DUBAI Arrogate vs. 13 in World Cup

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – There were no surprises Monday when final entries for the $10 million Dubai World Cup were released by the Dubai Racing Club, with 13 challengers set to take on Arrogate, the horse considered the best in the world right now.

Where Arrogate and everyone else in the World Cup will begin their 2,000-meter (about 1 1/4-mile) journey Saturday night will be revealed at a post-position draw Wednesday at Meydan Racecourse. The draw for the World Cup is a two-step process: Horse names are randomly drawn by racing officials, and the connections choose their own posts from the available slots.

“The start is so crucial,” said Bob Baffert, Arrogate’s trainer. “You’ve got to get out of there. He had the rail the last time, and I didn’t like it.”

But even breaking from the fence in the Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream in his most recent start, Arrogate still won easily. His opponents Saturday are Apollo Kentucky, Awardee, Gold Dream, Gun Runner, Hoppertunity, Keen Ice, Lani, Long River, Mubtaahij, Neolithic, Special Fighter, and Furia Cruzada.

Post positions for the other Grade 1 races on the card also will be drawn Wednesday. The $6 million Sheema Classic got just seven final entrants, but the race is star-studded, with Postponed, Highland Reel, Jack Hobbs, and Seventh Heaven forming a glittering core. There are 14 entrants in the $6 million Dubai Turf, including Ribchester, Real Steel, Zarak, Mutakkayef, Mondialiste, Decorated Knight, and Deauville – an excellent cast.

Among the $2 million Golden Shaheen’s 14 entrants are four American horses: Mind Your Biscuits, St. Joe Bay, Stallwalkin’ Dude, and Imperial Hint. Mind Your Biscuits is the likely favorite for Chad Summers, who became a licensed trainer of record only late last year. Mind Your Biscuits galloped about two miles and schooled in the spacious Meydan paddock Monday.

“He shipped well and is very good right now,” Summers said. “I couldn’t be happier. I wish the race was tomorrow.”

As expected, 12 horses were entered in the Al Quoz Sprint, a straight-course turf race lengthened from about five furlongs to about six furlongs this year. Ertijaal, Limato, and Amazing Kids are the likely favorites in a race that includes two Americans, Long On Value and Richard’s Boy.

Imperial Hint struggles to shake bug

Grade 3 General George winner Imperial Hint’s status for the $2 million Golden Shaheen was in doubt Monday after the horse spiked a fever upon arrival in Dubai last week.

Trainer Luis Carvajal Jr. said Imperial Hint ran a temperature for only one day upon his arrival but appears not to have fully shaken whatever bug hit him.

“He looks really good and is eating good,” Carvajal said Monday. “He has no fever, but his blood shows something abnormal. If his blood is not 100 percent, I will not run. We always put the health of the horse first.”

Carvajal said the plan was to take Imperial Hint to the track Tuesday for his first training session since arriving here. The 4-year-old Imperial Hint, owned by Raymond Mamone, is the star of Carvajal’s small Parx Racing-based stable. He has been Carvajal’s only stakes starter in the last two calendar years and has gotten very good in the last six months. The General George, a career-best performance, was his third straight victory.

Sharp Azteca gets post 6

Sharp Azteca, the lone American runner in the race and the likely favorite, landed post 6 for the $1 million Godolphin Mile when post positions were drawn Monday for the nonGrade 1 races on the World Cup program.

Jorge Navarro trains Sharp Azteca and has come to Dubai for the second year in a row, having sent X Y Jet to a slightly disappointing second-place finish last year in the Golden Shaheen. Navarro said Sharp Azteca had worked the easiest of half-miles Monday in about 55 seconds.

“He’s already fit. I just wanted to take the edge off because he’s tearing down the stall,” Navarro said.

Sharp Azteca will be favored, but the Godolphin Mile includes a couple of dangerous locals, North America and Heavy Metal.

Likely favorite Vazirabad breaks from post 3 and faces 13 rivals in the $1 million Gold Cup over about two miles on grass.

Two American-based runners, Master Plan (post 2) and Vettori Kin (post 8) are among the 16 entered in the $2 million UAE Derby, a Kentucky Derby qualifying race. Thunder Snow, the highest-rated horse in the 1,900-meter race, drew poorly in post 13.