Keen Ice, the conqueror of US Triple Crown winner American Pharaoh in the Travers Stakes last year, heads a strong list of USA nominations for the $10m Dubai World Cup sponsored by Emirates.

The son of 2008 Dubai World Cup winner Curlin, Keen Ice will be bidding for a second victory in the Dubai World Cup for his trainer, Dale Romans who claimed the 2005 renewal of the world’s richest race with Roses In May.

Also nominated is 2014 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner, California Chrome who is trained by Art Sherman. California Chrome, who brings with him a huge fan base, is already stabled in Dubai Racing Club’s quarantine facility ahead of his prep run in the Dubai World Cup Carnival.

Another US-based raider to have touched down in Dubai ahead of the big day is Godolphin’s Wood Memorial winner, Frosted, who will be trained out of Godolphin’s yard. His trainer, Kiaran McLaughlin knows what it takes to win a Dubai World Cup having campaigned the Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum-owned Invasor to the title in 2007.

Dortmund, the 2015 Santa Anita Derby winner trained by Bob Baffert, has also been nominated to the Dubai World Cup field. Baffert will be bidding for a third Dubai World Cup having tasted victory in 1998 with Silver Charm and 2001 with Captain Steve.

Set to oppose for South Africa is the Mike de Kock-trained Mubtaahij, the 2015 UAE Derby winner who will be out to create history by becoming the first UAE Derby winner to return the following year and win the Dubai World Cup. Three previous de Kock-trained UAE Derby winners have returned the following year for the Dubai World Cup but none have been successful; Victory Moon (3rd in 2004), Asiatic Boy (2nd in 2008) and Musir (7th in 2011).

The 2015 Champion Stakes winner, Fascinating Rock trained by Irishman, Dermot Weld is also among those nominated to the Dubai World Cup and, along with Dortmund, has the distinction of being the highest rated among the nominations for the race.

Argentina’s champion horse, Hi Happy holds three nominations including the Dubai World Cup, the Dubai Sheema Classic presented by Longines (2410m) and the UAE Derby (1900m) sponsored by the Saeed & Mohammed Al Naboodah Group.

Solow, the highest-rated horse in training, is among the nominations in the $6m Dubai Turf (1800m) sponsored by DP World. Conditioned in France by Freddy Head, Solow launched a sequence of five Group 1 victories in 2015 with his winning run in the Dubai Turf on Dubai World Cup day and he will be back to defend his title on Saturday March 26, 2016.

Solow faces a challenge from multiple Grade 1-winning Japanese contender, Maurice who claimed the Hong Kong Mile for trainer Noriyuki Hori last month. Hori has also nominated the Japanese 2000 Guineas and Derby winner, Duramente to three races on the big day; the Dubai World Cup, the Dubai Turf and the Dubai Sheema Classic. The Grey Gatsby, the 2014 Champion Stakes winner trained by Kevin Ryan, will renew his rivalry with Solow having finished runner-up in the Dubai Turf in 2015.

Also nominated to the Dubai Sheema Classic field is the Roger Varian-trained King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner, Postponed as well as Prix Saint Alary victor, Queen’s Jewel trained by Freddy Head.

Edward Lynam has nominated sprint star, Sole Power to his sixth Dubai World Cup day where he is likely to defend his $1m Al Quoz Sprint crown against Hong Kong speedball, Peniaphobia who was just a half-length second in the 2015 renewal of the 1000m race. Peniaphobia ended the year with success in the Hong Kong Sprint.

A challenge will be laid down by Australian sprinter, Buffering a multiple Group 1 winner trained by Robert Heathcote.
Nominated to the 1200m $1m Dubai Golden Shaheen sponsored by Gulf News is 2014 winner and local hero, Reynaldothewizard who made a winning start to his 2016 Dubai World Cup Carnival campaign this month in the Listed Dubawi Stakes.

Malih Al Basti, Meydan Vice Chairman and Chairman of the Meydan Racing Committee said: “The Dubai World Cup was created in 1996 as a stage upon which the best race horses in the world could come together to compete on a level playing field. It is gratifying that alongside the evolution of the Dubai World Cup as a global spectacle is the deepening appeal of our races to all jurisdictions and we annually attract nominations from the highest-rated horses in the world.
“The strength of the USA challenge is evident with marquee names such as Keen Ice, California Chrome and Dortmund. We have a nomination from Argentina’s best horse while from Europe we have attracted the highest rated horse in training in Solow. Hong Kong and Japan are always well-represented at the Dubai World Cup meeting and the nomination of Maurice promises a fascinating foil to Solow’s domination.

“As we get closer to the March 26 race day, so the fields will come more firmly into focus and we anticipate an exciting 21st running of the Dubai World Cup.”