SATURDAY, 25 MARCH, 2017 A KNIGHT TO REMEMBER ARROGATE TAKES ON THE WORLD What Juddmonte Farms=s Arrogate (Unbridled=s Song) has FOR BLUE DIAMOND TEAM achieved in his seven-race career thus far has been nothing short of phenomenal, and the 4-year-old looks to have more records within his reach as he lines up as the heavy 1-3 international favourite for Saturday=s $10-million G1 Dubai World Cup. Arrogate announced himself as a likely superstar with a 13 1/2-length demolition of the GI Travers S. at Saratoga last summer, and the grey built on that promise when defeating last year=s World Cup winner, California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit), in the $6-million GI Breeders= Cup Classic. Arrogate has made one start this season: a 4 3/4-length romp in the inaugural $12- million GI Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 28, and a win on Saturday would see him surpass California Chrome as the richest-ever North American-trained Thoroughbred. It would also make him the second-richest horse in the world, behind only Japanese Triple Crown winner Orfevre (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}). Saleh Al Homaizi and Imad Al Sagar with advisor Tony Nerses in Dubai Arrogate=s trainer, Bob Baffert, knows what it takes to win the Emma Berry 1 1/4-mile race, his two previous winners Captain Steve and By Emma Berry Silver Charm placing him second only to Saeed bin Suroor for Dubai, UAE--Given adequate financial backing, the pursuit of number of wins in the race. breeding the best to the best should be easy. But for every Baffert has not won the race since Captain Steve in 2001, and occasion that this has been a roaring success, there have been he also saddles last-out G2 San Antonio S. winner Hoppertunity so many more examples of well-bred failures. After all, the (Any Given Saturday), who was third in last year=s World Cup second part of the saying requires one simply to hope for the and carries the same colours as Captain Steve. best, and with hope, every breeder also requires luck. ABoth my horses are happy and healthy,@ said Baffert. AIt is Having bought Pearling (Storm Cat), a sister to Giant's very exciting to be here with two such good horses and it would Causeway and You'resothrilling, for 1.3-million guineas and sent be great if they could run first and second.@ her to Galileo (Ire), the team of Saleh Al Homaizi and Imad Al Despite his previous experience in Dubai, Baffert admitted his Sagar gave their fledgling breeding operation at Blue Diamond nerves can still get the best of him. Stud the best possible chance of making its name on the world AUntil [Arrogate] gets in the gate and gets the job done in the stage. race, I=m going to be a nervous wreck,@ he said. Just over five years ago, Pearling delivered her first foal, a colt, Arrogate and Hoppertunity head a strong Team USA, which and he was followed by another colt by Dubawi (Ire), then a filly also includes Grade I winner Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}) and from the first crop of Frankel (GB). So far, so good. But disaster Pegasus third and fourth Neolithic (Candy Ride {Arg}) and Keen was to strike when the farm lost Pearling's 2015 Dansili (GB) colt Ice (Curlin). cont. p5 as a yearling in a paddock accident, while the following year the mare produced a dead colt by Galileo. So, by the time her first foal, now named Decorated Knight (GB), became a Group 1 IN TDN AMERICA TODAY winner in the Jebel Hatta on Super Saturday, it was as much a Many Potential Twists in This Spiral feeling of compensation and relief as one of delight. The Roger The road to the Kentucky Derby makes a stop in Florence, Charlton-trained 5-year-old is now aiming to build on that Kentucky Saturday where a diverse group of 12 lines up for top-level win with a further triumph in today's G1 Dubai Turf, Turfway Park’s GIII JACK Cincinnati Casino Spiral S. one of eight contests for Thoroughbreds on the Dubai World Click or tap here to go straight to TDN America. Cup card worth $29-million. cont. p2 TDN EUROPE/INTERNATIONAL • PAGE 2 OF 13 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • 25 MARCH, 2017 A Knight To Remember For Blue Diamond Team cont. from p1 "Of course having a Group 1 winner is what every breeder dreams of and especially for the age of our breeding operation-- it's not been so long that we have owned the stud," says Saleh Al Homaizi, who began owning horses in his native Kuwait 20 years ago, always in partnership with his friend and countryman Imad Al Sagar, before spreading his wings to Britain. The duo has been well advised on the racing and breeding front by manager Tony Nerses, who aided them to strike at the highest level early in their British ownership days, first with Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Araafa (Ire) (Mull Of Kintyre {Ire}) and then the following year, even more gratifyingly, with Derby winner Authorized (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}). While both Classic winners were sold to stand at stud, the partners have more recently retained ownership of Group 2 winner Sayif (Ire) (Kheleyf), who stands at Llety Farms, and have this season retired homebred G2 Gimcrack S. winner Ajaya (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) to Rathbarry Stud. While not currently standing stallions themselves, they have bought two farms on the outskirts of Newmarket at which to base their breeding operation. Al Homaizi explains, "After the early success we had with Araafa and Authorized and many others, we felt that the best way to go forward and to be able to get the best bloodlines was to breed our own, because long term that potentially gives you a better chance of getting Group horses, and that's what "I don't just get nervous on race day, the nerves start for me happened with Ajaya--we bought his dam in foal, carrying him. now," he says. The sales are very tough and getting tougher--you have to pay The friends have been champion owners in Kuwait but after a so much money for the better pedigrees." break in having horses in their homeland have recently Instead of continuing to invest solely in yearlings, the pair reinvested in a runner in the country, where Al Homaizi has opted instead to make a significant play for some decent recently been put in charge of racing. broodmares. "It was Saleh who got me into racing," recalls Al Sagar. "He has "I remember when we bought Pearling, Tony was at the sale loved horses all his life and we've been friends for a long time so and he rang me to say this is the only mare we should buy. It he pulled me along with him." Cont. p3 was good advice," says Al Homaizi with a smile. "We paid a lot of money for Pearling of course but now she's worth so much more." What the 11-year-old mare has given her two owners cannot be measured solely in bloodstock valuations, however. Speaking from his hotel in Dubai two days ahead of the biggest meeting in the UAE, Al Homaizi--who has made the short trip from his home country--says, "It's a really proud moment for us to have a runner at the Dubai World Cup meeting. It's a real sense of achievement and satisfaction. Maybe it doesn't have the same history as Royal Ascot, but it is still a very young meeting and it is now very important, with more than 80% of the guests who will be attending coming from outside Dubai." As our discussion is taking place, Imad Al Sagar arrives at the hotel and immediately admits that he is very nervous ahead of the big night. Decorated Knight training towards the Dubai Turf | Emma Berry TDN EUROPE/INTERNATIONAL • PAGE 3 OF 13 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • 25 MARCH, 2017 With Decorated Knight set to return to Roger Charlton's Beckhampton stable next week ahead of a European summer campaign, which could potentially include appearances in the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup, G1 Prince Of Wales's S. or G1 Coral-Eclipse S., the team is also looking forward to seeing his 3-year-old sister Ambrosia (GB) continue her racing career under the guidance of Roger Varian. "She is by Frankel and she ran only twice last year so we hope VICE PRESIDENT, INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS she will be a good filly this year," says Al Homaizi. Gary King Meanwhile, Pearling is set to produce a brother or sister to Twitter: @garykingTDN Decorated Knight in the coming weeks, a foal whose arrival will [email protected] + 1.732.320.0975 certainly be the most eagerly awaited among the Blue Diamond Stud newcomers. The farm's broodmare band currently International Editor numbers 57, but is likely to be reduced in the coming years. Kelsey Riley Twitter: @kelseynrileyTDN "Saleh is keen to cut down to 35 mares and I agree with him," [email protected] explains Nerses. "We currently board some mares at other studs but it would be nice to scale down slightly. The problem is we European Editor Emma Berry also have stallions to support so we can't cut back too Twitter: @collingsberry much--we're sending 18 to 20 mares to Ajaya at Rathbarry Stud." [email protected] With Decorated Knight being very closely related to the 2,000 Contributing Editors Guineas winner Gleneagles (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and a Group 1 Heather Anderson winner himself, he has every right to be considered as the Alan Carasso partnership's next stallion prospect, not that they have any Newmarket Bureau, Cafe Racing immediate desire to stand a stallion at Blue Diamond.