Widest draw for Mubtaahij

The decision to run Arrogate in Saturday’s $10-million Dubai World Cup over 2000m on dirt at Meydan racecourse was already one blow Mike de Kock did not need. The South African is hoping to have his first victory in this event and believes Mubtaahij, runner-up to California Chrome last year, could do the job.

Unfortunately De Kock has now suffered a second setback when the draws for barrier positions were made yesterday and his charge drew widest of all at No 14.

Trevor Brown, assistant to De Kock, said: “What can we do? We’re very happy with his progress since his last race. You have to take what you get.”

As a result Mubtaahij has been pushed out to 9-1 with Arrogate at 1-3 and Gunner Runner now second favourite at 8-1.

Arrogate will break from barrier No 9, which satisfied trainer Bob Baffert. “I didn’t want the No 1 or No 14. Nine is fine.”

Japanese horse Apollo Kentucky drew No 1 while Gun Runner, who would look a major threat in this race if Arrogate was not a runner, drew well in post No 5.

Meanwhile on Monday Arrogate completed his second-last workout before the big race. He worked about 800m and went at an easy clip under exercise rider Dana Barnes before exiting the track with big, springing strides and his ears pricked.

“He’s handling everything really well,” said Baffert on how Arrogate responded to the long journey from his home base in California as well as the adjustment to the Meydan quarantine stables and the racetrack surface.

“He looks good to me.” Stablemate and fellow World Cup contender Hoppertunity also had a brief 800m drill on Monday and Baffert commented: “Hoppertunity has been training better than he ever has, and he really loves it here.”

Yesterday both Baffert horses spent a peaceful morning in the quarantine barn area. “They just walked and it was nice and cool for them, which was great,” said Baffert. He planned to send both horses out to gallop this morning.

Barnes, an assistant to Baffert, reported Arrogate was “just perfect” in his brief drill on Monday. “He was a little aggressive early on, so I kind of geared down on him a little, but Bob told me (via a radio connection) to pick it up a little.

“I was afraid to pick it up too much because he can go from zero to 60 pretty quick,” she said with a laugh.

Arrogate moved superbly over the Meydan dirt and seems to be thriving. “His stride is just unbelievable. I’ve never ridden him on any track that he didn’t handle and he was just beautiful,”

Barnes said. “He bounced back to the barn – he doesn’t usually do that on the way home, but he was bouncing.”

The only trainer not employed by Godolphin to win more than one Dubai World Cup, Baffert is keen to win for the third time.

“I’ve never won it at Meydan and it’s totally different. I really liked that old track (Nad Al Sheba), but this is totally different with tighter turns.

“You need a lot of racing luck to get away from the gate. It becomes a jockey’s race.

“And you never know until they start turning for home – is the horse going to show up? As a trainer, you’re just hoping that at the quarter pole (400m marker), they’re moving.”

Final field with draws for the $10-million Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline (Grade 1) over 2000m at Meydan on dirt. (under draws, horse, jockey, trainer and weight)

1-Apollo Kentucky (C Lemaire) K Yamauchi 57

2-Long River (M Barzalona) S bin Ghadayer 57

3-Gold Dream (J Moreira) O Hirata 57

4-Lani (R Moore) M Matsunaga 57

5-Gun Runner (F Geroux) S Asmussen 57

6-Move Up (A De Vries) S bin Suroor 57

7-Awardee (Y Take) M Matsunaga 57

8-Furia Cruzada (A Fresu) E Charpy 55

9-Arrogate (M Smith) B Baffert 57

10-Keen Ice (J Castellano) T Pletcher 57

11-Neolithic (J Velazquez) T Pletcher 57

12-Hoppertunity (F Prat) B Baffert 57

13-Special Fighter (F Jara) M. Ritchie 57

14-Mubtaahij (C Soumillon) M de Kock 57