Thunder Snow wins Dubai World Cup,
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Thunder Snow stormed past race favorite West Coast to complete a stunning night for local stable Godolphin in the Dubai World Cup on Saturday.
Beneath Belgian jockey Christophe Soumillon, Thunder Snow triumphed by more than five lengths.
It was the fourth Group One victory of the night for Godolphin, owned by Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
For Thunder Snow trainer Saeed Bin Suroor, it was his eighth victory in the $10 million main race.
Thunder Snow started from the 10th and widest post and slipped ahead of West Coast early in the 2,000-meter race. He powered ahead by the halfway stage and finished with a terrific burst.
“West Coast let me go and when I arrived in the first corner my horse just pricked his ears and had a good blow,” Soumillon said. “In the back straight, I was really cantering.”
Thunder Snow earned his seventh victory in 18 starts, with Group 1 victories at age two, three, and on Saturday at four.
“Saeed gave me lot of confidence before the race. I wasn’t ready to ride him that positively,” Soumillon said. “He told me to try to get the best start possible and stay close to the pace. I never thought I would be able to make the running with that draw, but he jumped quite well and on the inside I saw nobody was trying to challenge me.”
West Coast, trained by three-time Dubai World Cup winner Bob Baffert, was second. Baffert’s other horse, Mubtaahij, was third.
“Since we started from the inside gate I wanted to take the lead, but the outside horses went faster than (West Coast) found his stride,” Baffert said.
Godolphin-owned and Charlie Appleby-trained Hawkbill won the Dubai Sheema Classic, a Group 1 race over 2,410 meters on turf with a purse of $6 million.
The Bin Suroor-trained Benbatl triumphed in the other $6 million race on the nine-race card, the Dubai Turf.
FLORIDA DERBY No problems for Audible
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. — Audible ran away in the stretch to win the Grade 1 Florida Derby, further cementing himself as a serious contender for the Kentucky Derby.
An eight-week layoff was no problem for Audible, who will take a four-race winning streak into the Triple Crown campaign that starts at Churchill Downs on May 5. He finished the 11/8 miles at Gulfstream Park in 1:49.48, and delivered the fifth Florida Derby victory to both jockey John Velazquez and trainer Todd Pletcher.
And now, barring some sort of problem, it’s off to Churchill Downs.
“If he comes out of it well, that’s our goal,” Pletcher said.
Recent history says that Audible will now have a great chance at the Kentucky Derby. Each of the last two Florida Derby winners — Always Dreaming last year and Nyquist in 2016 — went on to win the Run for the Roses.
Hofburg was second, Mississippi took third and Catholic Boy — the second choice in the betting behind only Audible, who was sent off at 8-5 odds — was fourth.
The victory gave Audible 100 points in the Kentucky Derby standings, far more than enough to clinch his spot in the field. Hofburg is almost certainly assured a spot as well.
Promises Fulfilled, the Fountain of Youth winner at Gulfstream earlier this month, went right to the lead out of the gate, as did Strike Power. They set a blazing early fraction, while the other seven starters merely sat back and waited for the initial speed to fade.
Audible waited outside a cluster of four horses, and began his big move near the far turn.
By the time they were in the final straightaway, it was over.
Audible returned $5.20, $4 and $3.