Columnist Ralph Siraco: Dubai Millennium retired after injury

Ralph Siraco

Monday, Aug. 7, 2000 | 10:03 a.m.

Ralph Siraco's horse racing column appears Monday, and his Southern California selections run Tuesday through Friday. Reach him c/o Las Vegas Sun, 800 S. Valley View Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89107.

The road to this year's Breeders' Cup hit a few bumps this past weekend. Thankfully, there were more than enough equine landcruisers who did negotiate the fairway that leads to Churchill Downs on Nov. 4.

Rest assured, however, there are certain to be more divots on the way to Louisville before Breeders' Cup day.

The weekend stakes races at Saratoga, Del Mar and Monmouth Park were supposed to generate some worthy competition for the world's best racehorse.

Usually, for us colonists, when we put the word "world" before "best racehorse," we're referring to a Yankee runner. However, even most diehard flag-waving good-old U-S-of-A racing fans granted that honor to a horse called Dubai Millennium.

Many in racing were convinced that Dubai Millennium was the real deal. With his breathtaking victories against the best of all continents in the Dubai World Cup and the Prince of Wales Stakes, Dubai Millennium had earned respect and praise, keeping us in awe rather than attracting contempt.

Instead of the "bring him on" attitude we often take in waiting for the next Euro superhorse, Americans were counting down the days until they could watch this rare specimen. Of course, we were ready to line up our best runners to challenge the invader.

Ah, what might have been.

Once again we are reminded how fragile and delicate our great equine stars are, and how they so mirror their human counterparts. Serious injury, more than anything else, is the one thing that scares both types of athletes the most.

Dubai Millennium could not escape fate. On Saturday morning, at Newmarket, England, the superhorse sustained a career-ending injury while training.

The 4-year-old son of Seeking the Gold broke his right hind leg during a workout and was immediately retired from racing.

Successful surgery to repair his leg will lead to a breeding career at owner-breeder Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid al Maktoum's Dalham Hall Stud starting next year.

Racing for the Sheikh's Godolphin Racing, Inc., Dubai Millennium won nine of 10 career starts. After winning the first three races of his career, the pride of Dubai lost his only race in the 1999 Epsom Derby.

Originally named Yaazer, he was renamed after a victory in his racing debut in October of 1998.

His injury came just hours after Sheikh Mohammad had proposed a $6 million match race with Europe's top grass horse, Montjeu, who recently posted an overwhelming victory in the recent King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes.

Montjeu remains on schedule for a possible Breeders' Cup Turf berth.

Now with Dubai Millennium shelved and Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus syndicated for some $60 million-plus, one wonders who will be left to fill the marquee at Churchill Downs for the Breeders' Cup. The Derby winner is not yet officially retired, but it would take a special sportsman to risk injury to a horse who is already bought and paid for in the breeding shed.

Sunday's $750,000 Whitney Handicap may have shed some light on the best-of-the-rest crowd.

Behrens, who many say ran his best career race while runner-up to Dubai Millennium in the Dubai World Cup in March, returned to avenge a narrow nose loss in last year's Whitney. Lemon Drop Kid, who won the Travers as a sophomore at Saratoga, and before that the Belmont Stakes last year, lined up with Pimlico Special and Stephen Foster winner Golden Missile.

The Grade I handicap field was rounded out by last year's Breeders' Cup Classic winner Cat Thief and the vagabond traveler Running Stag.

By the end of the 73rd running of the Whitney, Lemon Drop Kid's victory had filled some of the void left by Dubai Millennium's sudden exit.

The "Kid" started his 2000 campaign with a bad-beat disqualification after apparently winning the Grade III Widner Handicap at Gulfstream Park in March.

Instead of taking the costly trip to Dubai, trainer Scotty Schulhofer decided to keep Lemon Drop Kid, a son of Kingmambo, in the States.

The Kid went on to finish in a dead-heat victory at Aqueduct in April. After a jockey change to Edgar Prado from Jose Santos and a third-place finish behind champ Golden Missile in the Pimlico Special in May, the Kid was fitted for some shades. Donning blinkers for the first time, Lemon Drop Kid recorded a monster victory in the Grade II Brooklyn Handicap at Belmont Park in June. He repeated that winning effort in the Grade II Suburban Handicap at the same historic Elmont oval on July 4 leading up to his third consecutive victory Sunday.

Cat Thief finished in the Avis spot under new pilot Jorge Chavez while Behrens checked in a non-threatening third in the Whitney.

Jockey Jerry Bailey said Behrens didn't handle the muddy track well. Kent Desormeaux, who rode Golden Missile to a fifth-place finish in the 1 1/8-mile race, said he had a rough trip that kept his horse from running his best. Running Stag also encountered a rough journey while the others appeared to have no excuses.

At Monmouth Park, Dixie Union invaded from California to take the $1 million Haskell Invitational Handicap on Sunday. The Grade I feature restricted to sophomores saw the Richard Mandella trainee polish off Swaps Stakes winner Captain Steve and Ohio Derby winner Milwaukee Brew. Also in the 1 1/8-mile event was Belmont Stakes winner Commendable (who apparently had no excuse while finishing off the board).

At Del Mar, the 59th running of the Grade III San Diego Handicap may have produced another worthy Breeders' Cup Classic challenger. Skimming destroyed a useful field of seven competitors as he "freaked" to win the 1 1/16-mile fixture by long daylight. Even trainer Bobby Frankel was surprised with his runner's performance. Frankel said the only immediate classic forecast for Skimming is the Pacific Classic in two weeks at the seaside track. Frankel is Vegas weather hot right now.

With the San Diego victory, the Hall of Fame trainer has annexed the last four Del Mar stakes races -- and the conditioner only has six total victories at Del Mar so far this year.

So, goodbye Dubai, maybe Fusaichi, and hello Lemon Drop Kid, Dixie Union and Skimming.

Who's next? Stay tuned.