Hold your horses! Sure, you want to skim quickly through this article so you can surf to another item but slow your reading speed down to that of a canter and cast your mind back to yesteryear. (How would you have managed, ye of great haste, in the days when the St. Leger results were conveyed to London by pigeons or to Manchester by a team of dogs?)

Past Performances

Let your mind go back even further when the three famous Arabian sires from whom all thoroughbreds descend were born: Darley Arabian (1700), Godolphin Arabian (1724), and one other whose name escapes me (but who was born in 1684). Thus, it is fitting that one of the world's most prestigious horse races should take place in the Arabian Peninsula.

So, come with me to the 1998 Dubai World Cup (DWC) which annually assembles some of the finest horses from all over the world into one field. There was some nervous anticipation felt in looking forward to attending the 3rd running of the DWC.

Prior to going to the 1995 Royal Ascot meeting I wondered if there would be a repeat of the 1955 day when heavy rains, flooding and lightning cancelled part of the card. Before a 1989 visit to Saratoga racecourse in New York I thought back to the day when monsoon-like rains washed away part of the track (and the day's races). Surely you also recall that the 1997 DWC was postponed on account of torrential rains. What would happen in 1998? A hailstorm - courtesy of El Nino? or would Saddam Hussain scuttle (scud-dle?) the participation of Silver Charm and other big-name stars? (Forgive this brief trivial diversion: in the Gulf war, scud missiles were brought down by SAMs (surface-to-air-missile). yet in 1815, a horse named Scud sired a chestnut colt named Sam who won the 1818 Derby.)

Morning Workouts

Come with me as we go to Nad Al Sheba racecourse for morning workouts. At 7 am the three USA horses (Silver Charm, Malek, and Behrens) are on the track with the latter two also walking around the paddock for schooling. Silver Charm jogs by with no warning. It is the last we are to see of him until race-night as he has come out early to avoid the heat (and maybe our camera).

The grandstand reminds one of Chantillly in France with a small seating section for 1200. It is estimated that over 25,000 people will attend the Dubai World Cup. In racing's heyday, a field of stars like those assembled for the '98 DWC would have brought 70,000+ to Belmont.

For those whose vision of the Middle East is brought to you by CNN and its pictures of bombs, violence, wars and the infrequent desert scene, Nad Al Sheba is a peaceful oasis. Lush green fairways and ponds cover the infield (part of a golf course); there is also a lovely grass paddock between the grandstand and track like Doncaster's. If this racecourse were in Europe or America it would be a class act. Situated in the Arabian peninsula, however, it is a magical masterpiece that combines modern elegance in an ancient desert setting.

In the casual atmosphere of morning workouts, one may stand next to Malek's trainer Dick Mandella and learn that injured DWC hopeful Gentlemen is "resting."

A half-hour later one sits with Bob Baffert (Silver Charm) in the stands and hears enthusiastic words for his Ky. Derby hopefuls Indian Charlie and Real Quiet (wish I could've shared this with you before May 2). In a move that will make some readers cringe, your correspondent asked Mr. Baffert to sign a green and yellow "horse tie" (Silver Charm's colors)... which the silver-haired trainer did, adding the name of his famous charge for good measure.

All the while, Arabic hospitality is offered through complimentary pastries, hot drinks and orange juice (it is close to 90 deg. by 9 a.m.). Quick, let's pick up a couple of the thick, full color race programs, they're available two days before DWC day. We need all the time we can get in trying to figure out the "pick six competition." (While Islamic law forbids gambling, there is a contest for selecting the winner of each race. We eventually hit four out of six.)

Raceday

March 28 dawns bright and sunny. By 10 a.m. it is over 95 deg.; the temperature will exceed 100 in early afternoon. The first race goes off at 5: 15, but let's arrive by 3 to visit the racecourse and wander through the international village where we can peruse the trade stands, shop for souvenirs, and relax amidst the greenery (a few hundred miles away in the Arabian peninsula lies "the empty quarter" which is little else but a brown and barren landscape).

In some pre-race media releases we read that females are advised to dress modestly, yet there are plenty of western women are wearing the latest mini-dresses usually reserved for special occasions such as Royal Ascot, Ky. Derby day, and the Prix de Diane Hermes, the term global village is an admittedly overused cliche, but Dubai World Cup day brings the phrase to life. Look over along the rail during a race and you will see women from SW Asia wearing their finest colorful saris, from Europe and America sporting pastel mini-skirts or designer dresses, and from Arab countries decked out in black abbayas (a head-to-toe cloak) side-by-side Arab. men wearing white thobes (a flowing ankle-length nightshirt) and western men in their coats and ties.

