It is 20 years since the inaugural Dubai World Cup winner Cigar yielded his 16-race unbeaten record in the Pacific Classic at Del Mar.
Just a few months after his triumph at Nad Al Sheba, the United States’ Horse Of The Year was out to eclipse Citation’s long-standing winning streak.
It was probably there and then the myth that a trip to Dubai can ruin a horse’s form took root in the US.
Richard Mandella’s Dare And Go loomed up on the home turn under Alex Solis, passed Cigar and left the exhausted champion behind.
Cigar was caught in a relentless speed duel with Mandella’s other horse, Siphon, who was good enough to finish second to Singspiel in the following year’s Dubai World Cup.
With the two going head-to-head it resulted in Cigar charging through the fractions to get to a mile in 1 minute, 33.60 seconds, which was not far off the track record for the distance at the time.
• More: Espinoza says California Chrome 'is on a different level'
As Dare And Go stretched further and further away from Cigar and jockey Jerry Bailey in the straight, Siphon was left gasping for air having matched the great bay and crumpled to finish seven lengths adrift of his rival.
Cigar was box office as the US’s most famous and well-loved horse, and had drawn a record crowd of 44,181.
The deflation among the racegoers who had flocked to see Cigar was tangible. There was one person in the crowd that day, however, who was feeling remarkably upbeat despite Cigar’s defeat – trainer Art Sherman.
“I remember that day well because I had a box right down near the wire,” he recounted by telephone from Del Mar.
“That Cigar ran his eyeballs out that day, he was a great champion.”
Wind forward two decades and Sherman, 79, is hoping that California Chrome, who he trains, does not suffer the same fate as Cigar on Saturday.
California Chrome carries Cigar’s candle as the reigning Dubai World Cup winner and faces last year’s Pacific Classic heroine and three-time female champion Beholder, also trained by Mandella, in the Grade One event worth $US1 million (Dh3.6m).
There are seven others in the 2,000-metre race headed by Bob Baffert’s pair. Dortmund, who chased home California Chrome in the San Diego Handicap last month at the course on his first start since November, and Hoppertunity, who was third at Meydan in March.
As an illustration of the quality on display in California, the equine quartet have accumulated 30 stakes races between them.
Last month California Chrome’s jockey Victor Espinoza said he had no fears at all taking on Beholder for the first time, but that was before his chestnut mount was handed the dreaded inside draw.
The last time California Chrome broke from Gate 1 was in his Dubai World Cup prep at Meydan, but in a serious test you have to go back to the 2014 Pennsylvania Derby when he trailed in sixth.
In contrast, Dortmund and Beholder, drawn respectively in Gates 8 and 7, have the berth Espinoza would have most desired.
“I was a little upset at the draw but Chrome is training and is good physically as he has ever been,” Sherman added. “That race against Dortmund really brought him on, tightened him up, and has him right on his toes.
“At Del Mar, which is by the sea, not many horses win in the one hole. I don’t know why, perhaps the dirt is a little deeper on the rail.
“Victor knows this course well and hopefully he’ll just let him out of the gates, and get him rolling in a good position right off them and let those pace setters go.
“I have a feeling Beholder will sit just off Dortmund, and we’ll see how it goes from there.”
The reason Gary Stevens is likely to take a pull on Beholder is that if she gets involved in a battle with Dortmund up front she is likely to burn out like Cigar did in 1996.
Beholder lost her unbeaten run of eight last time when outfought by Stellar Wind in the Clement L Hirsch Stakes last month at Del Mar.
It was merely preparation for this showdown, however.
“I think the race the other day legged her up where I wanted her,” Mandella said. “I was shocked she ever got beat and it took me a week to get my courage up. But she’s got hers, so I’m going to listen to her.”
At the post position draw 20 years ago when Mandella was asked how he might feel should Dare And Go beat Cigar he said he would feel terrible for about a second.
He is sure to feel the same on Saturday should Beholder down Chrome.
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