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Massive Drama Ready To Face Challengers In UAE Derby
After arriving in Dubai on Monday night, horse trainer Dale Romans, best known in Dubai as the trainer of 2005 Dubai World Cup winner Roses in May, sent Massive Drama out on Tuesday for an easy 5-furlong breeze and was delighted with the result.
“He looked great and handled the track real well,” horse trainer Dale Romans said of his challenger for the $2 million UAE Derby (UAE-II), one of the 2008 Kentucky Derby prep races. “He was on hand and he did it easily. And I just wanted whatever he did to be done easily. It was very exciting to see.”
The clocker at Nad Al Sheba reported a half-mile time of :46.59 for Massive Drama and offered the comment: “Impressive work; very fit.”
Ever since owner Ahmed Zayat transferred Massive Drama, a Grade 3 winner in California, from Bob Baffert to Romans at his Florida barn last month, the big colt by Kafwain has seemed to get better and stronger in his work, Romans said.
But the trainer knows that Massive Drama has to overcome history to become the first American-based colt to win the UAE Derby, which is open to older Southern Hemisphere-breds.
“It’s a hard race to handicap, at least for me,” he said. “I know (the Southern Hemisphere-breds, including UAE classic winners Royal Vintage and Honour Devil) are older and have a little more experienced, but I don’t know how to evaluate the level of horses they’ve been running against.”
The only three-year-old colt among the Japanese runners, Iide Kenshin, underwent a canter this morning with Admire Aura for Yasumasa Matsumoto, the exercise rider for trainer Mitsugu Kon.
Matsumoto commented after the horse’s workout: “Actually the horse’s condition is much better than in Japan. He is very relaxed as well. He is a very smart horse and a very good boy.
“He cantered strongly with Admire Aura on Saturday, but we will give him another fast breeze tomorrow. He will probably have a light canter from the six furlong pole (1200m) out and then quicken up in the stretch.”
Connections of Brazilian Derby challenger Light Green were also on hand to supervise their filly ahead of the Group 2 contest.
Racing manager Eduardo Guimaraes said: “Winning is not out of the question but we are much more confident she will run in the first four.
“We would be very disappointed if she didn’t finish close.”
The dual Group 1 winner is reported to be in fantastic condition ahead of the US$2 million race and has impressed her connections with her last piece of work on Sunday when she clocked 5/8th in 1:05 seconds.
This morning the filly completed an easy gallop on the training track which will be the general order of the day for the rest of the week.
“She can have a tendency to want to do too much in her work so we are trying to take it easy with her this week and keep her relaxed and quiet,” he said.
“She has improved a lot since her last run (when third in the Listed Balanchine) and is a different filly from the one that ran at the Carnival” added Guimaraes.
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