Upon entering the course we are given the aforementioned colorful race programs (printed in English and Arabic); two other horse magazines that average over 150 pages profiling the Gulf racing scene and the day's action are also freely distributed. Come to think of it, except for refreshments and an optional $13 entrance fee to the International Village,. the whole day does not cost the racegoer one Dime, Pence, Franc, Rupee, or Dirham.

Riders Up

Come with me to the beautiful paddock to watch the horses saddle up for the 1st race. It is only the second turf race run over the newly installed grass course and is sure to give a boost to horses wintering in Dubai before returning to the European race season. The race, which is run over the European classic distance of 1.5 miles, is won by Stowaway (who defeated Silver Patriarch [Derby 2nd and St. Leger winner] in August 1997) over French invader For Valour.

Look at the increasing size of the crowd! Several hundred sit in the stands while many others in the International Village never leave the refreshment tent and are quite content to watch the races on tv. Around us, the numbers are increasing and it is becoming evident that a lot of people have a tendency to gather around the paddock until the horses leave and then run to the rails for the race. I say we stake out a place along the track, say 1/16 of a mile from the finish line, for the day's duration to guarantee a choice spot for the Dubai World Cup.

The temperature drops through the 90s as the sun sets, and a gentle breeze makes for an idyllic setting. The 2nd race is designed for purebred Arabian horses; it is won in a canter by Alanuud who is owned by the President of the Emirates. (Before the 3rd race, I'll get us something to eat. What sounds good on a blazingly hot evening? pizza, of course!) A name familiar to American and British racegoers wins the 3rd race. Allied Forces had a respectable record as a 2 year old in England, won some stakes in the USA at age 3, returned to win at Royal Ascot at age 4, and is now showing himself to be a serious contender for top races for older horses at 5. There follows a 6 furlong straight dash from a chute down the long stretch; race 4 is won by Mudallel (meaning "spoiled" or "pampered" in Arabic) which, unlike Allied Forces, is guaranteed to be a name totally unfamiliar to U.S. and U.K. racegoers.

Post Parade

The sun set a while ago, and the lights now illuminate the racecourse. We look to the grandstand and see three seating sections of people. On the outside two areas are the "commoners;" in the middle is 150 of the Emirates' elite all clad in their finest garb. The area in front of the grandstand is packed with people either milling about or, like us, sitting for a spell. In all, it is a festive spectacle.

Prior to the Dubai Duty Free and the DWC there is a welcoming ceremony. Fifty horses make their way down the stretch and turn in the paddock. They are followed by an Arabic marching band and preceded by an Arab on horseback carrying the Dubai World Cup trophy that is presented to the owner. The fifty riders carry banners bearing the colors of the Emirates' flag of green, red, black and white. The ceremony is held in the paddock. Looking to the grandstand we see that in the front row of the Arab. VIP section are the Maktoum brothers of Dubai; it is Sheikh Mohammad who conceived the notion of this spring race for older horses..the best older horses. And in front of them is the permanent Dubai World Cup trophy; it is engraved with the previous years' winners of Cigar and Singspiel. It is a huge trophy, quite possibly made of all gold, and reminds one of the Holy Grail when illuminated. Music fills the air, and the stage is beautifully set for the feature events.

In the 1.25 mile Dubai Duty Free, Gary Stevens, who now makes Royal Ascot a regular June break in his California schedule, makes all the running on Godolphin-owned Annus Mirabilis and is never challenged. [Godolphin is a sort of consortium of the four prominent horse owning Maktoum brothers; each brother also races horses in his own name]. Is it a sign of what is to come, that is, Stevens to win on Silver Charm or Godolphin to win with either Swain or Predappio?

Under Starter's Orders

I know you want to go to the paddock, see the world's finest up close, and take photos. Doing that, however, would forfeit our ideal spot along the rail in deep stretch. The bell sounds, jockeys get a leg up and final instructions, and the hearts of 25,000+ beat faster. "Please God, let this be a safe race for all runners." There is a short parade in front of the stands, the horses warm up off to the right side, and quickly they are loaded into the gate. The track is like a triangle: the start is in the lower right corner, and the horses run in a counter-clockwise direction (yes, U.S.. readers, horses race clockwise on lots of European racecourses.) a final thought: "please God, let no horse ‘grab a quarter' coming out of the gate."

