Dubai: Godolphin’s Frosted will bid to become only the eighth grey colt in history, and first since Silver Charm 18 years ago, to win the $2 million (Dh7.34 million) Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs on Saturday.
More importantly, the Darley bred and Kiaran McLaughlin-trained 2015 Wood Memorial Stakes (G1) winner, will attempt to succeed where nine previous Godolphin hopefuls have failed, since Worldly Manner finished eighth behind Charismatic in 1999.
A former UAE champion trainer, McLaughlin’s last attempt to win the iconic race they call the ‘Run for the Roses”, came to naught when Alpha trailed in 12th of 20 to the Doug O’Neill-trained I’ll Have Another.
Frosted faces 19 rivals including this year’s UAE Derby (G2) sensation Mubtaahij and the Bob Baffert-trained duo of American Pharoah and Dortmund, currently the market leaders to give Hall of Fame handler a third success and first since Warm Emblem in 2002.
McLaughlin admitted that his colt who has won twice from seven starts faces his toughest assigment yet.
“It might be the toughest Derby that we’ve had in quite a few years,” McLaughlin, 55, told the New York Times. “I feel like 10 or 12 horses can certainly win. So many of them are just so talented. It seems like one of the most talented groups of 3-year-olds that I’ve seen.”
McLaughlin, who in 2007 won the Dubai World Cup (G1) with Invasor was based in the UAE for 10 years before he returned to his native America
His previous forays in America’s most famous race will have taught him that it takes a special horse to triumph over the best three-year-olds in the country.
He almost won the race at the first attempt in 2005 when Closing Argument just failed to collar, coming as close as half a length to the winner as the line approached.
Jazil, owned by Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance was fourth in a dead-heat behind Barbaro the following year, while Flashy Bull was 14th in the same race.
In 2011 Soldat could only finish 11th behind Animal Kingdom, who would go on to win the Dubai World Cup at Meydan, just as Silver Charm did at Nad Al Sheba racecourse in 1998.
Given his history with Dubai McLaughlin says his heart is set on winning the American Classic for His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who created the Godolphin stable in 1992.
“The race is priceles. You can’t put a price on winning the Kentucky Derby,” he said. “I would love to win it myself, and I would love to win it for Godolphin.”
