Pleasantly Perfect Will Try to Defy Dubai Curse

Valid or not, Dubai has a reputation for making U.S. horses pay a penalty. Run your horse in the Dubai World Cup in March, so the theory goes, and he’s not going to be much use the rest of the year.

Trainer Richard Mandella, who doesn’t buy into that, will try to disprove the Dubai curse with Pleasantly Perfect. Winner of the $6-million World Cup four months ago, Pleasantly Perfect runs for the first time since then today in Del Mar’s $250,000 San Diego Handicap.

“It can be detrimental if you run in Dubai and then try to bring your horse back too quick,” Mandella said. “There are some tough horses you might be able to do that with, but with most horses they’re going to need extra time.”

Mandella believes that he has given Pleasantly Perfect sufficient rest to attack the rest of the year, with the goal the $4-million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Lone Star Park near Dallas on Oct. 30. Pleasantly Perfect won last year’s Classic at Santa Anita, giving Mandella a record four Breeders’ Cup wins for the day. Mandella’s plan this time is to run the 6-year-old son of Pleasant Colony in the $1-million Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Aug. 22, then either train the horse up to the Breeders’ Cup or run him in the Goodwood Handicap, a Santa Anita stake that Pleasantly Perfect won last year.

After Pleasantly Perfect outgamed Medaglia d’Oro in Dubai, Mandella had his shoes removed and gave him two weeks of rest at his Santa Anita barn. Then the horse spent a couple of weeks at the farm of Farrell Jones, the former trainer, in Hemet.

In the first Dubai World Cup, in 1996, Mandella’s Soul Of The Matter finished second to Cigar and never ran again.

“That had nothing to do with Dubai,” Mandella said. “Soul Of The Matter was training well down here, and I was ready to run him in the Pacific Classic, but he damaged some ligaments a week before the race and that was it. Remember that year? That was the year horses were getting hurt right and left down here.”

Mandella won that Pacific Classic, anyway, his Dare And Go ending Cigar’s 16-race winning streak.

In 1997, when Singspiel won the Dubai race, Mandella finished second and third, respectively, with Siphon and Sandpit.

“Whatever the race took out of them that year, it was more due to age than anything else,” Mandella said.

Siphon was a 6-year-old when he ran that year in Dubai, and Sandpit was two years older.

An intriguing rival for Pleasantly Perfect in today’s race is the undefeated Choctaw Indian, trained by Jeff Mullins.

“The horse is four for four,” Mandella said, “and he’s carrying 10 less pounds than my horse. He could be dangerous.”

Alex Solis, who rode Dare And Go for his Pacific Classic win, has ridden Pleasantly Perfect in his last eight starts -- five of them wins -- but he has undergone back surgery as the result of a spill here on July 23 and has been sidelined indefinitely. Mandella hired Mike Smith to ride today, and signed up Jerry Bailey for the Pacific Classic and the Breeders’ Cup. Both riders are in the Hall of Fame. Smith will be riding Pleasantly Perfect for the first time since he won an allowance race with him here Aug. 4, 2002. Bailey would have been aboard today, but by the time Mandella reached him at Saratoga, he had already committed to ride Sightseek in the Go For Wand Stakes at the upstate New York track.

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Sweet Win, the winner of Saturday’s $150,000 San Clemente Handicap, was making his first start for Mullins, who recently bought the filly on behalf of Gayle Fogelson for $175,000.... She’s Salty, The Griff and Charming Boy gave trainer Doug O’Neill three wins on the card.... Statement won the Wickerr Handicap, giving trainer Kristin Mulhall her first stakes win at Del Mar. Favored Buddy Gil, still seeking his first stakes win since the 2003 Santa Anita Derby, was off the board.... Mandella’s Olmodavor lost by a nose to Eye Of The Tiger in the $350,000 Washington Park Handicap at Arlington Park. A foul claim by John McKee, Olmodavor’s jockey, was disallowed.... Edgar Prado won both stakes at Saratoga, riding Wonder Again in the $500,000 Diana Handicap and Society Selection in the $250,000 Test.