With just over a month to the richest day in horse racing, its time for ToTT to start gazing ahead towards the upcoming Dubai World Cup.  The carnival has gotten bigger and better every year, and not to take anything away from the Breeders Cup, but this is truly the "world" horse racing championships, as the top runners from all over, not just the US and Europe, will descend on the desert.

Today is a big day as a pair of the big guns put in their final prep races.  Already completed is the Gr-III Al Quoz Sprint, where South African champion JJ The Jet Plane dominated the field.  The return to the turf helped show his true colors, as he flopped last month in his return to the track, albeit on the dirt, snapping his prior 5 race winning streak.  As the Golden Shaheen is run on dirt, he remains a bit of an enigma.

His stablemate, multiple Gr-I winner Archipenko duplicated the feat with a solid win two races later in the Gr-III Zabeel Mile showing he his ready to roll.  He will be a force in the Duty Free.

As for the card itself, it is shaping up to be another spectacular affair.  Below is a brief preview, with more details to come as the entries become finalized:

Dubai World Cup

There is no clear favorite hear, but the with the retirment of Japanese champion filly Daiwa Scarlet, the race appears to come to down to the USA versus the UAE.  Gr-I Donn Handicap winner Albertus Maximus leads the American contingent, who will also likely included graded stakes winners Delightful Kiss and Well Armed, who was third last year.  'Kiss will run this Saturday, as shown in our last racing column, in his final prep.  The UAE team will be headed by Asiatic Boy, second in last year's race and winner in 2006 of the UAE Triple Crown, last year's UAE Derby winner Honour Devil, and rapidly improving My Indy.  Asiatic Boy returned to the track for the first time since last year's Cup earlier in the Gr-III Derrinstown Stud Maktoum Challenge Round 2 three weeks but could not hold off My Indy's late charge, who has now both round 1 and 2 of the 'challenge.  Similarly, 'Devil showed quite a bit of rust as well, having also not raced since last year's win, coming home a weak third in his return to the track last week in the Al Dana Investment Plate.

Last year's winner Curlin... well, you know him.  He returned to the US to more acclaim and a second consecutive HOY award.  He also is challenging to break the not-very-well-known, but ToTT identified World Cup curse, becoming the first winner of the race since Silver Charm in 1998 to not fail to return to form, be retired prematurely and / or suffer an untimely death afterwards.  Below is a quick summary of how the winners in between them fared:

• 1999 Almutawakel: Did not win again. Euthanized in 2007 due to chronic arthritis
• 2000 Dubai Millennium: Injured a few months later and retired. Died in 2001 due to 'grass sickness'.  Holds the Dubai World Cup course record.
• 2001 Captain Steve: Did not win again.
• 2002 Street Cry: Injured a few months later and retired.  Has become one of the top stallions in the world though.
• 2003 Moon Ballad: Did not win again
• 2004 Pleasantly Perfect: Won only 2 of 4 to close out the year
• 2005 Roses in May: Injured afterwards and retired without racing again.
• 2006 Electrocutionist:Did not win again and died of a heart attack later that year.
• 2007 Invasor: Injured afterwards and retired without racing again.

Let's hope Curlin lives a long, healthy live.

Dubai Duty Free

The best race last year and may be again this year.  South Africa's Jay Peg returns to defend his crown, and will once more face last year's third place finisher, countrymate and aforementioned Archipenko, as well as the fourth place finisher, Japan's reigning HOY, the mare Vodka, and the UK's Gr-I winning filly Lush Lashes.  In what seems to be the theme this year, Jay Peg returned to the track last month for the first time since his win in the Singapore Gold Cup in May, and was soundly beaten.  He needs to round into shape fast if he hopes to repeat.  As for Vodka, she might be making her '09 debut in what is locally called Super Thursday on March 5.  Australia's HOY, Weekend Hussler, was expected to participate, but after a pair of uncharacteristic losses in prep, was found to have both a leg injury as well as reaggrevation of back ailments, and is on the sidelines indefinetly.

Golden Shaheem

A race to give the Duty Free competition for 'race of the day', as champions from five regions will clash: SA's J J the Jet Plane, Japan's Sleepless Nights, Australia's Apace Cat, US's Indian Blessing and Europe's Marchand D'or.  JJ, 'Blessing and 'Cat are all coming off sharp wins in their '09 debuts, while the other two will go at it fresh.  Advantage to the first trio.  Another factor will be the dirt course, where only Indian Blessing and Sleepless Nights have run on (yes, JJ ran on it once but flopped).  Will the ladies come out on top?

Last year's winner Benny the Bull completed an undefeated 2008 and was named US champion sprinter.  He was briefly retired due to injury but has been brough back into training.

Dubai Sheema Classic

The top two finishers in December's Hong Kong Cup, South Africa's Eagle Mountain, who was also second in the BC Turf, and Hong Kong's champion stayer Viva Pataca, will square off again and appear the ones to beat.  'Pataca is coming off a sharp win in the Citi HK Gold Cup and seems to be in top shape.  Eagle Mountain will likely run in a prep in Dubai very soon.

Last year's winner, the filly Sun Classique out of South Africa, was injured in training and did not race again.

UAE Derby

Huge race, not just in the carnival, but on the Kentucky Derby trail, as Desert Party and Vineyard Haven hook up again, alongside US 2yo champion Midshipman.  Check out our Kentucky Derby column for details on these three top contenders.

Godolphin Mile

Here, graded stakes winner and consistent performer Harlem Rocker might be the top choice. Last year's winner, the US's Diamond Stripes, has yet to return to racing.

Tune in for more details as race day approaches.