Vineyard Haven...
 

is entered for THU at Nad al Sheba. The race is the 2000 Guineas and he'll face fellow Americans Desert Party and Regal Ransom.
Mike de Kock sends out So. Americans Rocks Off and Blues and Rock. So. American's have done very well in this race. Their runners have a big age advantage and the weight shift has meant little.

that public workout will be fun to watch

Nobody moves up like Godolphin.. That Saeed bin Suroor is one gifted horseman..To bad Cannon Shell never got the opportunity to work as his assistant..

It's easy to move-up when you buy all the best horses.

I don't know, they aren't exactly oozing confidence from all the quotes I've seen.

I don't think Suroor is anything special, esp after talking with some US based people who have been involved with some of the former Dubai based horses. VH was my choice 2yo. I had him in the Hopeful and Champagne and I was very disappointed when he went overseas. I hold out no hope for either him or Midshipman in the major US 3yo races.
IMO, deKocks's "4yo's" have a huge edge here.

Not too familiar with the deKocks horses but I just hope they send them here and put them in the hands of Kiaran Mclaughlin.

He feels like a major question mark to me. He's never been two turns before and he used to be trained by Bobby Frankel. It feels like he has nowhere to go but down.

You won't see any horses being transferred from DeKock to McLaughlin I'm afraid.

He's top notch.

... and NY form hasn't held up too well. Hows Munnings & co. been doing?

Not well.

The Godolphin squad end up here with Rick Mettee who never gets his name in the program. If they are Godolphin, Suroor's name gets in the paper. If they get demoted to Darley they go to McLaughlin who may (as Andy will attest) get them ready to flourish at AQU in November. They get wrung out over there.
If Etched had stayed here, he's have given Brown a run for his money in '08. Instead he goes to Dubai and comes back unable to race til late fall.

I'll take a de Kock exacta. No way Suroor improves on Frankel.

de Kock always does well in Dubai. Seldom do horses prosper under Godolphin.

Sure you are.

Irridescence, Eagle Mountain, Archipenko, Oracle West, Greys Inn, Sun Classique, Yard-Arm, Mythical Flight, JJ the Jet Plane...

im just saying, as long as nothing is wrong with Vineyard Haven, the purpose of this little race is a workout.

The sheikh and family seem to own nearly all the horses in these Dubai races, this is one of the Sheikhs prize buys as a means to the end of winning the Kentucky Derby on his own terms. Dekock and all the foreigners who get to participate have a good thing going, getting to be part of things in Dubai.
If his infamous left-front:rolleyes: ... or if he has just turned out to be a dud, that is a different story, but I wouldn't expect that...
This should be a workout/training prep.

I was talking about the two particular he is entering in the 2000 Guineas in Dubai, Rocks Off and Blues and Rock

Sorry, I'm a moron. :D

Rocks Off is a South African G1 winner. Blues and Rock is places in So. American G1's. Both have run already, missing the board in the Ford Trophy 2 weeks ago.

If he is a legit ky derby candidate, he should win this!

no your not. I learn a lot from you when it comes to international racing

Just to let Andy, and everyone know, this race is ONE turn. 1600 metres(about 1 mile) and he will carry 55kg or 121 lbs gets 10 lbs from Southern Hemisphere 3yos in the race. He has been training at the Godolphin Stables on Tapeta footings surface, and will run on Dirt Thursday night at Nad Al Sheba, post time 10:05 PM (1:05 PM Eastern).
I know you can watch and wager on all the Dubai International Racing Carnival races on OTB, but you can't at Aqueduct, or your NYRA Account. Not even the the late on the card races in Dubai after the windows open at Aqueduct. I wonder why that is?