When Thunder Snow emerges under Christophe Soumillon from Gate 2 at Churchill Downs on Saturday night, the UAE Derby winner will be running to prove far more than his own worth.
Saeed bin Suroor has not saddled a horse in the Kentucky Derby since 2009 – before Meydan Racecourse was built – but the long-standing Godolphin trainer clearly means business in America.
Ever since Worldly Manner became Godolphin’s first representative in 1999, the race has been an itch that has not been satisfactorily scratched, and Thunder Snow’s performance bids to underpin an entire philosophy.
The race for excellence has no finish line. So said Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. It has been his belief for nearly 20 years that the UAE Derby can be a springboard to success in the Kentucky Derby. So far, a win has proved elusive.
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Read more
■ Saeed bin Suroor: Thunder Snow 'has the class' to win Kentucky Derby
■ James Doyle: Win at Newmarket could improve status at Godolphin
■ Video: Patch the one-eyed horse ready to race at Kentucky Derby
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China Visit was the inaugural UAE Derby winner and he ran a fine sixth to Fusaichi Pegasus in 2000. To highlight what a fine performance that was, subsequent Dubai World Cup winner Captain Steve was one behind China Visit’s stable companion Curule in eighth.
From there Bin Suroor dispatched three more UAE Derby winners: Express Tour (2001), Essence Of Dubai (2002) and Regal Ransom (2009). Desert Party was second to Regal Ransom in Dubai and joined his conqueror on the journey, but all four horses finished down the field.
It is easy to see why the UAE Derby should be the perfect preparation. There have been some top-class colts who have won the Group 2 race over 1,900 metres on World Cup night.
Asiatic Boy and Mubtaahij both won the UAE Derby before finishing as the runner-up in the Dubai World Cup, while Street Cry finished second in the UAE Derby but won the World Cup.
Toast Of New York showed in 2014 that the race can translate well into US form when he went down in a belting photo finish in the Breeders’ Cup Classic in the same season.
Godolphin are set for the sort of weekend they were founded for in 1994. Eight hours before Thunder Snow runs on the far side of the Atlantic, Bin Suroor will run Meydan regular Top Score and Frankel colt Dream Castle in the English 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.
Dream Castle, in training with Richard Hannon, completes the three-pronged attack on Coolmore’s overwhelming favourite Churchill.
Bin Suroor clearly feels Thunder Snow’s effort is the more important, and as Godolphin are yet to win America’s most famous race, it is understandable why he has been in Louisville for the past few days.
Thunder Snow is more versatile than any of his previous runners, however, boasting Group 1 wins on both turf in Europe and dirt in Dubai. Bin Suroor has gone as far as describing him as brilliant.
Whatever Soumillon achieves aboard the son of top-class Australian sprinter-miler Helmet, at least this will be another learning experience for Godolphin.
Saaed bin Suroor leads Thunder Snow back to the barn area after morning training on Thursday. Michael Reaves / Getty Images
Todd Pletcher has won the Kentucky Derby once before, with Super Saver in 2010, but after 45 runners his record is perceived in different ways in America.
To win once would be any trainer’s dream, but there are others who point to the seven-time Eclipse award winner’s perceived scatter-gun approach.
Pletcher runs three in Always Dreaming, one of the favourites after his power-packed three wins this season, Patch, the one-eyed horse, and Tapwrit, the Tampa Bay Derby winner.
For good measure, he also has Master Plan, third behind Thunder Snow at Meydan, as a reserve should some misfortune happen to one of the 20 runners.
Pletcher is another who believes that perfection is never attained, and his words at morning track work this week could well provide inspiration for Godolphin should Thunder Snow fail in his quest to win what is dubbed in America as the most exciting two minutes in sport.
Patch has been gaining a lot of attention as the one-eyed horse prepares for the Kentucky Derby. Jamie Squire / Getty Images
“The record is what it is,” Pletcher said. “The Derby is the goal for many of our young horses. It will continue to be the goal.
“It’s like a shooter in basketball: Just because they’re not going in all the time, you don’t stop shooting. The only way you’re going to make a basket is to shoot. Forget what your percentage is, keep shooting.”
Elsewhere, Sheikh Mohammed Obaid’s Dubai Sheema Classic winner Postponed has been retired.
Postponed suffered a stress fracture, which is not usually a career-ending injury, but as the son of Dubawi is six years old the decision was taken to put an end to his racing career.
Postponed won four Group 1 races in all, including the 2015 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and his imperious performance at Meydan last year.
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