Mandella Pursues First Win in Dubai

Trainer Richard Mandella, who has had three runner-up finishes with six starters in the Dubai World Cup, may have the vehicle to reverse the trend this year in the $6-million race, which will be run for the ninth time on Saturday in the United Arab Emirates.

Pleasantly Perfect, who has won three in a row, including the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Oct. 25, is among 12 scheduled to go 1 1/4 miles.

Scratched from the $1-million Santa Anita Handicap three weeks ago because of a fever, Pleasantly Perfect, who is owned by Gerald Ford -- not the former president -- will be seeking his second victory of 2004.

He won the San Antonio Handicap on Jan. 31.

If Pleasantly Perfect is going to do what Soul Of The Matter, Sandpit, Siphon, Malek (twice) and Puerto Madero have been unable to do in Dubai, he’ll have to beat Medaglia d’Oro, a multiple-stakes winner who was impressive taking the Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park last month in his first outing of 2004 for trainer Bobby Frankel and owner Ed Gann.

“He beat Medaglia d’Oro once [in the Breeders’ Cup Classic] and I think we’ve got a good chance to beat him again,” Mandella said after Pleasantly Perfect drew post seven while Medaglia d’Oro drew unfavorably, landing in the 11 hole.

“But I admire him. He’s a very good horse. He won the Donn in good fashion, he has a great trainer in Frankel and I’m sure he’ll be ready for whatever comes at him, but we’ll be coming at him.”

Others in the field include Domestic Dispute, who was the upset winner of the Strub Stakes at Santa Anita last month for trainer Pat Gallagher, Japan Cup Dirt winner Fleetstreet Dancer, who has proven to be a very lucrative claim for trainer Doug O’Neill, Victory Moon, Admire Don, Grand Hombre, Silent Deal, Dinyeper, Regent Bluff, State Shinto and longshot Kings Boy.

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Besides the World Cup, there are four other Group 1 races on the program -- the $250,000 Dubai Kahayla Classic, the $2-million Dubai Sheema Classic, the $2-million Dubai Golden Shaheen and the $2-million Dubai Duty Free.

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Wynn Dot Comma, who upset Eurosilver in the Swale Stakes on March 13 at Gulfstream Park, was euthanized on Tuesday after breaking his right front ankle during a gallop at Calder.

Owned by Martin Cherry and trained by Marty Wolfson, the 3-year-old son of Smuggler finished his career with six wins in eight starts.