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 Silver bust Almutawakel wins Dubai World Cup; Silver Charm is 6th
Posted: Sunday March 28, 1999 01:30 PM
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- In a big upset at the Dubai World Cup, Silver Charm finished sixth Sunday in the showcase $5 million race that was won by local entry Almutawakel. Silver Charm, the 1997 Kentucky Derby winner who won this race last year, was not a factor in the field of eight horses, four of them owned by Dubai's ruling Al Maktoum family. The two other U.S. horses fared far better on the dirt track, with Malek finishing second and Victory Gallop third. Had Silver Charm captured the winner's purse of $3 million, he would have moved past Skip Away and into the No. 2 spot on the career earnings list with $9,803,066. The great Cigar, now retired, is No. 1 at $9,999,815. Almutawakel, who was timed in 2:00.65 for the 1 1-4 mile race, is owned by the world-famous Godolphin stables that belong to the Al Maktoums. The bay colt came to prominence when he won the Prix Jean Prat beating Gold Away and the St. James's Palace stakes winner Dr. Fong. Malek, who finished fourth in Dubai last year, earned $1 million for finishing second. Victory Gallop, the 1998 Belmont Stakes winner ridden by Jerry Bailey, won $500,000. The rest of the order of finish was Central Park in fourth, followed by Daylami, Silver Charm, Running Stag and English Derby-winner High Rise. The four Maktoum-owned horses -- High Rise, Daylami, Central Park and Almutawakel -- were making their dirt-racing and 1999 debuts. The horses broke evenly at the start. Silver Charm fell behind in third place, trailing Central Park and Malek. He then dropped further back at the Nad Al Sheba racecourse. Silver Charm, ridden by Gary Stevens, his regular jockey, did not have trainer Bob Baffert on hand. Baffert was at Turfway Park in Kentucky Saturday to watch Kentucky Derby hopeful Straight Man finish fourth in the Gallery Furniture.Com Stakes. Silver Charm and Straight Man are owned by Bob and Beverly Lewis. There was no betting at Nad al-Sheba. In North America, wagers were taken on the race at tracks and off-track facilities in Canada and 28 states, but not in New York, where betting on racing is prohibited on Palm Sunday. Silver Charm, with career winnings of more than $6.5 million, was second in the Breeders' Cup Classic last Nov. 7 at Churchill Downs and opened 1999 with a win in the San Pasqual Handicap at Santa Anita. However, in his last two starts, he finished third in both the Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park and the Santa Anita Handicap on March 6. Victory Gallop, a 4-year-old colt, is trained by Elliott Walden and owned by brothers Art, Jack and J.R. Preston, was fourth in the Breeders Cup Classic. He opened 1999 by winning an allowance race March 3 at Gulfstream Park. Malek, ridden by Alex Solis, had raced only twice since his fourth place in Dubai last year. He finished second to Silver Charm in the San Pasqual, then was second in the San Antonio Handicap on Feb. 7 at Santa Anita.
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