Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al Maktoum's G1 Dubai World Cup runner-up Mubtaahij (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and G2 UAE Derby fourth Vale Dori (Arg) (Asiatic Boy {Arg}) will be transferred from Mike de Kock to American-based trainers for the remainder of 2016.
Mubtaahij, an impressive winner of the 2015 G2 UAE Derby, will join Kiaran McLaughlin in New York. This will be the 4-year-old's second trip to the U.S., having finished eighth behind American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) in last term's GI Kentucky Derby and fourth to that rival in the GI Belmont S.
Given the rest of his sophomore season off, the bay returned to be fifth in Meydan's G3 Firebreak S. And fourth in the G1 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 prior to his rail-skimming runner-up finish behind California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit) in the Dubai World Cup Mar. 26.
“I was asked to take Mubtaahij to the U.S., but as it is I am stretched between the Southern and Northern Hemispheres and I don't want to put my assistants under too much pressure as U.S. racing and training is highly scrutinised by the media,” de Kock said on his website. “It would be unfair to subject them to that pressure.”
The conditioner continued, “Mubtaahijj will be in the care of Kiaran McLaughlin, one of the top trainers in the U.S. and also successful in Dubai this year in a number of races and previously with World Cup winner Invasor (Arg). Mubtaahij will return to me in Dubai for the 2017 Carnival.”
Vale Dori, winner of her homeland's G1 Jorge de Atucha, will be sent to California and placed under the care of Hall of Famer Bob Baffert. The dark bay kicked off her sophomore season with a second behind “TDN Rising Star” Polar River (Congrats) in the G3 UAE Oaks Mar. 3 and was fourth when facing that rival and males in the UAE Derby Mar. 26.
“Vale Dori will go to Bob Baffert, who is a Hall Of Fame trainer known for his recent exploits with American Pharoah and many other great names of U.S. racing,” de Kock commented. “She won't be coming back, however. She is set to go to stud in the U.S. with leading stallion Tapit having been earmarked as her first covering.”
De Kock added, “Both Mubtaahij and Vale Dori have big races in them, but I am not able to comment on the exact feature contests their new trainers will be looking at.”
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