The US could have up to six runners in the US$10 million (36.7m) Dubai World Cup at the end of the month in what would be the biggest raiding party to come over to Meydan since dirt was put down for the 2014/15 season.
Bob Baffert has already confirmed that Arrogate, the world’s highest-rated horse, and stable companion Hoppertunity will travel and will leave their California base on Monday.
Despite Arrogate’s huge reputation and obvious ability after wins in the Breeders’ Cup and Pegasus World Cup, the roan colt will be joined in the world’s second most valuable race by US challengers Keen Ice and Neolithic.
Trainer Todd Pletcher has confirmed to The National that both of his World Cup hopefuls are intended runners, and that they will be accompanied by Master Plan who is to be aimed at Godolphin’s Thunder Snow in the UAE Derby.
Steve Asmussen won the 2008 Dubai World Cup with the deeply impressive Curlin and will be looking to knock Arrogate off his perch with Gun Runner.
The four-year-old made his Group 1 breakthrough in the Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs in November and prepped by winning the Grade 3 Razorback Stakes at Oaklawn Park last month.
Gun Runner was due to travel with sprinter Holy Boss, but the trainer confirmed the latter will no longer make the trip.
Imperative, who won the Poseidon Stakes on the Pegasus World Cup undercard, has yet to be confirmed or scratched but would be the sixth US runner in Meydan’s feature.
Summing up his thought process of taking on Arrogate, Jack Wolf of Neolithic’s Starlight Racing told Blood Horse: "I don’t know how we beat Arrogate and a couple of the other horses but we’re going to give it the college try to see what happens.
"The horse is doing very well, so that’s the number one thing. It makes more sense to go to Dubai than it does the Big ’Cap [Santa Anita Handicap] and just getting a piece of it.
"And who knows? That’s the way we’re looking at it. I’m just tickled our horse got invited."
If they all ship, it would be a joint record and would match the 2000 World Cup won by Dubai Millennium when Behrens, Public Purse, Puerto Madero, Ecton Park, Saint’s Honor and Strudel Fitz all chased home Godolphin’s star.
Last year California Chrome led home four other US raiders in the World Cup.
Last season 11 American horses took their chance on World Cup night, whereas the season beforehand when dirt was put back down again after Tapeta there were 12.
Those numbers could be eclipsed on March 25.
Graham Motion’s Irish War Cry will not make the journey after his flop in the Fountain Of Youth Stakes at the weekend, but Doug O’Neill has confirmed that Ann Abor Eddie will contest the UAE Derby.
So too has Kenny McPeek with the Brazilian-bred Vittori Kin.
There will be a massive representation in the Dubai Golden Shaheen, also.
The Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner Drefong’s absence has opened up the $US2 million dirt contest, which is staged over 1,200 metres.
St Joe Bay, the Palos Verdes winner, remains on course, as does David Jacobson’s Stallwalkin’ Dude and Chad Summers’ Mind Your Biscuits.
Elsewhere, Jorge Navarro, whose XY Jet gave way to Muarrab in last season’s Dubai Golden Shaheen, is primed to send over Sharp Azteca to clash with Satish Seemar’s North America in the Godolphin Mile and Long On Value is a confirmed runner for Bill Mott in the Al Quoz Sprint.
Other possibles include Imperial Hint in the Dubai Golden Shaheen and Da Big Hoss in the Dubai Gold Cup.
Muarrab will defend his title from a different stable after he was transferred along with the reigning Dubai Kahayla Classic winner AF Mathmoon from Maria Ritchie’s Oasis Stables to Al Rashid Al Rayhi’s Grandstand facility.

Source: The National