Donn H. (G1) hero ALBERTUS MAXIMUS (Albert the Great), victor of the
Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile last year, continues to solidify his status as America’s
leading hope for the $6 million Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1) on March 28 with a
bullet workout Saturday morning at Palm Meadows Training Center.
The five-year-old Shadwell Stable colorbearer posted the only sub-one minute
five-furlong drill of the morning, stopping the official watches in :59, best of
31 workers. The bay will have one more workout next Saturday before flying to
Dubai where he could give Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum and trainer Kiaran McLaughlin
their second victory in the world’s richest race after scoring with Invasor
(Arg) in 2007.
“He’s fabulous right now and is a really neat horse,” McLaughlin said
Saturday morning shortly after the workout.
Albertus Maximus won the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita in October
over the Pro-Ride surface in a performance that proved how talented the colt was
over artificial tracks. Sheikh Hamdan purchased Albertus Maximus privately
shortly after the Breeders’ Cup and sent him to McLaughlin, gambling the horse
could adjust to the real dirt in Florida and Dubai. The gamble paid off
handsomely with his half-length win in the Donn on January 31.
“We haven’t had to do anything differently to get him ready for the dirt,”
McLaughlin explained. “We just trained him over it and hoped he liked it as much
as the synthetics. He’s just a really classy and smart horse and has done everything right.”
McLaughlin and Sheikh Hamdan are in no hurry to get the horse to Dubai,
preferring to stick with a proven winning plan despite the schedule last year
when 2007 Horse of the Year Curlin trained and won a prep race at Nad al Sheba
prior to winning the World Cup.
“Sheikh Hamdan always wants us to get there two weeks before,” McLaughlin
said. “He likes us to get in, race and get out as soon as we can. Even though
Curlin got there early last year, I think Curlin could have come in the day
before and won the World Cup because he was such a great horse. We’re going to
work again next week and then head over.”
The flight for Albertus Maximus, KIP DEVILLE (Kipling), ANAK NAKAL (Victory
Gallop) and some other American-trained runners invited to run in stakes
on World Cup day is scheduled for March 17.
Dual Grade 2 victor Anak Nakal, seventh in the Donn most recently,
breezed a half-mile in :49 4/5 on Saturday for trainer Nick Zito, also in
advance of the Dubai World Cup.
Kip Deville is scheduled to run in the Dubai Duty Free (UAE-G1).