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Dubai: Last year, leading American trainer Todd Pletcher brought five horses to Dubai for the $21 million Dubai World Cup programme, and exercise rider Eddie King remembers they were "all pooped" after the gruelling plane ride from the US.
This year, Pletcher has only one contender, but that horse - six-year-old Dubai World Cup (Gr 1) entrant A. P. Arrow - seems to be "happy to be here in Dubai," King said. "He's very rambunctious right now," he added.
King guided the six-year-old son of A.P. Indy to the Nad Al Sheba training track on Saturday morning for his first exercise since the flight and they jogged a mile (about 1,600 metres) and galloped about 2,000 metres.
A. P. Arrow was placed in 16 of 22 starts and has earned $1,128,290. He is coming off one of the best performances of his life, an onrushing second in the Donn Handicap (Gr.1), which has produced more Dubai World Cup winners than any other American prep race.
Meanwhile, UAE Derby (Gr 2) contender Massive Drama made quite an entrance at Nad Al Sheba after arriving following a flight from Florida.
"He actually got to the stable and bucked and squealed," said Henrietta Steele, assistant to trainer Dale Romans.
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