COMMENTARY
APRIL 12, 2006
Is this finally the year?
by John Mucciolo
The thoroughly dominant performance by Godolphin’s DISCREET CAT (Forestry) in
the U.A.E. Derby (UAE-G2) begged the question — will this be the year that the
Kentucky Derby (G1) trophy goes back to Dubai? With just three starts to date, can
this electric colt overcome his lack of racing experience and win the much
coveted “Run for the Roses” on the first Saturday in May? Or should we dismiss
this colt just as we have the previous Godolphin runners?
These are the questions that many a handicapper will ponder if the son of
Forestry makes the trek to Churchill, but by viewing his first three starts, one
can be a little more optimistic with him than of those in the past who have
attempted this lofty feat. Making his debut on the Travers (G1) undercard,
Discreet Cat sizzled home a facile 3 1/2-length winner in his six-furlong debut
over a talented field, stopping the timer in a swift 1:09 3/5 while earning a
whopping 109 BRIS Speed figure. Purchased privately by the Godolphin outfit soon
thereafter, a collective “Oh no!” likely swept across the handicapping world as
they saw there hopes of another Derby contender get lost in the desert of Dubai.
But hold on, after trouncing an older and more talented field than any U. S.
runner has likely faced to date in the UAE Derby, Discreet Cat is back on the
radar in a big way!
Godolphin first began their obsession of winning the Kentucky Derby in 1999
with Del Mar Futurity (G2) winner Worldly Manner, who finished a respectable
seventh. Next came China Visit and Curule, who finished sixth and seventh,
respectively. In 2001, UAE Derby (G2) hero Express Tour shipped over to finish
eighth, and Essence of Dubai took ninth the following year. Following these
disappointments, the sharp ownership group took a step back and hasn’t sent a
starter over since. They reevaluated their position and sharpened their focus,
planning on only sending a contestant who could be fully ready to tackle the
daunting task. Give them credit where credit is due, their results weren’t
horrific but not up to par with the rest of their mighty stable of stars, and
they’ve adjusted.
This could be their year! Can you believe how effortless Discreet Cat has
looked in his two starts in Dubai? Frankie Dettori should give back some of the
purse money he’s earned for how easy this horse makes it on him. In his prep for
the UAE Derby, the three-year-old was passing horses with seemingly every stride
while never being asked for anything resembling his best. And the same could be
said for the Derby, as his six-length tally could have easily been double digits
as no horse was making up ground on him at any point. He’s brilliant, no doubt
about it, and it looks as though 10 furlongs won’t be much of an obstacle for
him. Class? Well, Discreet Cat just beat seven four-year-olds from South
America, as well as three unbeaten colts and a Chilean-bred who flirted with
running in the World Cup and had captured his last seven races with ease! What’s
not to like?
Although it is not certain that Discreet Cat will challenge our deep Derby
field, one would think it would be hard to fathom Godolphin not sending over
this unbeaten “freak.” Discreet Cat will be one of the favorites and has more
than a legitimate chance of taking home the top prize. In the past, I have
anxiously awaited the day that the Maktoum family would be rewarded for all of
their hard work and financial investment in this quest, and my stance hasn’t
changed. Say what you will about the “sheikhs,” as they are commonly referred
to, but if you were selling a horse and they showed an interest in it, you would
without question become delighted with the possible financial windfall that may
be coming your way. They are great for Thoroughbred racing across the board,
period.
And more kudos to the racing empire in the Middle East for the outstanding
Dubai World Cup program on March 25. With racehorses from Japan, South Africa,
Australia, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, Europe and the United States, combined with
some of the world’s most lucrative purses, this is the most complete and
greatest international day of racing in the world, including the Breeders’ Cup.
The hospitality they provide for the horses, owners and trainers is second to
none, and the measures they go through to put on a dazzling event is one of the
most spectacular things in sports today, humbling events held on our soil in the
United States. Would I be going overboard if I said this was a touch more classy
that a halftime show from the Rolling Stones? I hope the Breeders’ Cup marketing
committee was taking notes and learned a thing or two on how to put together a
spectacle of racing, because it might come in handy.
This racing fan would like to send out a Thank You to the countless people in
charge of putting World Cup Day together, it continues to somehow get better and
better. And Good Luck to Discreet Cat, I’ll be rooting for him!