By Bill Finley
With trainer Doug O'Neill seriously considering sending a string of horses to Dubai this winter, racing officials there have accepted the nominations of 17 O'Neill-trained horses for the annual Dubai World Cup Carnival.
O'Neill acknowledged that there are some logistical hurdles that have to be cleared before committing to sending such a large contingent of horses to the Middle East, but said he is hopeful everything can be worked out.
“It's very possible,” he said. “It's now a matter of getting our owners and our staff on board. The horses would be over there for four months, so it's quite a commitment. But it's an exciting and great opportunity and we're going to see if we can make it happen. It's really up to my staff and my owners. I need to see who's on board. I can't do this by myself. Right now, we're still in the early stages.”
While having American horses race in Dubai is commonplace, O'Neill, if he is decides to ship the horses to the Middle East, would be the first U.S. trainer to have a stable based in Dubai for any length of time.
O'Neill acknowledged that the uncertainty facing California racing, which has had to deal with a rash of breakdowns earlier this year at Santa Anita and the ensuing negative publicity, is something that he has considered when mulling the Dubai option.
“This is a great opportunity and something that no one over here has ever tried before,” he said. “The prize money is great in Dubai, but that's not the only thing I am looking at. There's a lot of uncertainty in California right now and Dubai could be a wonderful place to race if you have the right horses and your owners want to do it.”
O'Neill said he began to get the idea of sending a string to Dubai when setting out the schedules for Pavel (Creative Cause) and Landeskog (Munnings), horses that he plans to send to Dubai for the Dubai World Cup card, regardless of whether he sends a full contingent there.
“I started the conversations with the people in Dubai,” he said. “When I was going over my plans with Pavel and Landeskog with them, I asked how they'd feel if I had a little string there. They said they'd definitely be open to that. I initiated things and they were quick to follow up.”
O'Neill said that, should the horses go to Dubai, they would likely be under the care of his longtime assistant Leandro Mora.
“When Leandro has gone over there before, they have treated him like a king. They really roll out the red carpet for you,” O'Neill said. “He really enjoys it and I'm hoping he'd be willing to go over there for the four months. I might go over there a handful of times.”
The Dubai World Cup Carnival is worth $12.74 million and encompasses 10 race cards from January to March. The Carnival races are a prelude to the Dubai World Cup card, which will be held Mar. 28.
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