Keen Ice, the conqueror of US Triple Crown winner American Pharaoh in the Travers Stakes last year, heads a strong list of USA nominations for the $10m Dubai World Cup.
The son of 2008 World Cup winner Curlin, Keen Ice will be bidding for a second victory in the race for his trainer, Dale Romans, who claimed the 2005 renewal of the race with Roses In May.
Also nominated is 2014 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner, California Chrome, who is trained by Art Sherman. California Chrome, who brings with him a huge fan base, is already stabled in Dubai Racing Club’s quarantine facility ahead of his prep run in the Dubai World Cup Carnival.
Another US-based raider to have touched down in Dubai ahead of the big day is Godolphin’s Wood Memorial winner, Frosted, who will be trained out of Godolphin’s yard.
His trainer, Kiaran McLaughlin knows what it takes to win a Dubai World Cup having campaigned the Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum-owned Invasor to the title in 2007.
Dortmund, the 2015 Santa Anita Derby winner trained by Bob Baffert, has also been nominated to the Dubai World Cup field. Baffert will be bidding for a third victory having won in 1998 with Silver Charm and 2001 with Captain Steve.
Set to oppose for South Africa is the Mike de Kock-trained Mubtaahij, the 2015 UAE Derby winner who will be out to create history by becoming the first winner of that race to return the following year and win the World Cup.
Three previous de Kock-trained UAE Derby winners have followed this path but none have been successful; Victory Moon (third in 2004), Asiatic Boy (second in 2008) and Musir (seventh in 2011).
The 2015 Champion Stakes winner, Fascinating Rock, trained by Irishman Dermot Weld is also among those nominated to the Dubai World Cup and, along with Dortmund, has the distinction of being the highest rated among the nominations for the race.
Argentina’s champion horse, Hi Happy holds three nominations including the Dubai World Cup, the Dubai Sheema Classic (2410m) and the UAE Derby (1900m).
Solow, the highest-rated horse in training, is among the nominations in the $6m Dubai Turf (1800m).
Conditioned in France by Freddy Head, Solow launched a sequence of five Group 1 victories in 2015 with his winning run in the Dubai Turf on Dubai World Cup day and he will be back to defend his title on Saturday March 26.
Solow faces a challenge from multiple Grade 1-winning Japanese contender, Maurice who claimed the Hong Kong Mile for trainer Noriyuki Hori last month.
Hori has also nominated the Japanese 2000 Guineas and Derby winner, Duramente to three races on the big day; the Dubai World Cup, the Dubai Turf and the Dubai Sheema Classic. The Grey Gatsby, the 2014 Champion Stakes winner trained by Kevin Ryan, will renew his rivalry with Solow having finished runner-up in 2015.
Also nominated to the Sheema Classic field is the Roger Varian-trained King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner, Postponed as well as Prix Saint Alary victor, Queen’s Jewel.
