a 2-year-old who had not raced for $65,000 and saw him push his purses over the $1-million mark with the runner-up finish in the Big ‘Cap.

Western Pride is 8-1 on the morning line, which has been set by Arlington Park, the betting hub for the race in the U.S. Betting is banned in Dubai.

Others running are Agnes Digital, Best Of The Best, Crimson Quest, Keltos, Royal Tryst, State Shinto, Sei Mi and To The Victory.

U.S. horses have good chances in two other races on the Dubai card. Val Royal, winner of last year’s Breeders’ Cup Mile, is the 5-2 favorite in the $2 million Duty Free Stakes and Xtra Heat, last year’s Eclipse Award-winning sprinter in North America, is favored at 2-1 in the $2 million Golden Shaheen. Caller One, winner of the Golden Shaheen last year, is shooting for a repeat.

A Godolphin Kentucky Derby prospect, Essence Of Dubai, will run against 13 foes--five of them also owned by Sheik Mohammed--in the $2-million UAE Derby.

In another overseas Kentucky Derby development, trainer Aidan O’Brien flew Johannesburg from Ireland to Lingfield Park in England for a six-furlong workout and announced that the colt’s lone Derby prep will be a one-mile race on dirt at Lingfield on April 6. Johannesburg, working in company with two stablemates, was timed in 1:12. Undefeated in seven starts, he has not run since winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Belmont Park on Oct. 27.

A Derby horse or two might emerge from Saturday’s $500,000 Spiral at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky. Request For Parole is the 8-5 favorite.

Trainer Ken McPeek, keeping his Derby hopefuls apart, said that Repent will run on April 6 in the Illinois Derby at Sportsman’s Park and Harlan’s Holiday is scheduled to run in the Blue Grass at Keeneland on April 13.