Columnist Ralph Siraco: Captain Steve finds riches in Dubai desert

Ralph Siraco

Monday, March 26, 2001 | 8:40 a.m.

Ralph Siraco's horse racing column appears Monday, and his Southern California selections run Tuesday through Friday on the scoreboard page. Reach him c/o Las Vegas Sun, 2275 Corporate Circle Drive, Ste. 300, Henderson, NV 89014.

Rack another one up for the Americans.

Next time you pull into a gas station and pay an outrageous price for a gallon of petrol, take some comfort in the American invasion onto the sands of Dubai on Saturday.

The sixth edition of the Dubai World Cup was contested just about the time most of Las Vegas was waking up to a bowl of corn flakes.

At approximately 9:15 a.m., a potent contingent of patriots was wrapping up a banner day for the good old U.S. of A. in Dubai. The world's richest horse race, worth $6 million American, was won by Captain Steve, a stellar thoroughbred named after a Louisville, Ky., policeman.

It was the third time in a half-dozen runnings that an American took home the money. The other three editions of the race were won by the home team Godolphin Racing, Inc.

Captain Steve joined Silver Charm (1998) and inaugural winner Cigar (1996) in capturing the crown jewel of the United Arab Emirates racing calendar for the U.S.

Although the race was beamed via satellite to selected race books in Nevada and televised over the sport's racing networks here in America, the Dubai card of major stakes races was run under lights at a state-of-the-art facility called Nad Al Sheba Race Course.

The 1 1/4-mile main event started in a long chute that angled first away from the grandstand then back toward the patron enclosure before taking a final left turn down a long and narrow straight to the finish line. The course, shaped in what amounts to a triangle, has a composition modeled after the main track at Churchill Downs.

Among those in a world-class field of a dozen invited runners were Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes runner-up Aptitude and Godolphin entry Best Of The Bests. But Captain Steve had been preparing for this desert demolition since his February 3 victory in the Grade I Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park. The Bob Baffert trainee arrived in Dubai early and was training over the unusual oval for several weeks leading up to the World Cup. His final workout was conducted under the lights to prepare the son of Fly So Free for race-night conditions.

All the preparations paid off -- but not before some anxious moments that had the Captain Steve camp on edge. As the field made its way through the second of the three straights, Captain Steve seemed to be laboring over the track and was racing between rivals. As the field turned for home, Japan's To The Victory, a daughter of 1989 American Horse Of The Year Sunday Silence, had what appeared to be an insurmountable lead.

At that point, the silver-haired Baffert said, "I thought my hair was going to turn black."

But Captain Steve kicked into overdrive, caught To The Victory and then drew away late for a decisive score. Victorious jockey Jerry Bailey picked up his third Dubai World Cup; he won on Cigar and again on Singspiel in 1997.

Jockey David Flores was one of five American riders who ventured to compete on the day's card. The Southern California-based reinsman joined Bailey, Chris McCarron, Gary Stevens and Corey Nakatani for Dubai riding assignments. Although Flores did not menace in the World Cup aboard Broche, he managed to win two million dollar-plus races on the day.

The United Arab Emirates Derby was of keen interest to many American racing fans. That event, contested as the third race on the seven-race card, saw two Godolphin Racing runners battle to the wire. But both have American roots and raced in the states as 2-year-olds. Express Tour, who swept all three legs of Calder's Florida Stallion Series last year before being purchased by Godolphin, beat stablemate Street Cry by a head. Street Cry gained respect in America as a juvenile with several runner-up efforts in stakes competition before a third-placed finish in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

Godolphin indicated that Express Tour and Street Cry are heading to Louisville for a try at the Kentucky Derby.

The Golden Shaheen was staged as the fifth race on the card at six furlongs. Under a confident ride by Nakatani, Caller One romped to an easy victory in the straight dash over another American runner, Men's Exclusive, ridden by Stevens.