Looking back, it seems such a blur, doesn't it? Bailey gets Behrens out to the lead (mainly because no one else wanted it), Predappio is second, "Charm" is third having rushed up from his no. 9 and Luso is a game fourth. The position of the horses remains unchanged for about 6.5 furlongs when Stevens pushes Silver Charm past the tiring Behrens. Into the eternally-long 3/8 mile homestretch they come. "Okay," we think, "now Silver Charm will put them all away." Wait! Is that Loup Sauvage sneaking up the rail to take a short lead?

(The scene calls to mind the 133-1 Arcangues winning the Breeder's Cup Classic as both are French horses trained by Andre Fabre.) Silver Charm fights his way back to the lead, but now Malek's colors are looming boldly. Again, we see Silver Charm put distance between hm and his latest opponent...only now we stare in amazement at the blue Godolphin colors storming down the outside of the track. "Here," we think, "is the huge expected effort of Predap-wait again- that's Swain who is gaining ground with every stride. Swain? isn't he supposed to be a 1.5 mile specialist and the lesser-fancied of the Godolphin pair?"

In a "slow-motion flash" before our eyes, we see the green and yellow colors of Silver Charm rush by with Swain's blue silks cutting into the margin: a half-length, head, neck, nose... we can't tell who wins, but Stevens has just punched his fist into the air. Sure enough, the replay on the giant infield tv screen shows the horse getting his nose to the wire first is... Swain! Eventually the photo-finish determines Silver Charm as the winner (and the infield tv camera angle as the loser.) in the Dubai World Cup aftermath, there are hundreds of remarks and observations. Two that come to mind are: 1) Swain actually did get a nose in front about 7 strides from the wire, and 2) what if Swain's jockey adopted the winning tactics of Touch Gold's rider in the '97 Belmont? That is, making his main move outside of Silver Charm's range of vision because the latter previously showed such a determined desire to win when challenged in the Ky. Derby and Preakness.

Payoffs

Almost as beautiful as the race itself were the post-race comments of Bob Baffert and Silver Charm's owners Bob and Beverly Lewis. The interviews in which they displayed their magnanimous sportsmanship in victory and expressed praise of the Dubai World Cup and of their sheer gratitude at being invited ought to be required viewing for every team owner and athlete. There were also two memorable comments: ["Mr. Baffert, is there anything you'd like to say to Sheikh Mohammad?"] "Sheikh, you've got to shorten that stretch; three furlongs is too long." ["Mr. Lewis, wasn't that trophy a bit heavy to be lifting with one hand?] "With this kind of exhilaration you get strength you don't realize... I could have stood there all night long." Let us pay them thanks for their demeanor and for bringing their star out of his California comfort-zone.

Sheikh Mohammad again showed himself to be a class individual and a wonderful host in his happiness for the winning connections, and why not, since the biggest winner of the evening was the enhanced prestige of this race. Let us pay tribute to hm for his vision that makes the Dubai World Cup possible. With any race comes the inevitable post-race analysis (for analysis read: excuses.) European partisans will shrug, "the U.S. horses have an unfair advantage by virtue of their being accustomed to dirt racing surfaces." U.S. supporters will politely counter, "whaddya mean advantage? Our horses have to travel 11,000 miles in a few stages during which time anything could go wrong." Please, please, such issues are best discussed (they'll never be resolved) over a lager in Newmarket, or a bourbon at Churchill Downs, or a 6 a.m. coffee at clocker's corner at Santa Anita.

For now, let us pay honor to Silver Charm who showed up, won, and deserves the title "horse of the world." In closing, let us pay recognition to the winner's sire line by tracing back his ancestors to their earliest known foundation sire: Silver Charm – Silver Buck - Buckpasser - Tom Fool - Menow - Pharamond - Phalaris - Polymelus - Cyllene - Bend Or- Doncaster - Stockwell - the Baron - Birdcatcher- Sir Hercules- Whalebone - Waxy - Pot-8-O's - Eclipse - Markse- Squirt - Bartlet's Childers - Darley Arabian - ?

You recall Darley Arabian, right? Cigar and Singspiel also are descended from him. It is the same Darley Arabian who is one of three roots responsible for today's thoroughbreds along with Godolphin Arabian and, now I remember the other's name, Byerley Turk.